Sophia, Clarissa. Clara or Iris? Please help!

[toomanydoughnuts]

I love the name Sophia but am a little worried that its so popular every second girl will be a Sophie or Sophia. I've enjoyed having a fairly unusual name so don't really know if it gets annoying having to always be Sophia X or blonde Sophia or so on.
Other options are Clarissa (nn, Cleo), Clara, Iris.
Opinions please!

[Jaybird37]

Sophia is lovely, but does seem pretty popular at the minute. It would not worry me hugely, and certainly my DS does not mind having a common name in the least.

I greatly prefer Clara and Iris to Clarissa or Cleo.

[BosomForAPillow]

Prefer Sophia to all the others. Don't think it's that popular.
Second choice Cleo without the Clarissa full name.

[randomimposter]

Clara and Iris are my favourites of your names.

[mamaloco]

A lot of Clara around though.
Clarissa is nice

[hatsybatsy]

you have quite similar taste to me - with the exception of clarissa!

dd was v nearly sophie but we decided against as too popular round here.

iris is lovely but there are a fair few of them here too now - so i would probably go for clara which is v original

[toomanydoughnuts]

Thanks for all your views - very helpful. seems as if Clarissa isn't so liked - must be one of those ones you either love or hate.

[smother]

Clara or Iris.
I prefer Clara but I think it's growing in popularity, always seems to be mentioned on these threads at moment.

Sophia is a little safe and boring, although not so much as Sophie is (eek, sorry to any sophies reading)

Clarissa is the most unusual, perhaps for a reason.

[margaret0709]

Clarissa definitely - and i love Cleo an a nn!!

[zenoushka]

Sophia is a beautiful name - and definitely not as popular as Sophie. It's classic and timeless!

I really like Clara too.

[ValiumSingleton]

Clara. issa ruins it. Cleo is lovely too though.

[diggingintheribs]

I suggested clara to dh and he ruled it out as 'it's a common name for a cow in germany'

I did wonder if they had annual list of the most popular cows names!

As dd is half german decided it migt not e wise to name her after a cow!

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

As lovely as Clara is it will be the next ever so popular name, like evie, ruby, Olivia. All lovely but most often one of many.

[LaundryLyne]

I like Clara and Sophia.

[CreepyFunbags]

I like Iris. But Cleo is nice too.

[MrsJohnDeere]

Iris is lovely.

[wubblybubbly]

Clarissa is my favourite, very classical, not overly popular, simple spelling and easy to understand. If I could have another DC that would be my first choice for a girl, it's lovely.

[mumtoabeautifulbabyboy]

Love Clara and Iris.

Sophie is extremely popular in my area (south east) within the under 5s at the moment. I know loads.

[proudfoot]

Clara would be my choice

Also like Sophia and Iris

[SparklyJules]

I have a Sophie, she was the only one we knew in our area until she started school and we found there were 2 more in the whole school - so not as common as people think. I love the name Sophia and sometimes wish we had named her that instead!

[HumphreyCobbler]

Clara was about 380 in popularity in 2008.

I see it pop up a lot on here.

It is my dd's name, it is the nicest on your list.

[SpanishHarlot]

I have a Sofia (it is spelt the Spanish way) much nicer than Sophia or Sophie.

It suited her as a baby and still does as a young girl and i think it sounds elegant for a woman too.

so many names nowadays suit babies but end up getting changed or shortened as they grow older.

Go with Sofia just to be different..

[wigglesrock]

My dd1 is Sofia, she is the only one in her school, she's 5 and we haven't heard it that much although dd2 is Olivia!

[midnightexpress]

I like Clara best, then Iris and then Sophia. I'm not keen on Clarissa (though I do like Cleo).

[Avocadoes]

I love all your choices. Good taste!
If I had to put them in order it would be:
Iris
Clara
Sophia
Clarissa