First baby girl name...

[pbnbananas.livejournal.com]

I have two boys, Jack Allen and Lukas "Lu" Daniel, and we are expecting what appears to be our first girl later this year!

I have loved the name Cordelia for years, ever since I saw it in a book by KA Applegate back in the late '90s. My love for the name encouraged me to get into Shakespeare and it's always been near the top of my list for a baby girl. I've noticed recently though that Cordelia seems to be popping up more and more in online communities and forums, so I'm wondering if it's likely to suddenly become trendy right when I finally get to use it. One thing I love about my name (Natalie) is that it's not very common for my age group, and I want my girl to have a name all her own, unweighted by a number or initial to differentiate her from the other five girls in class with the same name.

So. Am I being paranoid? Is it a good name? I will most likely use it if it feels right when the time comes regardless of popularity, but I'd prefer to avoid a naming fiasco of Aiden-like proportions! Dad's name is Joshua and surname is Baker, for reference =)Thanks for any thoughts!

Comments

[quinnthevixen.livejournal.com]

My inclination is always to check the Social Security site to see where the name ranks in the last 10-15 years. If it's in the top 100, I typically take it off my list unless I REALLY love it. If it's not even in the top 1,000, I'm usually pretty excited by that. I grew up with a very uncommon name (Quinn) and really liked it, so I want the same for my children. I have a similar fear with the name Margot, which I love, but may be coming back in style. Still, it isn't that high on the charts, when I look at SSA or babynames.com.

That being said, another reason you could see names like Cordelia popping up on online forums and sites could be due to what kind of forums and sites they are, and if they're populated by people who have similar tastes. Every time I see a name that I love start cropping up more, I try to remind myself that a lot of people (in this community, for example) have similar tastes in names and this population does not accurately represent the U.S. as a whole in terms of baby-naming trends.

And I think Cordelia is a beautiful name!

[forthemorrow.livejournal.com]

LOL! My daughter was born 3 days ago and we called her Margot Cordelia. Margot was +1000 so we thought we were safe. Eep. Course I worried Desmond would come back in extreme popularity too, and it hasn't. Hope Margot is the same. ; )

[quinnthevixen.livejournal.com]

I think I saw your birth story in the pregnant community! I'm not pregnant yet, but like to be VERY well educated before doing anything; plus, who doesn't like reading birth stories. Both your daughter and her name are beautiful! But I'm with you, hoping Margot doesn't become TOO popular.

[pbnbananas.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've checked out the ssa site, which eases my mind lots. However, on babyzone's name site there's an article on "old lady names" and guess which one was number three? But I think you are right anyway, since the Cordelias I've met in real life are all different ages, that I just get to see a larger sample of the type of people who would like the name enough to use it because of the internet.

[laminy.livejournal.com]

Cordelia hasn't been in the Top 1000 since 1950, so even if it actually is picking up in popularity, it still has awhile to get anywhere trendy for quite some time.

[pleasure-past.livejournal.com]

If Cordelia jumps from not even being the top 1000 in the US in 2011 to being in the top 10 in 2012, I owe you a soda. It won't happen. Don't worry about it. If it happens to Cordelia, it could have happened to any name you chose.

Besides, even if Cordelia does do an Aiden-like jump from not being on the list to being in the top ten over the course of one generation*, Cordelia has enough nickname possibilities that she'll be able to find something unique to go by anyway.

So basically I say go for it.


*It took Aiden fifteen years, though.

[pbnbananas.livejournal.com]

I have never really followed name trends, so it seemed like Aiden came out of nowhere to me! I really loved the name and had it on my list for my firstborn, fortunately I picked up on every kid in the food court answering to it before I got too attached...!

[roseofjuly.livejournal.com]

We have similar tastes - Aidan was originally one of my top choices, too, but when everyone started name their kids that plus all of the rhyming variants I hate (Jayden, Brayden, Kayden) I dropped it really quick.

My favorite boys' names, Joseph and Noah, are really popular but I don't even care. I won't have kids for another 5 years at least, so maybe Noah will fall down a bit. Joseph has always been popular and always will be.

[pbnbananas.livejournal.com]

It was Ashleys and Lauras in my class (80s represent!) I actually really like the name Jessica, but I would worry about it sounding dated used on a baby today... maybe in another twenty years or so!

[roseofjuly.livejournal.com]

Ashleys and Brittanys in my classes. There were always lots of Ashleys and Brittanys.

[parapraxess.livejournal.com]

Ditto. Amanda here... can't escape the popularity at school, jobs, or even in restaurants. Can't ever give my name and party size because there is usually another :(

[http://users.livejournal.com/-dahling-/]

I don't know where you live, but I haven't heard of a single person with that name nor have I heard of anyone naming their baby that!

[twitchywoman.livejournal.com]

Me neither. I've never even met someone named Cordelia.

[pbnbananas.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's a more regional thing, but here in the deep south I've known a small number of Cordelias over the years. Probably no more than four or five, and all different ages though. I probably have nothing to worry about, just paranoid preggo brain!

[silvermidnight.livejournal.com]

I love the name Natalie!

I don't think Cordelia is going to be massively popular anytime soon unless a celebrity uses it. I've only seen it in naming communities and never in real life. You could always give her a cool middle name to use if Cordelia does, by chance, get popular.

[dustthouart.livejournal.com]

http://www.nancy.cc/2012/05/14/beyond-the-top-1000-baby-names-of-2011/

Cordelia was #1318, given to 177 baby girls in 2011.

To put it in perspective, there were more baby girls named Unique.

I am positive that Natalie was ranked much higher than that when you were born. Natalie have never left the top 1000.

[pbnbananas.livejournal.com]

Hmm I had a girl named Unique when I was teaching preschool and I thought she had to be the only one.

I think Natalie was even near the top 100 the year I was born, and I've only met one other one my age, so maybe it's like another poster mentioned that I'm seeing Cordelia more based on the groups I frequent being full of folks with similar tastes.

[forthemorrow.livejournal.com]

I just had my first girl, and her name is Margot Cordelia. We used Cordelia as a middle name, though it was in our first name choices too. We went with Margot cuz it was +1000 in popularity, and wanted something similarly as rare as our first's name. Desmond Leo. Desmond was 466 though. Haha. Anyway, I don't think Cordelia is that popular, but it has been coming up more and more.

[pbnbananas.livejournal.com]

I saw your story in pregnant! Beautiful girl, congratulations!

[hermionesparkle.livejournal.com]

I have seen Cordelia popping up but more as a middle name. A girl I know named her daughter Cordelia but other than that, I haven't seen it. I would say if it isn't in the top 100 yet on the SSA site then you won't have to worry about it.

I personally love the name. I had no idea it existed until Buffy was on. It is a nice strong name while still being girly.

[twitchywoman.livejournal.com]

I'm not very fond of Cordelia myself, but I really like how Cordelia Baker flows. It sounds like a perfect name for a character in a book.

[parapraxess.livejournal.com]

Cordelia is my #1 baby girl name currently, lol. My husband came home yesterday saying the Bob and Tom show had a news segment about Cordelia being #2 in popularity in the country, right after Olivia. I immediately freaked out and scoured the internet, only to find that can't possibly be true because it's still in the 1000s for rank. We don't find out the sex until June 25, but I'm pretty dead-set on Cordelia if it's a girl. My husband keeps rooting for Athena, so if it does spike in popularity before I'm due, we would go with that.

[kaizopp.livejournal.com]

I think it's gaining popularity, but will never get even close to really trendy and widespread. Just enough for it not to be a weird name.

[sweetest-asylum.livejournal.com]

I was just thinking its such a pretty name and has nice nicknames, too. Cora or Corrie (Corey, Corry whatever) and so much prettier than the latter

[roseofjuly.livejournal.com]

Cordelia is one of my favorite names, too, but the name has not been in the top 1000 since 1950. Even then, it was in the bottom, and it's never been above like 300 or so. So I think we're safe!