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Baby names

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Original poster

Shakespearean names... too poncey?

43 replies

Musidora · 25/08/2015 14:50

I really like these Shakespearean names for future DD, but are they, well... too poncey? Interested in people's opinions.

  • Lavinia
  • Marina
  • Ophelia
  • Octavia
  • Cressida
  • Cassandra
  • Viola
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RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 25/08/2015 19:37

Love Cassandra and Miranda and considered both for dd1. Helena lovely too.

I don't like anything in your original list except Cassandra though, sorry.

Bogburglar99 · 25/08/2015 19:32

I am also trying to run through literary/mythological women who come to a nasty end there's a lot of them

I'd forgotten there was another literary association for Lavinia, so maybe if you didn't introduce it as 'like in Titus Andronicus' people wouldn't jump that way immediately.

Cressida still the clear winner for me though!

Northernlurker · 25/08/2015 19:28

I have three Shakespearean girls Grin I would have used Viola if having dd4 (which I won't be!)

Original poster
Musidora · 25/08/2015 19:16

LauraChant I know what you're thinking but no, it's a more common name than that!

Hassled yes - struggling to find boys' names we like in Shakespeare!

I'm really glad that people seem to like these girls' names.

OP posts:
LauraChant · 25/08/2015 19:12

Now I am thinking that your name is nightingale-related, OP?

sugar21 · 25/08/2015 19:10

How about Portia from the Merchant of Venice. I think it's a lovely name.

Hassled · 25/08/2015 19:06

I have it in my head that you should only be called Octavia if you were born in October. But that was the 8th month in the Roman calendar and is now obviously the 10th month, so I'll just stop talking now.

Nothing poncey about a Shakespearean name. Or at least not the female names - if you called your son Othello people might wince a bit.

Sophronia · 25/08/2015 19:02

I like Lavinia, Marina and Cassandra, lovely names.

OxfordCommoner · 25/08/2015 17:08

I also know a very lovely Lavinia who is Vin. It's a great name.

ClareDeLune · 25/08/2015 17:06

The Lavinia I know gets "Vinny". I like it.

Lunastarfish · 25/08/2015 17:04

All fine, love Octavia. My very non poncey mother was very keen on me calling my dd this (I didn't but I did choose a name which my Mil thinks is ponceyGrin)

Original poster
Musidora · 25/08/2015 17:01

Hmm yes you could be right re Lavinia. Although the character I'm named after meets with almost as nasty a fate but it's never bothered me... but maybe other people are constantly being reminded of all that and I'm never aware of it!! I could always claim it's the mythological Lavinia (Aeneas' wife)?!

I'm not fussed if people particularly associate the name with Shakespeare, I just happen to really like these Shakespearean names and DP is obsessed with Shakespeare so he would like the reference too.

Seems like Cressida is well-liked on here :)

OP posts:
Bogburglar99 · 25/08/2015 16:07

Fair enough - and Cordelia and Juliet have been mentioned, neither of which are exactly good-news stories Smile

I think I would still hesitate over Lavinia because it's relatively unusual and the characters fate isnt just tragic, but in the league of the nastier bits of Game of Thrones. So I'd always tend to be thinking of the Lavinia in the play rather than any other random Lavinia, and that wouldn't be an association Id enjoy iyswim.

Out of the ones you have suggested my favourites are Cressida and Cassandra without hesitation. Does it matter that I don't think a lot of people would immediately associate those names with Shakespeare but with the Greek myths?

Original poster
Musidora · 25/08/2015 15:15

Thanks all! Good to see that they're going down well on the whole.

Bogburglar I wasn't so concerned that the principle of choosing a Shakespearean name might be poncey, more that those particular ones that are my favourites might have other class associations today. But maybe that's not something to get hung up about if you really like a name.

Also love people's suggestions of Juliet, Miranda, Helena and Olivia, but I already have friends/family with these names so a bit hesitant...

And yes, the original characters/plays are something to think about, but then I'm also named after a literary character who doesn't have the best of times so at least it would run in the family Grin

OP posts:
Bogburglar99 · 25/08/2015 15:03

Why not?

You might want to consider the associations of each play - Lavinia in Titus Andronicus does not have the best of times, to put it mildly, Ophelia wouldn't be my top pick as a role model, and Cressida is the original fickle lover (though I do love the name!)

To add to your list my Shakespearean names, chosen for the mix of name and association, would be:

Imogen
Beatrice
Emilia
Katherine
Rosalind
Helena
Olivia
Cordelia
Hermione

And in case you didn't gather, I think the principle of choosing a Shakespearean name is absolutely fine and not in the least poncey I may or may not have a child named for one of the above heroinesGrin

temporarilyjerry · 25/08/2015 14:59

I love Cressida, Miranda and Viola.

AuntieStella · 25/08/2015 14:53

I think they're lovely names.

But I'd urge a bit of caution with Lavinia (too many lav jokes in her future?), Marina (sounds a tad too close to merina), and Ophelia (if your surname is anything remotely gropable). Viola can come out as 'viler'.

Holberg · 25/08/2015 14:52

Juliet
Rosalind
Miranda
Cordelia
What's not to love?
I don't like Lavinia though (I know a horrible one)

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