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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Ottie or Clara

90 replies

Pippinthepup · 15/12/2021 15:50

I am six months pregnant with my first dd and am stuck between Ottie and Clara for a name. Ottie was always my first choice but I recently came across the name Clara and thought it was really pretty- my dh prefers Ottie but I think he’s warming to Clara as well- my only worry with Ottie is that people might not get the spelling straight away. Was just wondering if anyone has any opinions/experience of either names

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felulageller · 07/01/2022 06:05

Clara

MrsMop1964 · 02/01/2022 01:02

Of the two, Clara (although it makes me think of Clara in Dr Who)

JedEye · 02/01/2022 00:47

Clara.

Sorry I don’t like Ottie. What about Odette?

Tontu · 02/01/2022 00:38

Popularity of Clara must vary a lot regionally, as we have one but don't know any others.
It jumped in ONS stats from c. 120 to c. 90 in the figures published 2015 (Dr Who effect?), then it'stayed pretty much static since.

newterritory · 19/12/2021 01:24

Clara, still absolutely love it. Was my chosen name for my second child, but I had a boy!

My daughter is Annabelle so would have had Annabelle & Clara. Clara is just gorgeous - go for that!!

Edenember · 19/12/2021 01:11

Clara

MrsBungle · 18/12/2021 12:05

Clara. I really don’t like Ottie. Ottilie is nice.

Pemba · 18/12/2021 12:02

Ottie is not really a name afaik, I thought you had mistyped 'Ottilie' at first. It's unattractive and a bit odd. Sorry!

So Clara.

BungleandGeorge · 18/12/2021 11:26

Ottoline, nickname Ottie is lovely, I’d go for that! Not keen on Ottolie it just doesn’t sound that great with an English accent. Clara is nice but quite popular. It’s also pronounced Clare-a by some which I’m not keen on

LegArmpits · 18/12/2021 11:10

I am one of these names 😄 and it is ALWAYS mispronounced.

RockinHorseShit · 18/12/2021 10:36

Ottie is dreadful. Clara of the 2, but I don't love that either

EishetChayil · 18/12/2021 10:33

Clara is a beautiful name.

Ottie is horrendous. Don't be influenced by Zoella!

MadeOfStarStuff · 17/12/2021 19:06

Definitely Clara, don’t like Ottie at all

zingally · 17/12/2021 15:20

Ottie just sounds like a load of made up nothingness. Clara is a lovely classic name.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 16/12/2021 21:30

[quote MyOtherProfile]@Moonlaserbearwolf well funnily enough I'm not wrong. I knew two when I lived in France. And Google agrees with me, as does Wikipedia, and we all know that's never wrong 😆[/quote]
Ha! You're right!! When I was looking at baby names 10 years ago there was no reference to Ottilie being French - always old German. The French references in Wikipedia etc are a much more recent addition.
Not that it matters at all - the name Ottilie/Ottilia/Ottoline are all the same derivative.

Definitely pick Clara if you want an easier name that isn't questioned all the time Grin

deathofastrawberry · 16/12/2021 12:30

You could combine them - Carlie? I don't like Ottie but Clara is lovely.. how would you pronounce it? I know some people say Clah-rah and some Clair-ah?

TuftyMarmoset · 16/12/2021 08:57

You’re much more likely to meet a Clara/Klara than Ottie/Ottilie in Germany actually

TuftyMarmoset · 16/12/2021 08:54

@Moonlaserbearwolf Ottilie barely exists in Germany either (#950 in the charts), much less Ottie (or more likely spelling Otti). In Austria even less, only 6 Ottilies born since 1984!

EdgeOfACoin · 16/12/2021 08:52

Clara has been in the top 100 for a few years. In London it's actually in the top 50, possibly as it's a name that travels well. It's also an incredibly popular name in Europe (top 10 in some countries).

It's a lovely name but it's more popular than Ottilie - although Ottilie is very popular in the Telegraph birth announcements.

Just something to bear in mind if you're after a unique name.

I've not heard of Ottie. If you live anywhere near the south east where the letter 't' would be replaced by a glottal stop, I would avoid. O'ee doesn't sound nice.

wheresmyhairytoe · 16/12/2021 08:29

Definitely Clara.

I wanted it for DD (loved the Nutcracker) but DH hated it. I still look at her now even 12 years on and think she'd have suited it better.

LittleDidSheKnow · 16/12/2021 08:26

I'm not sure Ottie is even a name; if it is it's not a very nice one. Clara is better.

albairlanda · 16/12/2021 08:22

@GucciBear

Clara. Ottie sounds like someone who is badly spoken and asking for a hot water bottle!
Lol lol lol
albairlanda · 16/12/2021 08:21

I like Ottilie. Never heard of ottie. Clara nice but prefer Ottilie.

MyOtherProfile · 16/12/2021 08:19

@Moonlaserbearwolf well funnily enough I'm not wrong. I knew two when I lived in France. And Google agrees with me, as does Wikipedia, and we all know that's never wrong 😆

Moonlaserbearwolf · 16/12/2021 07:21

@MyOtherProfile

Ottilie is French, not German, and it's Zoe Suggs baby's name so that probably means it will get more popular. Ottie is odd. Clara is ok.
You are wrong. Ottilie is an old fashioned German name. It barely exists in France (so my French friends tell me).

OP, I would chose Clara above Ottie. Lovely name, which people generally know how to spell. Or Octavia and use Ottie as the nickname.

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