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[Opinions] Carmen
I'm really digging Carmen at the moment :P Sometimes it bugs me that it's "car + men", but I still think it's just...cool? And sophisticated and feminine without being frilly and girly, or, inversely, too macho and modern.What do you think about it? Like, love, hate, can't decide?What do you think of...?Carmen Allegra
Carmen Apollonia
Carmen Arabella
Carmen Aurora
Carmen Electra
Carmen Fiona
Carmen Gabrielle
Carmen Margaux
Carmen Ophelia
Carmen Zenobia All of these are from my Carmen poll and scored okay. Carmen Allegra scored the lowest, and Carmen Apollonia got the most votes so far. Carmen Arabella, Carmen Aurora, Carmen Electra, Carmen Margaux, Carmen Ophelia and Carmen Zenobia all came 'second', with 10 points each at the moment.What combos would you make with Carmen? I'm curious as to them all, but ones using my PNL names ---> http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/123655 - are double-cool. Still, there might be some others not on my list that really work with it, so, yeah, whatever you like. Do you like Carmen better as a first or second name?Just... general feedback? :PYay.
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My nana came from a Catholic family and they were named based off of their saint days. My nana was suppose to be a Carmen but her parents felt like the name Carmen sounded too wild and sexy. So they went with the name Marian which was the name that came the day after Carmen. They would always celebrate my nana's birthday the day after she was actually born.My nana never cared for the name Carmen and was happy that she was named Marian.I like the name Marian but I also like the name Carmen. It's true I do feel that Carmen gives off sexy vibes. I hear the name Carmen and I think of a sexy, sophisticated, confident woman who is in charge of her life and celebrates the joys of life. Carmen is full of energy and life. It's the same kind of vibes I get from names like Veronica and Jacqueline.I like Carmen Arabella, Carmen Aurora, Carmen Ophelia, and Carmen Zenobia.Here are some combos:
Carmen Marguerite
Carmen Salome
Carmen Victoria
Carmen Loretta
Carmen Apolline
Carmen Verity
Carmen Penelope
Carmen Jacquetta
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This message was edited 8/18/2012, 4:35 AM

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Haha!I get the same vibes as you. I really love the confident, independent, sophisticated feel it gives and it isn't too frilly or manly - and as much as I love frill, I find that makes for a really fresh and cool kind of name. I also don't mind too much of a 'wild' vibe from a name, but I guess we live in different times. Marian is pretty, but it is completely different to Carmen. I do prefer Carmen to Miriam, but I can't say I'd definitely be saying the same thing if I were in the same position (time, community, religion etc) as your grandmother's parents. It's a cool story though! I have this urge to use Marguerite at the moment, and Carmen Marguerite is lovely. I'm not sure if it has too much 'm'. I'm in two minds about that, and not even sure that it would bother me if it did. Carmen Victoria grows on me the more and more I think about it. Victoria's too popular here to ever use as first name, but it does add charm and character as a middle name too. Carmen Penelope is charming, as is Carmen Apolline (which is more simple and less frilly than Apollonia and I'm thinking that might be better), and Carmen Verity is bright and youthful.I've always swayed between liking/indifference and dislike of Salome because of its almost 'salami' sound, but it's nicer as a middle name and Carmen Salome definitely grabs the eye. It's very much a statement name. I can't imagine someone called Carmen Salome being a retiring, dull, wallflower of a person. I kind of like that :P
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I've always generally liked it. It's a pleasant name. Carmen Aurora and Carmen Gabriella are the nicest of your combos. After that, I'd have to say Allegra because even though it wouldn't normally be a pick, but it flows well. Margaux is a name I also like, but it doesn't flow well w/ Carmen.
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Carmen Margaux looks nice to me written down, but I do think if you sit there saying it aloud it does have a bit of a vowel/feeling/vibe clash and is too heavy on the 'm'.Carmen Margaux... definitely scratched off the list. It's had pretty unfavourable feedback and I can see where people are coming from with it, so I guess that's a sign it has to go.
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Of course, you could always find something else to pair w/ Margaux in the future.
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It was my Spanish name in high school. I think of Carmen Miranda, the opera, and Carmen Sandiego. Carmen Allegra sounds too much like Carmen Electra sounds too much like the actress. I wouldn't use either.
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Haha! Carmen Sandiego is an association for me too! :P
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I haven't met a single Carmen in all my life. The only Carmen I know is the one in the play of the same name.Combos I'd make with Carmen, eh? Well, how about...Carmen Holly
Carmen Claire
Carmen Diana
Carmen Bridget
Carmen Heather
Carmen Lisa
Carmen Cassandra
Carmen Nicole
Carmen Isabel (or Isabelle)
Carmen Abigail
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Me neither. I suppose that might be why it has image it does for me. Meeting a real life Carmen might disappoint, and I really hope it wouldn't.Carmen Isabelle is charming. I also like the contrast in Carmen Bridget.
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I love Carmen. It's actually one of the very first name I remember really loving and am not afraid to admit today :) In like 2nd grade I named a bear I won from a carnival, Carmen, and I've really like it ever since. It's one of those name I can EASILY picture on someone of any age. Carmen Apollonia is a too much of a mouthful I think - how about Carmen Apolline instead?
Either one sort of makes me think of caramel apples, though - not necessarily a bad or good thing but something to consider.
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I wish I had a bear called Carmen. I have a giant penguin called Percival and twin bears called Bertram and Bert, but if I had been a more inventive namer as a child, I would totally have named one of my stuffed toys Carmen.I do admit that Carmen Apollonia gets the jaw muscles working. I like it. It's probably too much effort to say. Carmen Apolline flows off the tongue better and has the same vibe, so it's something to contemplate.And damn... I thought caramel apples were the same as toffee apples until I wiki-ed it... I had Wikipedia up, don't judge me. I am really bad about toffee apples. I inhale them at Hallowe'en season. Slightly disillusioned about them not being the same thing, but I'm telling myself they almost are. It's odd, but I kind of like the association there :P
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I like Carmen. It's strong, yet at the same time, it's still feminine. It depends on what it's paired with, but I like it as a first name or a middle name.Out of your combos, I like Carmen Fiona, Carmen Gabrielle, Carmen Ophelia, and Carmen Zenobia the best.I like Carmen and Margaux, but I think that Carmen Margaux has too many "ar" sounds.Combos:
Carmen Estrella
Carmen Estelle
Carmen Veronica
Carmen Victoria
Carmen Leona
Carmen Liora
Carmen Olivia
Carmen Lydia
Carmen Lucia
Carmen Felicity
Carmen Tabitha
Carmen Rebecca
Carmen Rosalie
Carmen Cecily
Carmen Lily
Carmen Lorena
Carmen Lisette
Carmen Giselle
Carmen Diana

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Victoria and Olivia are super-super-super popular where I live, and have been as long as I can remember. They were huge in my year, and then lulled and then came back again with a vengence. That said, Carmen Olivia and Carmen Victoria are really very nice indeed.I also like : Carmen Lydia (I know so many Lydias, but the mn makes it fresher), Carmen Felicity (where Carmen grounds Felicity a little), Carmen Juliette, Carmen Lucia (it's just classic), Carmen Tabitha (Tabitha is cute. I always think of it as a wispy sweet-little-kitten cat name, but it's cute), Carmen Rosalie, Carmen Theodora and Carmen Euphemia. I really like Cecily but Carmen Cecily sounds like it could grow on me but looks repetative. Carmen Lorena is exotic. Lorena isn't my normal style at all, but I like the mystique this combo has going :P
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What about Carmina?, to get away from the car-men thing. I like Carmen Aurora.
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Carmina is pretty. I do like it, but I think I prefer Carmen. It has more spunky-ness and spirit to me, and maybe Car-men is a price to pay for it. Carmina might end on my PNL list too, as a mid-way between Carmen and something slightly less bulky. I'd never really thought of it before :PAurora isn't my favourite first name, but I am liking it as middle name at the moment!
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I love Carmen! Have for years. I'd say for sure not Carmen Electra (google it) and therefore also not Carmen Allegra, as it just sounds too close. Carmena Aurora is nice, even though I usually don't like Aurora.
From your list, I also like Carmen Ophelia.Some of my favourites:
Carmen Josephine
Carmen Elizabeth
Carmen Delia
Carmen Brielle
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:)Carmen Josephine is two names I love, together at last. I obviously love Carmen, but I have a mile wide soft-spot for Josephine as well. For some reason it's not a combo I'd go for on first glance, and I don't know why. Give me a week, and I might love it.I don't normally like Elizabeth that much. I know so many of them. Carmen Elizabeth is very established and elegant, though, very classic sounding.

This message was edited 8/17/2012, 1:32 PM

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don't use Carmen Electra...I'm assuming you aren't American or you'd know who Carmen Electra is.I think Carmen is very pretty and elegant. It needs a more simple middle name than your list. Also, Carmen Allegra is way too close to Carmen Electra in sound.Carmen JoyCarmen LouiseCarmen ReginaCarmen Opal
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Ahaha! Is my face red or what? :PAhaha, no, I'm not American, and I don't know all that much about American Pop culture as is. Oops. So yeah, now I know who Carmen Electra is! I am so disillusioned :P Not that I'm a prude, but if I ever use Carmen on a theoretical child, being accidentally named after a famous/infamous glamour model and useless celeb can't be the best start in life.Joy is the middle name my mum chose for herself, so Carmen Joy is pretty and honouring. I can't believe I didn't think of that to begin with. Def going on my to-use list if it's okay by you.I also think Carmen Opal is really sweet. Carmen is a really strong and knowledgable kind of feminine for me, so Opal has the whimsy Carmen lacks in my eyes.

This message was edited 8/17/2012, 1:32 PM

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I normally really dislike the sound of Opal but Carmen Opal is just charming!Carmen already has this mauvey, lace and antique brass, feel for me so Opal punctuates it just perfectly - it's so glittery, and lady-like :)
Better yet.... Carmen Opal Joy .....eh?

This message was edited 8/17/2012, 2:26 PM

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Dude, Carmen Opal Joy gets two thumbs up from me! I just really love the contrast between Carmen and Opal :)
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Carmen Joy is very nice though personally I find Carmen too masculine sounding (coming from someone who likes Riley for a girl...)
But just out of curiosity, who is Carmen Electra?
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she's one of those people...Who is famous for being famous. She was a Playmate in Playboy, was on that MTV show Singled Out, had a few movie roles that were nothing much, and was probably most famous for dating Dennis Rodman and Tommy Lee.
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She didn't date Tommy Lee, that was Pamela Anderson. Don't worry I get those two confused as well. I was thinking for a moment that Carmen Electra was Canadian but she isn't, Pamela Anderson is the Canadian.
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To be fair......I wouldn't put Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra in the same class as Paris Hilton or the Kardashians. Sure, they were Playmates, but anything else they achieved was thanks to their own hard work and "talent." In that regard, they stand apart from the spoiled socialites; they never got anything because of who their Daddy was.

This message was edited 8/18/2012, 9:51 AM

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Don't forget about Dave Navarro......she was married to him for a couple of years.
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Ooh, I'm so the opposite. :P But apparently this is Carmen Electra - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_Electra
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I have a coussin named Carmen so I have a soft spot for the name.; her middle name is Margret. I've also heard of Carmen Mabel, Carmen Aileen, Carmen Flora, and of yours I lke Carmen fiona, Carmen Zoe,
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Carmen Flora is nice! It looks quite pretty written down. I'm not sold on Flora in its own right, but I like the combo.
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I like Carmen Allegra the best, followed by Carmen Gabrielle. Carmen Electra sounds too much like a Carmen Miranda type of character to me.
I love Arabella but not in that combo - doesn't really flow imoBy coincidence I was thinking about Carmel and Carmela a couple of hours ago - I prefer them to Carmen despite the "caramel" association.
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Yeah, Carmen Arabella is a bit wordy in person, but I still kind of like it.I like that someone likes Carmen Allegra :P It was the first one which really popped out at me, and I can't get this Allegra-dislike going on. Carmel and Carmela are rather pretty. I like them, I really do, but for some reason Carmen sticks out at me more, and yeah, Carmel does have the caramel-y thing for me. I'd be much more likely to use Carmen than Carmel. Each to their own, but I just like it more. I'd be super happy to come across a Carmel or Carmela though.

This message was edited 8/17/2012, 1:33 PM

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