Which girl's name?

[delshell]

So hubby and I are choosing a name for our baby girl.

The two names we've narrowed it down to up to now are:

Gwendolen Siân (We'd call her Gwen)
Clara Joanne

What are your thoughts and which do you prefer?

FYI, we want to have a derivative of John for the middle name, because of a recent family member who's passed away. We are from Wales, even though we don't live there now, so quite like the idea of having something Welsh in there (hence the first option), but not a requirement.

Gwendoline is an anglicised version of Gwendolen which, as Mike says, is pronounced Gwen-DOL-en. Whereas Gwendoline is pronounced Gwen-duh-lin.

OP - pick whichever spelling gives you the desired pronunciation. Gwendoline Siân is fine if you want the Gwendoline pronunciation.

I have a Welsh relative from a Welsh speaking family named Gwendoline, rather than Gwendolen, as her parents preferred the Gwendoline pronunciation. She hates it and goes by her middle name, which I've never understood as her middle name isn't very nice (IMO) and isn't Welsh. I think Gwendoline and Gwendolen are both lovely!

So I prefer Gwendolen Siân or Gwendoline Siân.

I don't like Clara, although objectively Clara Joanne flows well and is a nice name, just not to my personal taste.

My Welsh Nana was Gwendolen...known alway as Dolly (she would have been 110 now had she still been alive 💓)

Gorgeous name OP xx

I think Gwen is a pretty unattractive, masculine, harsh, blockish sounding name. Clara is much nicer.

I think Clara sounds harsh and clunky. Cara and Lara are so much nicer.

I don't think Gwen sounds harsh or masculine, but it will be mis-said as Gwyn or Glenn, but hey, I know people who see Louis and say Louise.

It will sometimes get spelt as Gewn probably. I've seen Gwyneth written as Gywneth.

If you use Gwendolen, most people will probably say Gwendoline, unless they are Welsh speakers, which isn't really a problem. I think Doll(y) is quite a cute nn, but suspect that it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.

Siân is fine as a middle name. I'd be more inclined towards Siân Gwendolen or better still Siân Gwenllian or Siân Gwenhwyfar but that is probably because I prefer short names.

I forgot Gwenno - that's really lovely. The o is like the o in hot not like the o in no.

Thanks so much everyone for all the suggestions and feedback. It's given us lots of food for thought!

I would chose Clara.
www.babynamechoice.com/name/Clara
Gwendoline looks complicate to spell.

I really like Gwen. Clara looks pretty but sounds harsh with the KHL sound at the beginning.

Gwendolen Joanne

why not nab a pinch from both ... !

@123Dancewithme, that's my thought too. I don't like Chloe for the same reason and that I know so many who talk about their Chlo. Clare seems slightly softer, but seems like just a noise.

With Clara, I think that people might mix it up with Ciara and Chiara, or maybe the other way round.