My great-great-grandparents were Bartolomeo Daniele Petrini and Maria Anna Eufrosina Pineschi. They had ten children, six of whom were girls, and all but one of the girls were given the first name of Maria. (All of the boys except for the oldest were given the first name Giovanni). The five girls were:
Maria Enrichetta
Maria Argentina Dina Annita
Maria Armida Argentina
Maria Amabilia
Maria
Why Maria? Well, I can’t know for sure why they chose the name, but it was probably to honor Bartolomeo’s mother, Maria Angela Simi. Only two of the girls survived to adulthood, and neither of them named a child Maria. However, that doesn’t mean there are no other Maria’s in the family. The oldest son, (who was not named Giovanni!) married a Maria. Roberto/Umberto Petrini married Maria Aurelia Guglielma Orsi, and her mother was a Maria, Maria Domenica di Menco, who was a daughter of Maria Anna Felice Lucshesi.
Maria Domenica di Menco married Innocenzo Orsi, who also had a mother named Maria; Maria Angela Strupeni. Together they had three daughters in addition to Maria Aurelia Guglielma, all named……Maria! They are:
Maria Carolina Camilla
Maria Teodolinda
Maria Anastasia Fravolina