What do you think of Dora?

[Laindons]

I really like the name. I'm part Spanish (Mother is Spanish, father was an English cockney). My OH is an Essex boy.

Would my daughter be ridiculed for the name? I was hoping the TV show 'Dora the Explorer' would die down by the time she is of school age. Then again, I don't know a Thimas that gets any stuck for 'Thomas the tank'.

I do think of Dora the Explorer, sorry. Channel 5 are also showing a "Dora and Friends" cartoon on Milkshake at weekends now, where Dora is a bit older. As pp have said, Dora isn't really a mainstream name in England, so the TV show us the only real association many people have.

A lot of the other TV character names you've mentioned are well established names that have been in common use for centuries, like Thomas, George, Ben (Benjamin), Bill (William), Charlie (Charles), which all have many other associations to outweigh the TV one. Dora doesn't in this country. Whether you let that bother you or not is the issue really.

I don't particularly like the name Dora but I'm not sure she'd necessarily be teased/tormented because of it. I guess the issue is that probably the only Dora must people in the UK will come across is the TV programme Dora so that will be an automatic association. Whereas I don't think the same is true of Thomas, Fireman Sam, Ben & Holly etc. They're all names people will have come across frequently.

Was going to suggest the same as MrsNuckyThompson - Isadora is lovely. Personally I wouldn't opt for Dora alone, she will be plagued with "D d d d d Dora!" right throughout her school life.

Mrsindecision sums it up well - with other names, such as Thomas and George, they were already popular names in the UK so the names aren't necessarily associated with their cartoons immediately.

With Dora it isn't a popular UK name, so my immediate connotation is Dora the Explorer.

With other names you have mentioned, such as Bill and Ben or Charlie and Lola, I think as stand-alone names, they are fine. However, if twins were called Bill and Ben or Charlie and Lola, then many more people are likely to associate their names with the cartoons.

My friend used to be a teacher in an inner London borough and she had twins in her class called Dolce and Gabbana

See, I actually do know a couple of Lolas and although it does make me think of the character Lola (I love Charlie and Lola ), I think it is songs that stick in my head.

Lola is more of a showgirl to me.

I can't hear Delilah without thinking "why, why, whyyy..."

Lydia is lovely too.

I don't think it matters a jot that there's a cartoon(?) character with the name. Many people won't be aware of it (like me). All names have associations of some kind to someone.

You could choose another name, and a new cartoon or programme could spring up next week featuring a character wiith that name.

Dora is lovely. You could, as others have suggested, give her a longer name so she has some options. Theodora, Dorothea, Isadora, Pandora. You don't have to use the whole name, but it gives her other choices if there are any annoyances.

Love it. Dora the Explorer wouldn't bother me. If it bothers you, do you like Flora or Nora?

My daughter watches Dora and Friends. I wouldn't be put off by the association at all. If anything it makes the name more accessible because children will have heard of it. I also think it sits well with the current generation of Nora's and Cora's.

Personally I'd go for Isadora, it's lovely.