M A D O N N A

Madonna has cited her Catholic background is a major influence in her life and career. She has also noted on various occasions that her mother's premature death left a lasting emotional impression throughout her adolescence and adulthood.

The name "Madonna" is Catholic and references The Virgin Mary, who in the Roman Catholic Church is often referred to as "The Madonna". She has described the name as being "very Italian", despite the fact that she was named after her French Canadian mother. The name "Madonna" is a combination of the two Italian words "ma", a variation on the Italian "mia" (the contextual form for the adjective "my"), and "donna", which literally translates to "my lady".