Nicola, Claire, or Laura

[diddlediddle]

Which do you prefer? I think they're all due to come around again.

Laura is classic but to me it just sounds a bit wet.
I think Clare is a beautiful name though and will come back.

I don't think you can win with names really. As a child in the 70s with a serviceable name of the same ilk as in this thread - my friends were called Sharon, Kate, Karen, Louise...boys were Stephen, David and Andrew.... I remember we all thought our cousins had totally outlandish names. They were called Jacob, Chloe and Amelia. Unusual for the 70s but extremely common now.

So you may as well name your kids what you like because at some point in a full life those names will come round again.

Laura

In with the poster who said about them being the boring ones in class.
I went to school in the 70s/80s
Lara is nice.

Nicola is most definitely my favourite, would use it myself if it wasnt my aunt's name.

I adore Laura! It’s on my list too. It’s my favorite of the “plain” names because it means victory, dates back centuries, and has such a romantic, floral “aura” without being frilly. It’s as classic as they come, but it soared in popularity from the 60s to 70s which means it’s well-beloved.

I’m not a fan of Nicole or Claire. They seem less substantive. Laura is lush and flowing and would sound gorgeous being yelled out the kitchen door 🥰 Have you ever seen the movie Laura (1944)? Read the Little House on the Prairie books? Laura could be a glowering empress or a sweet homespun beauty all in one.

What about Rachel, Emma or Sarah?

This is the strangest question but were you and your sister born in June 1975 by any chance?

I like Laura, but Lauren always reminds me of Lauren Cooper / Catherine Tate.

In my secondary class in the 90s there were 2 of each! They are all nice names I think.

Claire/Clare

Laura and Claire were both on my list, We went with Emma in the end which has a similar feel and a large proportion of mumnetters find equally boring

Clare without an I

I don’t think they are “due a comeback” because for children born now, the names Claire, Nicola etc belong (in all likelihood) to the generation born a bit before their parents but after their grandparents. They are very Gen X names. Generally the names that come back are the names of great grandparents (people naming their children after their own grandparents or names that were popular when their grandparents were small) hence names like Ivy, Stanley, Arthur etc.

I don’t think all that has to matter if you love the names but I point it out because you said they are due a comeback - so presumably is something you’ve thought about.

I don’t like the name Nicola. Claire was over used amongst the girls a little bit older than me at school (fading out by my year, but used a bit) but objectively, I do think it’s a nice name. Laura is a classic and makes me think of Little House on the Prairie which is a nice thing to think of.

I think I'd choose Laura of these three. It seems the most classic to me. And it exists in almost every European language, albeit with pronunciation differences and occasional different forms like Lowri, Laure, Lara. It was hyperpopular in the English-speaking world in the '60s through '80s - of course, along with Laurie, Lori, Lauren, and Laurel - but it somehow doesn't feel particular to that time.

Nicola isn't due a comeback.
Clare is a bit nothingy
Both are middle-aged women's names

Laura is a classic and is lovely

Claire is by far the best.

Laura to me is drab, drab, drab.

I think the 70s name revival is a way off - there's a whole load of mid century Patricias, Jane and Susans to revive and die off first..

So I'd go for Claire or Laura which are classics, whereas Nicola is very dated.

It doesn't matter how you spell Claire.... everyone will keep spelling it wrongly anyway

I am one but also know a few babies born in the last 6 years called Claire. I like Laura.

I intensely dislike Laura. Vile ex sil but thats my issue. I like Nicola best of your names but not very keen on any.
Of those dort of names I prefer Emma or Jennifer.

I've never met a nice Clare or Nicola.

and I know lots of Clares/Claires and Nicolas

Oh actually I know a lovely Nicola. He's italian.

Laura is beautiful. Goes nicely with Claire as a middle name if you can't decide.

Claire is boring and I have always disliked Nicola. I really like Laura though.

@LunaNorth

I’ve always felt quite ambivalent about my name, but reading this thread has made me realise I like it.

Nicola. It trips nicely off the tongue, has a nice feminine ending and a tiny touch of rhythm about it.

The shortenings sound friendly too, Nicky or Nic.

I like it, so there!

Agreed! I'm a bit offended by this thread - downmarket?!