Seraphina or China? Opinions?

[apreciousbabygirl]

Which one would be your choice out of Seraphina or China?
Honestly are these a bit too way out or do you think they are acceptable to use as first names?

dont really like Seraphina - too heavy a name for my taste.

Alisvolat - having said that two of my secret name loves are Lorelei and Callisto which are probably a bit pretentious!

(lucky for my last two DC they were boys!)

Since when has China been a name for a person? Seraphina is OK, but it sounds a bit pfb to me.

Please not India, it's SO colonial and I find it embarassing (and a bit racist) that anyone would use it nowadays.

The detail from wiki:

Its use for girls in England began during the British rule in India during the 19th century. It has been used for daughters of aristocratic families in England that had ties to Colonial India, such as India Hicks.

I think therefore that using the name is definitely Colonial and at least racial unaware.

I know two seraphina's. lovely name.

The only China i know is 'China' in IDEAL...don't name her that.

I know a China and a Chyna, and have heard of a few others. It's quite popular here.

I don't like seraphina, will undoubtedly be shortened and is a bit of a mouthful.

Neither- but given a choice it has to be Seraphina - you can't seriously inflict China on a child!

Seraphina is a name. Seraphina Pekkala is a witch in Northern Lights (a good witch)
But China is a place!

I think of China as a male name because of the writer China Mieville. Apparently his parents called him China because they thought it was "a beautiful word".

Coconutty my other shortlisted names were Vivienne Saskia Carmela Luella Mercy and Elodia and i thought i had narrowed it down to two but now i'm not so sure.

Vivienne is lovely and I like Elodie (not so keen on Elodia - sounds like 'Ello dear')

In order of preference
Seraphina
Elodie {rather than Elodia}
Like Vivienne + Saskia equally

Prefer Melody to Mercy.

The only China I've met was actually China Diamond and very chav, so it doesn't have good connotations to me.
Seraphina is fine but a bit frilly.
I like Vivienne and Saskia better from your longer list.

Of those I would choose Vivienne. Seraphina I really don't like, unlike the rest of the thread I would prefer China to it but China has me thinking cups, saucers and plates which is unfortunate.

Prefer Saskia to Melody, Mercy and Elodia.

China is so awful imo. Seraphina between the two!

S is lovely. C is awful

I'm surprised you didn't know the meaning of Seraphina. Don't most people also consider that when choosing a name and not go on sound alone?

love Seraphina but weirdly always think of it as a witches' name (Northern Lights?). anyway would love it as a baby name it sounds so mysterious and romantic. somehow difficult to imagine getting the right intonation when yelling at a Seraphina though, you'll have to think of a good plain middle name purely for disciplinary purposes!

Ben affleck has a daughter called seraphina

Dd used to say china when she was small because she couldn't say vagina

I'd stick with Seraphina if you like it.

Agree with everyone else about China, and think Seraphina is a bit of a mouthful (plus as a ex-Catholic it makes me think of readings/prayers about seraphims and cherubims).

Vivienne is lovely.

Personally I like frilly names & like Seraphina, though I'd prefer it as Serephine. I also like names like Serena / Persephone etc.

China sounds a bit 'stripper' im afraid