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[Opinions] Catherine vs. Rachel
Which name do you prefer and why?
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Catherine.Rachel is a bit harsh and feels really 80s/90s to me now.Catherine is more classic. And Catherine in itself doesn't feel overused, only the nicknames Katie and Kate do.Rachels are everywhere.
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Rachel, but Katherine is okay too. I like the sound of Rachel more, first and foremost. While they're both pretty common names, Katherine feels a little bit bland to me because it's been common for centuries and its variants have been common all around the world, it's just a bit less interesting. I like Rachel's Biblical connotation, it's warm, homey feel, and its strength. The advantage of Katherine is that it has so many nicknames and beautiful variations, and flows better with more names, but still, I like Rachel more.
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Catherine is nice and classic. Rachel is also a classic but so so so 80s/90s and "Friends". I also don't find the sound very pretty.
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Rachel. I like Catherine, but I always see it as a means to get to nicknames. It isn't love. Rachel is gorgeous and solid. I love the long A.
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CatherineMore nickname options so you’ve got options to suit every personality the kid might end up having.
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CatherineIt sounds polished and has more nickname options.
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RachelI used to like Catherine for a time, but now I think it's a little boring. Regardless I would've chosen Rachel anyways because it's more my style (and I like the sound).
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I prefer Catherine, it's more versatile.
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RachelCatherine is not bad, but I prefer it as a middle name.
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CatherineIt sounds prettier to me.
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If I was naming a baby, I'd pick Rachel for two reasons:
-all the nicknames for Catherine are disappointing but Rachel doesn't need a nickname
-if it was my offspring, it would probably be a quiet kid with brown hair which fits Rachel perfectly But there are other contexts where I'd pick Catherine.
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Rachel
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CatherineI love Katherine, spelled this way. Rachel is ok, but not a favourite.
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CatherineRachel reminds me of retching somehow
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CatherineRachel’s alright, but I prefer Catherine by a lot.
I kinda feel like Rachel would suit me more if I were to have one of these names, though.
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CatherineCatherine has better nicknames and overall, it is a classic name that has stood the test of time. Rachel is more dated and religious, which puts me off a bit.
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Definitely Catherine. Rachel not terrible but. Bit meh.
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I love them both. My own name is a form of Catherine and I’ve loved Rachel since the first time I encountered it. If, by some miracle, my husband would agree to it, I’d name my daughter Rachel in a heartbeat. Or rather, Rakel. I think I enjoy Catherine slightly more at the moment but it feels like an almost impossible choice because I like them equally well.

This message was edited 11/28/2020, 1:24 PM

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CatherineI like both, but Catherine more, especially this spelling, due to association. Also I think Catherine sounds prettier.
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RachelOr Rachael I just don't like Catherine as a name. I like some variants and nicknames of Catherine (Katie, Katie, Kitty, Katalin, Katrina), but not Catherine. It's something I'd expect one of my school peers mother to be called. While I can see that for Rachel too, it's much less so and instead it lump it in with the 80s-era names like Jessica, Stephanie, Ashley, Roxanne etc Rachel is one of my least favorite of the Friends cast (just above Ross), but the name still reminds me of that show and the 90s fashionable Rachel which is mostly a good image (if we ignore a bit of a deep dive into her character that reveals how selfish she is but let's overlook that for now), Catherine by comparison is a bit idk "frumpy"? I'm not sure if that word is quite right but it's the best I've got right now lol
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RachelProbably just because I've liked the Rachels I've known, somewhat more than I've liked the Catherines.
I've known many people with each name. I don't love either name, but they are each pleasant.
I like Katherine more than Catherine.

This message was edited 11/28/2020, 1:10 PM

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Difficult. My preferred spelling is Katharine, but Catherine is a close second; however, all versions have been so popular for so long that I feel like a dog with water in its ears: I just want to shake my head and make them go away.Rachel, then. It's a good name. Don't like it being shortened to Ray, though: safer as a mn.
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No one has ever called me Ray, or Rae. I've heard people say this, but I personally don't think it's an issue.
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CatherineBecause I do.
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Hard one, but I think Rachel
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Rachel, I think...I positively hate Catherine, and Cathy is even worse.
Kate” is super cute, but doesn’t make much sense for a Catherine.
So, Rachel it is.
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Isn't Kate Middleton a Catherine?I could be wrong, but I think she is.
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Ya know, I think you’re totally right.
It still doesn’t make sense to me :)
As much as I hate “trendy” spellings and etc, if you’re Catherine, Cate makes more sense...
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How is Cate trendy? It's just like Kate but for Catherine instead of Katherine.
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It’s not really. It just is what comes to mind when I see Cate instead of Kate.
Kate is more Established, I think, than Cate, which puts me off of it.
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I think Cate is slightly more interesting. You don't see it as often.
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Apparently nobody ever calls her Kate: it just fitted more easily into newspaper headlines ...I was at school with a Catherine who started out being called Cathy, then switched to Kate, then to Cait, and finally settled on Catherine.
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Yes and Megan markle is rachel
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Sensible of her to use her mn: Rachel Markle is really silly.
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CatherineRachel is too plasticky. I have never known a nice Rachel. Catherine has so many possibilities.
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RachelMost people call me Rachel on the phone. I don’t understand the confusion between Rachel and my given name Rebecca but I like Rachel a lot anyway.
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As a child, I enjoyed the idea of a sibset of Ruth, Rachel and Rebecca! Mildly surprising for an atheistic eight-year-old. I still like them all, but the only one I'd actually use would be Ruth.
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RachelRachel Catherine would be a good combo.
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Rachel, of course.'Tis my name. Only, I spell it differently.
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Rachel ...It's less likely to be misspelled, and there's no chance of anyone ever thinking I wanted to be called Katie.
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