Aurelia

[Leeloo1233]

Love this name and always thought of using it as a middle name, however now I'm starting to think it could work as a first name.

Is it too frilly/princessy? I would like something strong but pretty. Not necessarily thinking if the name is gorgeous but also if it would work in real life and schools etc. Does it stand out too much?

One person I mentioned the name said "Orally?!?!" Which made me a bit scared too.

I know an Aurelia and I feel like it is quite frilly 'in real life'. It's quite a fussy name to say?

It's lovely though! It's kind of like 'Evangeline' to me, lovely but a bit too frilly!

@leeloo1233 nope I've never heard the orally comparison! The way we pronounce it with a hard E - it sort of rhymes with America rather than Australia

@DramaAlpaca

It's an ancient name, of course it won't date!

It's very pretty, but just a bit too much on the frilly side for me.

Well, it's often said on Mumsnet that names like Noah and Asher and Ezra will date because of their recent surge in popularity. It's not all about the age if the name but about the popularity of the name. For example, people often say that Leah, Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel sound a bit dated today (due to their huge surge in popularity in the UK a few years ago, so now most people with this name are in their 20s or even 30s), as well as names like John, Phil, Mark (which seem dated as they're now dad names) but they're also biblical. Aurora is an ancient name, will also sound dated due to being extremely rare a few years ago and now suddenly very popular.

If you like it more now as a first name go for it! You’ll regret it if you use it for a middle name. Didn’t ever cross my mind the orally connection. Kids-people can turn any name into an abusive one

I think it's beautiful and also calls to mind Marcus Aurelius, who was not at all frilly or princess-y.

My only minor concern is the association with the nauseating Love Actually...!

The girl in the film 'Permanent' is Aurelie and she does get called Orally at school.

www.imdb.com/title/tt5933560/

I actually dont mind the Love Actually connection or if the name will date, only would mind if she would get bullied

MN bloody loves this name, it's suggested on every name board. I'm surprised you haven't come across it on those.

Personally for me it reminds me of the Disney princess Aurora.

Love this name, it’s on our shortlist too and we’re also half French- bit sad to hear it’s becoming seen as popular, especially as it replaced Maya and Olivia at the top of our list, which also got very popular 😆 oh well

It sounds like a disease.

That was out girl name for DS.

*our

‘Aurelia was the name of the mothers of Julius Caesar, the writer Sylvia Plath, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, in her honor, made it one of his daughter's middle names.’

So there you go...

I have an Aurelia and we love it! No comments, it doesn’t get shortened or commented on at all yet (she is only 6 though). I love it and that’s all that matters to me!

I absolutely loved the name until I moved to Italy and found out that Via Aurelia is a road that is famous for being lined with ‘ladies of the night’, so I unfortunately had to take it off my list of girls’ names ☹️

I know a teenage Aurelia and know of another newborn so I really don't think it will date at all like someone else has said. It's a pretty name- doesn't sound too frilly to my ears at all.

I don’t think you’d get bullied for the name. I knew an Aurelie and yes the connection was made for some people but Aurelia, no. It doesn’t even really sound like orally (Aurelie does, although I prefer it as a name).
It’s too frilly for my tastes but that seems to be what a lot of people like.
I’m on the fence about it dating. It’s not a popular name at all so it’s unlikely you’d ever go “oh Aurelia, that’s sooo 2020s .. I knew loads of them” but yes, it does have a very now feel about it being vowel heavy and pretty frilly.

I know someone who used it as a middle name recently btw and I honestly thought it was quite a shame (despite the name being too frilly for me). No one uses middles and it might as well not be there at all. The first name they chose is definitely going to date more (think Isabella / Isla type name) and is far more popular and I reckon ultimately if it were me, I’d rather be Aurelia than Isabella.

For those who are French on this thread could I hijack it to ask how you would pronounce the name "Clementine"? I believe it has a different pronounciation in France than it does in the UK

Love it OP.

@Comedycook

It's a lot of vowels and a bit of a mouthful to say imo. It will also date dreadfully.

There are similar names which are mixed I think..like

Alanna
Arianna
Arrabella
Annabel
Aria
Alia

It's an underused classic, it won't date.

Arianna and Aria will date horribly. Alanna and Annabel are already dated - super 80s.

@bravelittlepenguin

For those who are French on this thread could I hijack it to ask how you would pronounce the name "Clementine"? I believe it has a different pronounciation in France than it does in the UK

Clemonteen in French.

My daughter is 16 months and called Aurelia. We love it! It took us almost a week to name her as we were nervous that other people wouldn’t like the name so kept trying out others. But she was Aurelia - nothing else suited her. It’s pretty as a little baby, but also strong, and we felt it would also sound beautiful on an adult!

@dietcokeandchill

My daughter is 16 months and called Aurelia. We love it! It took us almost a week to name her as we were nervous that other people wouldn’t like the name so kept trying out others. But she was Aurelia - nothing else suited her. It’s pretty as a little baby, but also strong, and we felt it would also sound beautiful on an adult!

Lovely to hear! I agree with you and I think it will be our name :)