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Love!

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If I'm getting the drift of your time period, I think of it as Edith Wharton's New York. But she may have been more of an 1870's gal. I don't know why the image is so strong when I read your comments.

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Anyway, of course I love Hortense! It's a little creepy, because I was just thinking about Hortense this morning, especially with a French accent, which I know you love as well.

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Poor Hortense. She suffers from the "Hor-/ whore" association with most people. But that just makes me love her more -- her and Horatia. Hortense is my go-to name for "serious chic."

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I'm going with Hortense Edith, to honor Ms Wharton. But they are all top notch. :-)

I love Hortense!

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My favorite combos are:

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Hortense Ingrid
Hortense Miriam
Hortense Ottoline
Hortense Thea

I don't think it's too bad. I do prefer the more soft sounding Hortensia.

Hortense is the homely girl who gussies herself up to go to a big dance, and looks sort of ridiculous next to the more polished, sophisticated girls...until all the boys want to dance with her because she is one-of-a-kind, and undeniably charming in her own way. I consider the name ugly, but I still like it. It is what it is, and it makes no apologies.

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I like:

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Hortense Winifred
Hortense Vivian
Hortense Verena
Hortense Rosalind
Hortense Philippa
Hortense Miriam
Hortense Marjorie
Hortense Mary
Hortense Marian
Hortense Madeleine
Hortense Lillian
Hortense Julia
Hortense Heloise
Hortense Emmeline
Hortense Claudia
Hortense Camille

I cannot say I appreciate this name at all. All I can think of it how pronounced the HOR sound is. Sorry.

All I hear is "whore tense" and it also reminds me of the movie The Bad Seed. I think it's a daring choice though!

No, I think it is asking for trouble. I don't find it glamorous so much as pompous and awkward, like a wicked step-sister or Lady Gaga sidekick. Not my idea of beauty.

This message was edited 5/7/2011, 12:06 PM

I do admire Hortense. To me it has the same subtle, refined femininity as Ottilie, Elinor, Edith or Philippa (it's interesting you've used most of those!). Very elegant. I always want to put Hortense in the middle though - some names just seem to work better there. I like a lot of your combos, most of them actually.
I like:
Hortense Amabel
Hortense Blythe
Hortense Evelyn
Hortense Marian
Hortense Marigold
Hortense Ottoline
Hortense Violet

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and then there are ones I really like but want to swap around. Jean Hortense sounds so sweet and lively. Eve Hortense is grand. Mary Hortense. Clara Hortense - I love Clara and this makes me see her in a new light. Edith Hortense, so refined! Ada Hortense...you can see I usually have to put short names up front. I also like Hortense with plant names, it just seems to work. Dahlia Hortense is so green. Lily Hortense, Ivy Hortense, Iris Hortense, Bryony Hortense. You've really got me thinking about Hortense now, I might have to add it to my list.

I don't really like the sound of it, although it's not totally offputting either. But I do really like the image it gives me. I picture spring flowers in the sun. I swear I can smell the hyacinths (and it's not the one on my dining room table because it's dead). :)

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I quite like these combos:
Hortense Ada
Hortense Catherine
Hortense Diana
Hortense Emily
Hortense Louisa
Hortense Marjorie - oh, favorite!

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(ETA: I'm pronouncing it in English... with the French pronunciation it sounds much more elegant and I can picture the image that you described.)

This message was edited 5/7/2011, 8:12 AM

I like it. I think it's lovely.

We used to joke that this was one of my sister's friend's middle names. Brittany Eustace Hortense.

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Unfortunately, it reminds me of an elephant without the French pronunciation.