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Baby names

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Original poster

Ottie or Clara

90 replies

Pippinthepup · 15/12/2021 15:50

I am six months pregnant with my first dd and am stuck between Ottie and Clara for a name. Ottie was always my first choice but I recently came across the name Clara and thought it was really pretty- my dh prefers Ottie but I think he’s warming to Clara as well- my only worry with Ottie is that people might not get the spelling straight away. Was just wondering if anyone has any opinions/experience of either names

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TuftyMarmoset · 15/12/2021 22:49

Definitely Clara. Ottie doesn’t sound like a name.

Allsorts1 · 15/12/2021 22:57

I love Ottie! But as a nickname for something. Ottilie or Ottoline as suggested by PPS would be cool. Clara is a lovely name but a very different vibe.

Have you considered Harriet and Hattie as a nn?

IgneousRock · 15/12/2021 22:58

Clara - gorgeous

Allsorts1 · 15/12/2021 22:58

Ooooh just read the full thread and loving Octavia. I think go for Octavia and nickname Ottie. Both really cool and unique.

kitcat15 · 15/12/2021 23:25

Clara is fine
Ottilie is fine
Ottie is not fine🙄

DramaAlpaca · 15/12/2021 23:26

Clara is nice.

Ottie is daft.

Joystir59 · 15/12/2021 23:32

Ottie is a German girl's name meaning strong and wealthy. But I'm not keen I must say. I don't like Clara.

Longdistance · 15/12/2021 23:38

Clara. Note user name Grin
Pigeon street Longdistance…

ThirdElephant · 16/12/2021 05:18

[quote Pippinthepup]@StrawberryFever I do like Ottilie but I think it’s gaining popularity and I suppose I wanted something a bit more unique[/quote]
Clara has been in the top 100 for several years now. Ottilie is less common, I believe.

ThirdElephant · 16/12/2021 05:21

To expand on the popularity thing, Disney did a Nutcracker remake (main character Clara) a few years ago and I think that may have contributed to the popularity rise, but it was gaining before that. The little village school near where I live has around 90 kids and two of those are Claras.

I've only ever met one Ottilie.

MyOtherProfile · 16/12/2021 05:26

Ottilie is French, not German, and it's Zoe Suggs baby's name so that probably means it will get more popular. Ottie is odd. Clara is ok.

ThirdElephant · 16/12/2021 05:30

@MyOtherProfile

Ottilie is French, not German, and it's Zoe Suggs baby's name so that probably means it will get more popular. Ottie is odd. Clara is ok.
Who is Zoe Suggs?
HuntingoftheSnark · 16/12/2021 05:51

@ThirdElephant Zoe Sugg is a YouTuber known as Zoella.

ThirdElephant · 16/12/2021 06:49

[quote HuntingoftheSnark]@ThirdElephant Zoe Sugg is a YouTuber known as Zoella.[/quote]
Never heard of her, but according to Google her demographic is mainly 16-19 year olds, so that might be why.

MyOtherProfile · 16/12/2021 07:12

@ThirdElephant also sister of Joe Suggs who was on strictly a couple of years ago and Who do you think you are last month.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 16/12/2021 07:21

@MyOtherProfile

Ottilie is French, not German, and it's Zoe Suggs baby's name so that probably means it will get more popular. Ottie is odd. Clara is ok.
You are wrong. Ottilie is an old fashioned German name. It barely exists in France (so my French friends tell me).

OP, I would chose Clara above Ottie. Lovely name, which people generally know how to spell. Or Octavia and use Ottie as the nickname.

MyOtherProfile · 16/12/2021 08:19

@Moonlaserbearwolf well funnily enough I'm not wrong. I knew two when I lived in France. And Google agrees with me, as does Wikipedia, and we all know that's never wrong 😆

albairlanda · 16/12/2021 08:21

I like Ottilie. Never heard of ottie. Clara nice but prefer Ottilie.

albairlanda · 16/12/2021 08:22

@GucciBear

Clara. Ottie sounds like someone who is badly spoken and asking for a hot water bottle!
Lol lol lol
LittleDidSheKnow · 16/12/2021 08:26

I'm not sure Ottie is even a name; if it is it's not a very nice one. Clara is better.

wheresmyhairytoe · 16/12/2021 08:29

Definitely Clara.

I wanted it for DD (loved the Nutcracker) but DH hated it. I still look at her now even 12 years on and think she'd have suited it better.

EdgeOfACoin · 16/12/2021 08:52

Clara has been in the top 100 for a few years. In London it's actually in the top 50, possibly as it's a name that travels well. It's also an incredibly popular name in Europe (top 10 in some countries).

It's a lovely name but it's more popular than Ottilie - although Ottilie is very popular in the Telegraph birth announcements.

Just something to bear in mind if you're after a unique name.

I've not heard of Ottie. If you live anywhere near the south east where the letter 't' would be replaced by a glottal stop, I would avoid. O'ee doesn't sound nice.

TuftyMarmoset · 16/12/2021 08:54

@Moonlaserbearwolf Ottilie barely exists in Germany either (#950 in the charts), much less Ottie (or more likely spelling Otti). In Austria even less, only 6 Ottilies born since 1984!

TuftyMarmoset · 16/12/2021 08:57

You’re much more likely to meet a Clara/Klara than Ottie/Ottilie in Germany actually

deathofastrawberry · 16/12/2021 12:30

You could combine them - Carlie? I don't like Ottie but Clara is lovely.. how would you pronounce it? I know some people say Clah-rah and some Clair-ah?