Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.
Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.
Baby names
Claudia or Harriet?
Mythoughts · 05/11/2012 15:16
After much debate, we are settled on these two names, I prefer one and my DH prefers the other. Which do you prefer?
LineRunner · 08/11/2012 23:22
Claudia doesn't actually mean 'lame'; it's a latin urban myth. And even if it did, who cares? Really?
It's beautiful.
I like Harriet, too.
mummybare · 09/11/2012 07:32
Hmmm, to me, Harriet is a bit Enid Blighton Jolly Hockey Sticks. Claudua is lovely, though - international and sophisticated while still working for a baby/child. Beautiful!
poppydaisy · 09/11/2012 10:42
"Claudia doesn't actually mean 'lame'; it's a latin urban myth. And even if it did, who cares?"
The name Claudia is derived from the latin adjective 'claudus, clauda, claudum'
which means:
1.defective/crippled/imperfect
2.limping, lame
3.uneven/halting/wavering/uncertain
"Who cares" Well, I think I would care if my name had that meaning. Especially as there are so many other beautiful names out there with nicer (or no) meanings.
LineRunner · 09/11/2012 10:47
It is a myth, honest guv. Those derivations are guesswork that have become modern factoids.
michellec1302 · 09/11/2012 11:52
Harriet edges it for me. I wanted to be called Harriet when I was younger because of the film Harriet the Spy which I was obsessed with :)
Unless i've always pronounced it incorrectly, I have no idea where the 'hairy' nicknames are coming from. You could probably derive an ugly word from alot of names if you tried.
LineRunner · 09/11/2012 13:21
(I believe that the origins of the Latium gens 'Claudius' do appear to predate by far any association of the name with 'lameness'.)
blondefriend · 09/11/2012 22:57
Harriet. I know a few babies/toddlers called Harriet so the name will fit in without being too common. It's also very pretty. I do teach a beautiful girl called Claudia but I generally think of the name as being for older people.
PandaWatch · 13/11/2012 14:40
Linerunner is right.
The association between Claudia and lame comes from the fact that Emperor Claudius allegedly suffered from various physical afflictions. Therefore the name pre-dates this meaning. The myth of the vestal virgin Claudia also predates this.
Remember that Latin taught today evolved over hundreds of years.
A comparison would be the name Hector, which means to hold fast but now also has the meaning to bully - a meaning which was long preceded by Hector of The Illiad.
strawberryswing · 14/11/2012 11:45
Harriet is gorgeous but i really hate Claudia (sorry to any Claudias or mums of Claudia!)
StellaNova · 14/11/2012 13:53
I love Harriet. Mainly because of Harriet Vane in Dorothy Sayers, but I still love the name.
On the other hand I feel I have been loving Harriet quite a few times on threads recently, and I have never seen Claudia come up, so maybe Harriet is becoming more popular? (I like Claudia but the Claw sound puts me off a little, unless you pronounce it Cloud-ia)
survivingautumn · 15/11/2012 13:44
Love both and they were high up my list for dd 
Claudia just edges it for me as it is a little more unusual but I think Harriet is an equally lovely name.
I have never heard the association of the name Claudia with 'lame' 
It was my DM's 'Latin' name at school in the 1960's so will ask her..
HarryPotterGeek983 · 05/04/2021 14:41
Personally, I think neither because Claudia means lame and harriet is just so weak and annoying.
HarryPotterGeek983 · 05/04/2021 14:43
Hey guys, which do you prefer? Pheobe (which means bright) or Libra (which means balance
PandaFluff · 05/04/2021 15:34
Argh just spotted the date of OP! I'm sure whichever you went for is lovely.
GingerFox2021 · 05/04/2021 19:55
Definitely Harriet! It’s more rare, uncommon name which I like.
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.