I like the
name Applegate. In Oregon it is historic. I would look for a first name that is a little more on the historic side, like Victoria or Alexandra. Is Maire supposed to be Marie? If it's really Maire, then that could sound to people like Dusty Mare (as in the Old Grey Mare who Ain't What She Used to Be), maybe that is why they are reacting that way.
You can always give little Victoria, Elizabeth or Honoria the nickname of Dusty, even from birth.