Ophelia?

[Bluebunnie]

Hey, what are your opinions on Ophelia?

We are thinking Ophelia with a middle name like Alice (as my mothers name is Allison)

Thoughts?

Not great as a first name, in my opinion..I would keep it as a middle name, and have Alice first. I'm biased, though, because Alice is my favourite girl's name ever.

There are loads of young Ophelias, and it's a pretty name. I personally wouldn't be bothered by the Hamlet association. I mean you find Juliets, Cordelias etc.

The only thing i don't like about it is that sometimes people mispronounce it as Orphelia, which is much uglier.

I don't think it goes with a middle name starting with a vowel though. Could you add another? Ophelia Mary Alice etc?

I have an Ophelia ❤️ so love it. I get so many lovely reactions to her name and it really suits her.

Moreover, wasn't the implication that she drowned herself after going mad?

I do like the name; it's pretty.

I did consider it when pregnant but it didn't stay on any of our lists for long. i probably could have reconciled with the Hamlet association, but the "Ophelia Tits" type joke potential kind of tipped it into a no for me. Added to that, I don't think it's as unusual as it was ten years ago.

I love it!

Ophelia is a beautiful, elegant, romantic sounding name imo, I’m glad it’s become popular.

It’s been Top 100 for a few years now and is still rising, it might even be Top 50 in a couple more. So I don’t think the tragic Hamlet association will be as big a deal as in the past (plus there have now been multiple feminist interpretations of Hamlet from Ophelia’s point of view, looking at her death in a more positive light, which this generation may be much more likely to be aware of).

In principle, it’s very similar in style to Olivia (another Shakespearean beauty), hence the reason for its rise and why it will probably continue to do so.

Yes, and all of equal cultural significance to Trading Places of course. 100s of other films came and went that you don't remember. The vast majority of children born this year will probably never even hear of it because it's not Gone with the wind!

Get thee to a nunnery! Could never name a precious baby after poor drowned Ophelia. But then I couldn’t name one after poor hanged Cordelia either. I only came across these names as a student of English lit and then a theatregoer so maybe it’s different if you’ve grown up surrounded by them as normal names. I just think of the beautiful tragic type of young woman and who wants to saddle a daughter with that association.

No. Nothing feely sounding 🤢

It’s a bit too out there for me.

I also thought of Hamlet, and I only got a C in English Lit...

Just reminds me of hemophilia

Or the drag artiste Ophelia Balls

Did you not look the name up before you decided on it?

I’ve not decided on it… kind of the whole point of a baby name forum…

It just sounds like “ i feel ya” when Scottish say it so not a great option up here