Hello again.

[c0rby.livejournal.com]

This will be my last post, I swear! My husband and I are expecting our first baby in September, and I seriously hope parenting is easier than coming up with a name, haha. We have vetoed everything else in existence, but we cannot decide between these: [Poll #1742624]*Cora is an homage to my maiden name, Corbett.
*Our last name is Tomes.

I'd really appreciate thoughts/opinions/suggestions if you have any. Do you think Cora (or Norah, even) is too old-fashioned (especially with the middle name Grace)? Do you think since my last name is so short that some of these first names are too short? Do you think she'll get "Dora the Explorer" on the kindergarten playground...? Do they all suck? Halp.

Thanks!

Comments

[spaceandclouds.livejournal.com]

I love Norah, it's my favorite from this list. I do, however, really like the idea of "honoring" your maiden name. So even though I'm not really a fan of Cora, I think that'd be my second favorite in this case =).

[hashishinahooka.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big fan of Grace, but Norah Grace has such a nice flow to it. It sounds classy.

[http://users.livejournal.com/___heyvanity/]

I really love Cora Isabelle. I'm not a big fan of Isabelle or Grace, but Cora is beautiful and I think it flows the best with Isabelle. I do like Norah Grace quite a bit... but I'm just really sick of Grace lately.

I absolutely DO NOT think Cora or Norah is too old-fashioned, but I'm really into old-fashioned names. Norah is making a comeback and Cora doesn't sound old to me either.

And remember, Grace and Isabel/Isabelle are old names too that just became trendy again. :-)

[c0rby.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I definitely want a name that ages well, but fits a little kid too. I think Cora sounds older than Norah (especially Norah with an H), but my opinion could be swayed.

In going through names, I've decided that my husband is really into old-fashioned names too, haha...

[elemmennope.livejournal.com]

Cora Isabelle is very pretty. Unique but not weird.

Grace as a mn has been done to death. I've been sick of seeing that one for years.

[c0rby.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the input! I definitely get that the mn Grace is old and tired, haha, but I really love the way it sounds and the meaning. It's my middle name too.

[satunian.livejournal.com]

They are all very nice actually. I am not a fan of Grace as it's becoming the new Ann, Marie and Lynn and it's just a nms, but it's still a fine name. Norah is not old fashioned anymore, it's going through a revival in popularity and Cora doesn't feel too far off though it might not rise in popularity as much. I think they're all nice (and as far as teasing, if not Dora the Explorer, it'll be something else. I think everyone gets teased one way or the other at some point, so unless you're really setting her up, don't worry too much about it)

I picked Madelyn because it's my favorite of the group but mostly because I think it has the best "flow" with your last name.

I really like the idea of honoring your maiden name. Why not Madelyn Cora Tomes? I think that sounds really pretty and flows perfectly.

[satunian.livejournal.com]

Add on: the more and more I think about it, I really love Madelyn Cora! I hope you'll consider it!

[c0rby.livejournal.com]

Madelyn Cora was actually a valid choice for about 15 minutes last week. I don't know why it was scrapped, haha (I think because I just really loved Madelyn with Grace. I know its overused now, but I love what it means and how it sounds. It's my middle name too, and I always pictured my daughter sharing it) BUT, looking at it again, I do love Madelyn Cora more and more. Definitely seriously considering it! Thanks!

[morphinae.livejournal.com]

Normally I'd have voted for Norah since it's a favorite, but I LOVE the idea of Cora because of the family ties. I picked Isabelle just because it flows better.

[iluvbroccoli.livejournal.com]

I'm not voting because I don't like the middle name choices, but I love the name Cora and like Norah as well. Cora seems a little old-fashioned if I think about it, but it's also such a pretty, classy name. Norah is a little easier to say. I'm not a fan of Madelyn because I don't like the nickname Maddie.

[c0rby.livejournal.com]

I like your username! (seriously)

Thanks for the input! Taking everything into consideration!

[byfaith.livejournal.com]

I love Norah Grace, but like I said before, I would personally leave off the H.

[my-little-voice.livejournal.com]

I took me a bit to decide which name I liked best, but that's because I like all of them. Finally I went with Cora Isabelle because I like honoring of your maiden name, and Isabelle sounded the best with it.

[how-obscure.livejournal.com]

I picked Cora Grace.

I find it a little difficult to say a name when the first name ends in a vowel and the middle name starts with one, for example Cora Isabelle. Of course, the more I say it, the easier it gets. Grace has been done a lot, but it's a solid name, it does have a nice meaning, and I like that it is your middle name as well. I actually think that Cora sounds younger than Norah. I saw in a comment that you think the opposite. Madelyn Grace sounds good together too, but Madelyn is more trendy and with how popular Grace is, the name whole name becomes very trendy and now compared to the others. I don't think Norah or Cora are too short with your last name because they are two syllables. Dora the Explorer never crossed my mind.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

All these comments match mine exactly! (weird!)

[octobre09.livejournal.com]

I must be the only one who doesn't like Norah. It's not horrible but I guess not my style. Cora reminds me of a Canadian breakfast chain we have here so I'm not crazy about that one either. That leaves me with Madelyn which I think is pretty, I do prefer Madeleine though. Have you thought of Isabelle as a first name? That would be my preference, Isabelle Tomes is pretty.

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

Cora is awesome! Not that Norah is really popular, but there are fewer Coras in the world lol. I actually like Cora Grace better as a combo, but I think the mn Isabelle flows better with your last name. Good luck!!!!

[amyames.livejournal.com]

Norah!!!

[becomingun.livejournal.com]

I don't like Madelyn, so I voted for all the others. I also think they sound nicer and really great with your last name.

[pixietangerine.livejournal.com]

I really like Norah and Cora! I don't think either of them are too old fashioned at all. Norah seems a little more serious to me than Cora, which sounds spunkier, but both are sweet and feminine and sound modern but familiar. :) As for Grace or Isabelle as the middle name, I guess it depends on if either has special meaning? I think I prefer Isabelle a bit because Cora Isabelle is just such a lovely combo. If you super-duper love Isabelle and Grace, have you considered two middle names? Cora Isabelle Grace Lastname? Norah Isabelle Grace Lastname?

Madelyn is okay, but very overdone and really overshadowed by the simplicity and beauty of Norah and Cora.

[qadesh.livejournal.com]

The only one that I think will not age nicely is Madelyn. If you want to go with that name I would suggest the traditional spelling - "Madelyn" is just...ugh. Too trendy, and I feel like looking at it I don't get shades of cool meanings like I do with the traditional "Madeleine". "Madeleine" is a French river, which is pretty neat. Plus, the name is shared with cool women like Madeleine L'Engle, the author, Madeleine Albright, a princess of Sweden, etc. The other downside to Madeleine is that people might call her "Maddie" which is one of the most tired, overplayed nicknames right now...what with the 100000000 Madisons out there.

The only other thing that strikes me about these names is that they are not original. I don't know how much that matters to you, but to me, they're just...pretty, but nothing really special. I think Cora is very nice because it has meaning to you and it's not something you hear every day. BUT Grace and Isabelle (Isabella was ranked #1 in US last year actually) are so overdone and their popularity is resurging, so there's just going to be soooo many girls with similar names. Growing up with a first and middle name that were unbelievably popular, I always hated that so many girls had my same name and I didn't have anything special connected with it. So that's where I'm coming from...ymmv of course!

[c0rby.livejournal.com]

Haha, we don't want to give the kid too a weird name, you know? I get where you're coming from and I appreciate the feedback. I think the first names are unique enough that she won't hate us though. Grace and Isabelle are definitely extremely common, so that's why they are not being considered as first names - I like the Christian meaning, and I'm hoping my daughter will have a connection to the name because of that (my middle name is Grace, and I love it, so hopefully she'll like sharing that with me too, ha).

Our one more "obscure" name choice was Amara. I like it a lot, but I'm more wary of having an obscure name than an unoriginal one. I don't want something that would get spelled or pronounced wrong and I think I liked the others better which is why I didnt include it in the poll.

You're right about Maddie/Madison though. I will need to think about that more.

[after-the-ashes.livejournal.com]

I'm not a fan of Grace, but I do love Norah. My daughter was almost Noreen (after g-ma) nn Nora. Instead, we went with Cora and her 2nd middle name is Noreen. You have good taste. I really don't like Madelyn. I've seen wayyyy too many Madelyn, with "i's" or "y's" and I just don't get it. I hate Maddy. Madeline is ok, but, I just don't feel like it ages well.

[c0rby.livejournal.com]

Aw, I love that you named your daughter Cora! I think its my favourite right now, but I don't want it to be too old. It sounds old if I think about it too much, and all the websites say it was in the top 100 back in the 1900s, haha.

[after-the-ashes.livejournal.com]

I don't see it as a name that sounds too old. It definitely brings you back a bit and feels old-fashioned, but I never pictured an old person in my mind when I was saying it. But, we started liking it because of Cat Cora from Iron Chef, lol.

[fletwock.livejournal.com]

Cora Grace Tomes sounds absolutely freaking perfect to me. It's fresh and crisp and pretty. I love it and obviously hope you'll go with it, since it's my favorite, haha.

I don't think it sounds particularly old fashioned so much as timeless. I don't think short first names necessarily have to paired with long last names. And I don't think she'll get Dora the Explorer, haha.

[sweetest-asylum.livejournal.com]

I love Cora and i don't think its old fashioned at all

[smirk-dog.livejournal.com]

I love Norah (and Grace is one of my all time favorite names). ♥

[lovetherobots.livejournal.com]

They are all lovely names, but Norah Grace is my favourite! It is very classy, and I can picture the name Norah working well on any infant, child, or woman. Also, I know of two babies with the name Madelyn Grace (with three different spellings of the name Madelyn, including yours), so I would hesitant to use it based on its popularity and the potential issue of incorrect spellings - although it is also a very beautiful name!

[skudge.livejournal.com]

I love the name Cora, and I think it's unique enough that it won't seem too old-fashioned.