Old English name Corliss...

[TheRetroOwl]

My baby is due in November but we've not found out the sex. A few names we've talked about include: Robin and Fenn for a boy; Astrid, Coral and Ivy for a girl.

I recently found the name of Corliss in a list of names from the 1880s, which we quite like. It means 'carefree', 'benevolent' or 'energetic' depending on which websites you read. However, we're concerned that it maybe sounds either a bit harsh, pretentious or chavvy! So really, just wanted to gauge opinion on it. Surname is one sylllable long and rhymes with Bolt. It would be for a girl, although you can use it for a boy as well.

Any other suggestions for names would also be welcome. We've talked about these same ones for so long now, I'm starting to feel quite apathetic towards them!

If it's pronounced the way it looks, I think that you may get a lot of people thinking that your DC is called "Careless"...

Unless they all see it written down first, that is.

I think the origins do come from the word 'careless'... Both syllables get emphasised though, unlike the word careless where the emphasis is on the first syllable.

1880s isn't old English, it's modern english.
One online source says it means 'hearty' which means it comes via latin or perhaps norman french, not english as such.

I have to say a lot of those name sites are utter shit where etymology is concerned. No expertise whatsoever.

Sorry to be negative but I'm not very keen on it. I've just been using my Corioliss hair straighteners and it does remind me a bit of that.

It sounds to much like careless to me. All your other names are lovely though

So, you don't like it then, Smorgasbord?

I know the 1880s is not classified as Old English; I found it originally in a list of names from the 1880s. The reference to 'old' was more to indicate that it wasn't a modern name I'd made up.

The honest opinions and connotations are good and appreciated - hadn't considered the hair straighteners...

Love Robin.

Owl - it says a lot about my hair and my troubled relationship with it, sadly

Fwiw, I really like Astrid. I went to school with one, and she was glamorous, graceful, and had a beautiful head of thick curly hair with which she had a positive relationship...

Fenton for a boy
Cressida for a girl, both old English names I believe.

Love Ivy for a girl and think it would go well with your surname. Coral is nice too but perhaps Coralie or Cassia would flow better with your surname?

Not keen on Robin, it's a bit "wet" perhaps because it's a unisex name. Fenn makes me think of dank fields in the fog, but how about Finn instead?

Other random suggestions...

Larissa/Lara, Emily, Jennifer, Olivia, Serena

Peter, Alexander, Nathaniel, Eric, William

I was meaning to answer this thread! FWIW, I actually really like Corliss, it's been growing on me all week. Oh look, here's a film with a Corliss in it!!

www.imdb.com/title/tt0041549/