Maria Padian: Hello, my name is Maria Padian. When I was growing up, kids thought I was Armenian because a lot of kids' last names who are Armenian end in the letters I-A-N, like Jibilian, or Dedekian. However, Padian is not Armenian at all, it's an Irish last name. Strangely enough, when you go to Ireland, they don't pronounce it Padian, they say Padian. So, in Ireland, I would be Maria Padian. But, in America, I'm Maria Padian.