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Baby names

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

Clara or Ophelia?

42 replies

Sunflowers1999 · 08/04/2024 13:02

Trying to decide between Clara and Ophelia and are stuck! Help!!

OP posts:
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Linnet · 09/04/2024 00:14

Clara

Kasperber · 09/04/2024 00:10

Clara. Really don’t like Ophelia.

BlastedPimples · 09/04/2024 00:09

Ophelia - stunning name.

Clara is ordinary.

UndecidedSophie · 08/04/2024 23:44

Ophelia

greengreyblue · 08/04/2024 23:12

Cordelia?
Carmela?
Delphine?
Serephina?

Lillers · 08/04/2024 23:10

I really like Ophelia but am eternally grateful to this thread for pointing out the potential for mockery - my surname sounds like a male appendage when it’s mispronounced and my god, if I hadn’t realised…

I used to like Clara until the character of Clara Oswald in Dr Who - she drove me up the wall and that’s ruined the name for me unfortunately.

greengreyblue · 08/04/2024 23:10

Clara.
Have you considered Celia? Or Cecelia?

SallyWD · 08/04/2024 23:07

Clara.

I find Ophelia a bit fussy and pretentious.

theduchessofspork · 08/04/2024 23:04

Clara

Ophelia is a bit too Tragedy for me

35andThriving · 08/04/2024 22:50

I went to school with an Ophelia and it was seen as fancy then. Less so now I think.

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 08/04/2024 22:43

I love Ophelia - but couldn’t use it because of my surname. As long a yours isn’t a body part (or has the potential to rhyme with one as mine does), then I think it’s such a beautiful, elegant name. The fact that’s it’s increasing in popularity just means that many people won’t automatically think Ophelia = Shakespeare = pretentious anymore as it’ll be more widely heard - but I still can’t see it becoming as popular as say, Olivia.

Clara is nice enough - has a more classic, retro feeling, Victorian/Edwardian style prettiness. It just sounds a bit unexciting compared to Ophelia - but if you already have any DC with simpler or classic names than Clara might fit better?

DuchessOfSausage · 08/04/2024 22:37

Cara is very nice.

User6761 · 08/04/2024 22:34

Of those two, definitely Clara. Although I much prefer Cara to Clara.

If you like Ophelia then you might like Aurelia? Both have a similar feel to me.

Scrumbleton · 08/04/2024 22:29

Love both -ophelia maybe slightly affected but I do love it

DuchessOfSausage · 08/04/2024 22:20

Of the two Ophelia but it's a bit associated with tragedy and ' feel ya'
I don't like Clara other than when it's said as Claira, which it won't be.

Moveoverdarlin · 08/04/2024 22:16

I wanted Ophelia but couldn’t get past people saying what if she marries a man called Mr Balls / Mr Head / Mr Legg.

I like Clara, but it’s getting v common.

35andThriving · 08/04/2024 22:13

Clara

Ophelia is getting more popular. They haven't released the statistics yet but I bet it's in the top 100 now.

I also like Claudia which feels similar.

RuthW · 08/04/2024 21:45

Clara. It's less popular.

Pixiedust49 · 08/04/2024 21:12

Clara. Lovely name.

ladygindiva · 08/04/2024 21:10

And I didn't read that a million other posters also think it's pretentious 🤣

ladygindiva · 08/04/2024 21:09

Clara. Ophelia is pretentious and a bit much imo.

HanaJane · 08/04/2024 20:49

Clara is pretty, I think Ophelia is a little pretentious and more of a mouthful to say

YeahComeOnThen · 08/04/2024 20:17

clara - love it!!

Ophelia I find pretentious (sorry)

howdoyou123 · 08/04/2024 20:15

MolkosTeenageAngst · 08/04/2024 13:06

Clara. Really dislike Ophelia as on a similar thread someone once pointed out secondary school kids would be saying ‘give us Ophelia tits’ and regardless of whether kids would make that link now it’s all I think of when I hear the name.

Edited

Prefer Ophelia but this poster is right about it. It's on my list and it's the first thing my husband said

Lifeinlists · 08/04/2024 15:31

Clara

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