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Baby names

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Original poster

Clarissa - Why is it not more widely used?

61 replies

PitterPatter3 · 29/04/2024 20:48

Just wondering if I’m missing something as it’s sounding like a great name to me. Yet it’s only number 1785 in the latest ONS statistics.

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ZoyaTheDestroyer · 29/04/2024 22:08

I think of it as quite lispy, and it does summon an image of a Sloane in a padded velvet hairband and pearls.

Clara, on the other hand, is having a moment.

DramaAlpaca · 29/04/2024 21:40

GoodVibesHere · 29/04/2024 20:54

Because it's awful! Frilly and harsh at the same time.

Agreed. It's quite an achievement for a name to be both harsh and frilly.

It's like the 'posh' version of Elsie, which manages to be both dowdy and twee at the same time.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 29/04/2024 21:36

I don’t like it, Melissa is way nicer

MintyCedric · 29/04/2024 21:34

The novel Clarissa was mid 18th century and featured the eponymous heroine…a naive young lady…being taken in by a cad her raped her to try and control her and left her with syphillis which ultimately caused her death.

Possibly not an association you’d fancy!

Marblessolveeverything · 29/04/2024 21:34

Clarissa is an oral contraceptive. So it would be a nope from me.

WorriedMutha · 29/04/2024 21:33

I'm surprised there are so many haters. I think it's a lovely sweet name.

EveryOtherNameTaken · 29/04/2024 21:30

It's harsh and ugly sounding.

susiedaisy1912 · 29/04/2024 21:26

Silence of the lambs

Moonshine5 · 29/04/2024 21:19

It's not great

ihatecoffee · 29/04/2024 21:18

I like Larissa though

ATerrorofLeftovers · 29/04/2024 21:17

I love it. Pretty and classic.

The very similar Larissa is a maybe more modern-sounding option, as an alternative.

CorylusAgain · 29/04/2024 21:16

It's a name that to me is typical horsey posh girl. Its a rather fussy name.

villamariavintrapp · 29/04/2024 21:15

Yes Hannibal connotations, frilly, clumsy sounding.. much prefer Clara or Larissa.

SwedishEdith · 29/04/2024 21:13

It's frilly and prissy - sounds like a Boris Johnson girlfriend. No-one wants to lumber someone with that.

HouseofHolbein · 29/04/2024 21:13

I used to like it then I worked with a Clarissa and she was a cow so it's a no from me 😊

dreamfield · 29/04/2024 21:12

It is a really horrible name, sorry.

ChildrenOfTheQuorn · 29/04/2024 21:11

It's old fashioned but what popular girls name isn't at the moment? I like it 👍

Plon · 29/04/2024 21:09

NarnianQueen · 29/04/2024 21:02

It makes me thinks of Hannibal Lecter saying "Clariiiiiiiiiiiccceee" which is unfair because it's a different name. Still think it though

Same here

SublimeLemonHead · 29/04/2024 21:06

Because she'd constantly be asked to explain it all.

MalibuBarbieDreamHouse · 29/04/2024 21:06

Feels very dated to me

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 29/04/2024 21:05

Clarissa the novel was 1748, and was meant to be about a standard young lady, so it's an old classic

MaryFuckingFerguson · 29/04/2024 21:04

It’s horrid.

Whatssthepointtt · 29/04/2024 21:03

Because it's not nice?

NarnianQueen · 29/04/2024 21:02

It makes me thinks of Hannibal Lecter saying "Clariiiiiiiiiiiccceee" which is unfair because it's a different name. Still think it though

doubleshift · 29/04/2024 20:58

Because it's not a very nice name.