I fell for this name too when I first read it in
Anne of Green Gables. It is a perfecly elegant name :). Although you do have a point that it can sound cold and strict but nonetheless I still like the name.
Excerpt from
Anne of Green Gables for everyone's reading pleasure.
"
Will you please call me
Cordelia?" she said eagerly.
"Call you
Cordelia? Is that your name?"
"No-o-o, it's not exactly my name, but I would love to be called
Cordelia. It's such a perfectly elegant name."
"I don't know what on earth you mean. If
Cordelia isn't your name, what is?"
"
Anne Shirley," reluctantly faltered forth the owner of that name, "but, oh, please do call me
Cordelia. It can't matter much to you what you call me if I'm only going to be here a little while, can it? And
Anne is such an unromantic name."
"Unromantic fiddlesticks!" said the unsympathetic Marilla. "
Anne is a real good plain sensible name. You've no need to be ashamed of it."
"Oh, I'm not ashamed of it," explained
Anne, "only I like
Cordelia better. I've always imagined that my name was Cordelia--at least, I always have of late years. When I was young I used to imagine it was
Geraldine, but I like
Cordelia better now. But if you call me
Anne please call me
Anne spelled with an E."