Do you prefer Claudia or Lydia or....

[KatyAnn28]

...Neither?!

[SminkoPinko]

Lydia. I think it's a great name. strong but feminine and not based on a male name (afaik) as Claudia definitely is. I'm a bit biased as have a lovely friend whose daughter is Lydia and another lovely friend whose own name is Lydia.

[juneybean]

I like both but prefer Lydia.

[Nyx]

Lydia. Based on one of the Noel Streatfeild books, I think the younger sister was a Lydia - it's going to bug me now though, trying to remember which book!

[MamaGeekChic]

Claudia, i love it! It's on my list for imaginary DD2

[juule]

Lydia :)

[SminkoPinko]

the Noel Streatfield book is Gemma and sisters. Lydia known as Lydie was the selfish single-minded dancer!

[SminkoPinko]

Talking of Noel Streatfield, have you considered Petrova, OP?

[BeatTheClock]

Lydia I like v much. It sounds dreamy and ethereal. Also reminds me of the book Love for Lydia.

Not keen on Claudia. It's Claude to me which is sounds like someone from a PG Wodehouse book.

[MolotovCocktail]

Lydia because I don't like the meaning of Claudia ('lame').

[VolumeOfACone]

Oh I am in the minority by much preferring Claudia!

[SminkoPinko]

or Sorrel? Jane? Santa?

[MissPB]

I much prefer Lydia to Claudia (although I like Claudia too!).

Wasn't Lydia the flighty one in Pride & Prejudice who ran off with Wickham ?(eloped, unmarried - the scandal!). That wouldn't bother me though. Lydia Lydia.

[Startail]

Claudia
Lydia makes me think of jam jar lids, sorry, very childish

[Trills]

Lydia.

If Claudia would you say Cloud-ia or Clawed-ia (exaggerating to emphasise the difference between them)

[Sarahplane]

Lydia

[sparkle12mar08]

Claudia by a country mile. Lydia is clunky and ugly to my ear and rhymes with chlamydia. I couldn't do it.

[dippywhentired]

Claudia - friend's DD is known as Claudie, which I think is sweet.

[RosannaBanana]

Lydia. Lovely.
Don't like meaning of Claudia.

[ProcrastinatingPanda]

Lydia is a lovely name but kids at school can be cruel - Lydia Chlamydia.

[ProcrastinatingPanda]

Oh xposts sparkle

[NotChristmasCarol]

I think it's a bit of a Marmite name, but I like Lyra better than Lydia.

For some people, the Philip Pullman connotations are too strong but it wouldn't worry me.

I also like the meaning. According to Google, the name comes from the Greek 'lyra', meaning 'lyre' (a small harp used by the ancient Greeks). Lyra is also the name of a small constellation which, according to Greek mythology, was shaped after the lyre of the legendary poet Orpheus. Its main star, Vega, is the fifth brightest in the sky.

It would be on my list for DD2 (along with your Audrey) if it didn't sound odd with our surname...

[tammytoby]

The unfortunate meaning of Claudia would put me off, sorry. Lydia is quite nice.

[NotChristmasCarol]

Sorry- going mad. You're not the Audrey thread OP

Can I blame preg hormones?

[LeanneJ]

Both are lovely names but I'm leaning towards Lydia.

[lakeofshiningwaters]

Both are lovely

I love Lydia, taught the loveliest one in my early teaching days and still now many, many years later I love the name because of her.

Claudia I like, especially when it's pronounced Cloud-ia (have German background).