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I'm the opposite. I love Robert--if it didn't sound 'off' with my last name, I would probably have named my son Robert--but I dislike Leona. All I can think of is the late Leona Helmsley, "Queen of Mean" and committer of tax fraud. It just feels like a sour, beady-eyed, old lady name to me, rather than a classic that is ready for revival.

I agree with you. I don't think there is anything wrong with Robert, but I just have a bad impression from a weird kid I know. I think Leona is sweet but spunky and altogether lovely.

I am irrationally fond of Leona because it is my mother's name.

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However, it's interesting to see it called a "classic". I don't think Leona was in use in English speaking countries before the latter half of the 19th century. I guess to me to call a name "classic" it has to have been in regular use for at least three or four centuries. :)

I used to know an absolutely darling girl called Leona, so that has nothing but good associations from me.

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I also love Robert. It's a family name for me, and I have an uncle called Robert, so it also has good associations.

I'd have to say that I love them both. Leona is beautiful with the added benefit of being a name that would totally catch me off guard--it's not one that I really expect to see people using. And Robert's a classic, which I like. I like it much more now that I've actually met people who go by the full name as opposed to Rob or Bob; the whole name has a good sound to it that you don't hear all the time.

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I'd probably like them just as much if the tables were turned and they were considering Roberta and Leon, too. :-)

Don't like either.

Leona is lovely. It's beautiful and classic, but still uncommon.

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Robert is OK. I'm not crazy about it either, but it's not horrible or anything.