Cordelia

[bluewisteria]

Is this likely to skyrocket like Beatrice, Amelia, Isabella etc. I don't mind a top 20ish name but would rather it wasn't one the names that are absolutely everywhere now.

I absolutely love it, and can't think of an alternative for DD3, assuming it is a girl, we are very early days.

Middle name possibly Isolde/Isolda, my DH had wanted this for our first two DDs and I'm starting to come around. But then will it sound like 'Cordelia is old/is older'...?

I love it - one of my favourite Buffy characters.

I can't see it being ubiquitous, to be honest.

You might be right about the middle name though...

I really like it and I don't think it's likely to skyrocket in popularity- it's lovely but it has a harsher consonant sound than Amelia or Isabella so I don't think it will be as prevalent as those names.

I like Isolde/Isolda as well but feel you are right about how it sounds like "is older."

I have to say I really don't like it, sorry. I doubt it will sky rocket in popularity unless Disney releases a film with that name for the main character

I love it (mainly because of buffy )

Cordelia Isolde does sound a bit like Cordelia is older.. Which is a shame. I think maybe adding a second middle name could help, eg Cordelia Ann Isolde. I know in theory this should just sound like Cordelia Ann is older, but for some reason it seems less obvious (iyswim?).

Would you be issuing the middle name (s) on a regular basis?

I would say its highly UNLIKELY to unless something happens to bring it to the minds of people (famous person with the name or names their child it).

In the UK, it has stayed pretty much the same in popularity since 1996 in around the 900 mark with a slight peak in 2004.

Its an alternative to Amelia, with the -ia ending and sound, so it will probably follow how popular that is, and drop off a bit as that declines.

There is a prediction tool for the US which suggests it will peak in 2019, but again peak is relative and you have to remember that British names are similar but slightly different to US names in popularity though I would say this does tie in with a peak of Amelia in around 2017. Looking at the most popular Cor- name Cora, it has risen loads in popularity recently, but again I think is just about peaking, which is reflected in the US predictions too.

So if anything its currently about as popular as its going to get, with a drop off in the next few years. I'd say its a pretty safe choice if you are trying to avoid mega popular. Its of its time without being overtly datable.

Brilliant, thanks everyone!

Yes, adding another middle name could be a way around it. Anna is actually a family name, so maybe Cordelia Anna Isolde L-M?

Neither of the surnames end in an 'a', thankfully!

It's not too King Lear is it?! Being the third daughter? Not that I mind a Shakespearian association, but don't want it to be completely naff!

I think Buffy before Shakespeare, but maybe that's because I'm a pleb .

The thing is I've never seen Buffy, I get the idea of it, but is it a negative association? And it it very linked to the TV series, it's not like calling my kid Buffy is it?

I love Isolde. Much prefer it to Cordelia.

It's hard to tell (for me because I love Buffy) but I don't think Cordelia is too closely associated with the show. Willow isn't automatically connected to it in my experience and she is another main character. The show finished a long time ago now so certaintly other children won't notice!

I like it.

Love it due to Shakespeare association. Never seen buffy. I don't think it's naff that it will be your third daughter. Only people who know King Lear will get that.

Don't know what a nickname would be but Cora would be lovely.

I love Isolde, but a few things put me off:

• several people have said 'is old? Is older?' When mishearing me.
• Nn would be Izzy inevitably which I don't really like, but more problematic is the huge number of Isabella variants who inevitably have it as a nn too.
• we are big Wagner fans and I'm not sure if Isolde would be a little like a biologist calling their son Darwin?

Maybe I'm overthinking it? Our other two daughters have fairly unusual names particularly the first.

Yes, Buffy is an old series now so I guess the link won't really be made.

My other girls middle names were Rose and May. I had absolutely no idea how common these were, we used them after funky very aged relatives. I sort of regret them now in a way. But they meant something personal rather than a standard filler middle name.

If it's a boy we had wanted to use James but it seems that is a filler boys name now too! Oh dear, maybe we weren't meant to use 'good' middle names!

I've grown to like Cordelia

I love this name. I really wanted to call my DD (3 weeks) this, but went for Emmeline instead. My reservation was that it might sound a bit pretentious, although it is very beautiful.

I like it.

Makes me think of Anne of Green Gables too

It's my favourite name and I plan to use it for a future DD To my ears, though, it needs a middle name of a different number of syllables. So Cordelia Ruth, or Cordelia Elizabeth.

Cordelia was actually my absolutely favourite name, and top of my list - but I don't want to use a name that is likely to become very popular in the next few years, so I very reluctantly gave up on it.

In my mind the associations are with King Lear and Buffy, in that order.

Isolde on the other hand just sounds plain ugly to me.

I love Cordelia. But I agree you need another middle name in there. Preferably something with strong consonants.

Gwen as a middle name?

I love it.