Margarita or Caroline?

[Emeryski]

We can't decide between:

Caroline Margarita - we would like the nickname Callie but would be fine with Carrie

Margarita Caroline - nickname Maggie

We're sure on these two names, as they're in honour of relatives called Carol and Margaret - we just can't decide which to make the first name and which the middle name.

you do realise it's the original form of the name Margaret, used in Greek, Spanish, Russian, etc

Why are you assuming people are 'thick' and don't realise that Margarita/Margherita weren't names first? That doesn't negate the associations.

Lots of brandnames are also given names, some named after a specific person, like Mercedes (Benz). That doesn't mean that most British people's first thought on hearing 'Mercedes' won't be the car. Names like Zara or Zoe are more common in the UK so perhaps the brand/product association is weaker.

I just think it's quite sad that people can abandon using a nice name, just because some manufacturer has also chosen to use it for their product. Lenor is another one. People could think of the Edgar Allan Poe poem, not the fabric conditioner!

I think I once read that in France two sets of parents with the surname 'Renault' (which I think is maybe quite a common French surname) were going to sue Renault because they had daughters named Zoe, and they thought the new Zoe cars that were coming out would affect their daughters negatively.

OK maybe 'thick' was a bit OTT - sorry for that! (I bet there are some people who don't know it was a name first though ).

Derailing thread:

I brought my new boyfriend to meet my friends for the first time in a bar.
My friend said, “Hi, would you like a margarita?” (Meaning cocktail)
He said, “No thanks I’ve already eaten.” (Meaning pizza)

It went downhill from there.

I like Caroline Marguerite

There are worse associations than cocktails/pizza - I was at uni with a girl named Isis. Plenty of posters have said they still like the name, so not everyone is put off, it's just worth considering. I think when it's an extremely common product (or two) plus an unusual/foreign name the link is stronger. It really depends on the brand - the shop and the beer wouldn't put me off Zara or Stella, for example.

Sometimes the timing is just a bit wrong for a name that is associated with products. I wouldn't call a DD "Alexa" right now, for example, but it's quite possible that the Amazon voice technology will be replaced by something else that isn't so closely associated with the name, so in a few years it's a useable name again

I'm laughing at the haughty person who thinks people aren't aware that Margarita is a name in its own right. We know, we just think the association with food and drink is a negative. It's not a difficult concept to grasp.

Like I said, I bet there are plenty of people who don't know though, especially with more unusual names like Mercedes, Lenor or maybe Stella.

You have a nice day, now!

How many people would associate Nova with a car?

I was pulled up on a thread for not knowing Clio was a variant of Cleo

Yeah, great for Greek scholars, but Clio is a car to me.

One name I love that is ruined for me is Armani

Clio was one of the Muses, not a variant of Cleo. (I think, I'm at Tesco and don't have a Greek dictionary on my person!!)

I don't know off the top of my head what Clio means.

Mia was also one of the Muses, though I think not one of the Three.

Agustarella

Blimey, it's pedants' corner here . I am shocked you aren't carrying your Greek Disctionary in Tesco. Maybe variant was the wrong word. Maybe I meant 'alternative spelling of a name that sounds like 'Cleo'

Whatever - Clio = car

I don't think Mia was one of the muses.

@GetAwayFromHer Yes, very forgetful of me!

@MikeUniformMike

latinlexicon.org/definition.php?p1=2035997 and

books.google.co.uk/books?id=z70fAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA287&lpg=PA287&dq=chariton+mia&source=bl&ots=-iQcfeVlHK&sig=F8k-wLFXAz1-HO6sSjnFZO_nVxw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjG29L54NrcAhViB8AKHas_AD0Q6AEwBXoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=chariton%20mia&f=false

I think I looked it up years ago when there were little Mias everywhere, to see if it was a 'proper name'. I wouldn't have used it myself because a dad at playgroup told me it was a naughty child name!

How did we get here from Margarita v Caroline? :)

I prefer Margarita. I just find Caroline a it dull.

I like Margarita. Marguerite, Margherita, Greta etc are also lovely :)

Caroline is fine but not as nice (imo)...

I really like Clio :) Mia is also a short form of Maria, I believe... (?)

I'm not convinced. It just means 'graceful one'. Mia Farrow is a Maria.
I like Margaret, Maragrita and Caroline. I don't like Carol as much or Carole. I like Greta.