Message: "Clara" - Behind the Name

Clara

by Buneary

10/19/2013, 6:20 AM

This is my girlfriend's name. What do you think of it? What combo would you use?

(My GF is Clara Josefina.)

#Clara

Replies

- mirfak

10/21/2013, 9:35 AM

It's a very nice name, although I don't personally find it very appealing. The sound klahr doesn't rub me the right way, and I like Clara "Klayr-a" better. And Claire even more.

Clara Constance
Clara Lucinda
Clara Demetria
Clara Jane
Clara Estela

- Fiammetta (lady murasaki)

10/20/2013, 9:51 AM

It's nice, but overall I think I prefer Chiara.

- CN

10/20/2013, 6:06 AM

It's a really nice combo and in theory I should like Clara. But. I had a vicious hamster with red eyes named Clara when I was little and I just can't get passed that association.

- Anneza

10/20/2013, 1:18 AM

Pronounced KLAHra, I like it a lot. Pronounced like Clare + a, I find it silly; but I prefer Clare to Clara.

- Ana (clouds)

10/19/2013, 8:18 PM

I love it I love it I love it!!!!!

Clara is such a gorgeous name, one of my favourites. Clara Josefina is an awesome combo - your gf has a brilliant name!

I like the combo Clara Liv, if I was going to use it, but also Clara Lucy, Clara Juliet and Clara Lily. I say it like CLAHR-ra not CLAIR-ra.

- Eilis (Suibhne)

10/19/2013, 6:52 PM

It was my grandmother's middle name. :-) She was Evelyn Clara.

She used the English pronunciation but when I consider it otherwise I prefer it said KLAH-rah. I think it's very pretty that way.

- vigdis (guest)

10/19/2013, 6:36 PM

I've always disliked it.

Whiny, cranky and weak sounding.

- Just Jonquil

10/19/2013, 6:24 PM

If only I knew how to pronounce it!
clair-uh - yes, but clah-ruh makes me think of Hitler's mother!

- xPrincess27x

10/19/2013, 12:09 PM

I don't hate it, but I've never really liked the name. I'll always associate it with Doctor Who now though.

I was going to suggest Clara Josephine but then saw your section in brackets!

Clara Amelia
Clara Anastasia
Clara Beatrix
Clara Beryl
Clara Diamond
Clara Elizabeth
Clara Emily
Clara Harriet
Clara Ligeia
Clara Lucille
Clara Margaret
Clara Marilyn
Clara Melina
Clara Meredith
Clara Meryl
Clara Ottoline
Clara Raine
Clara Romilda
Clara Rosalba
Clara Roxana
Clara Simone
Clara Susanna

- blaaaarg (blaaarg) +3

10/19/2013, 9:24 AM

What a beautiful name. Your GF has awesome combo. It was Schumann's wife's name: Clara Josephine. I'm reading a book of his writings, and he LOVES HER SO MUCH that no one who reads it can think of it as anything but most beautiful name.

- oak (BBH) +2

10/19/2013, 9:43 AM

I'm currently writing a lengthy paper about Schumann and how his mental states (healthy versus not) can be heard in his music. Which book are you reading? Is it the one by Henry Pleasants, perchance?

- blaaaarg (blaaarg) +1

10/19/2013, 11:19 AM

No it's actually the one by Schumann! Music and Musicians. Not the collected "criticisms" and writings, but about half of them. Edited by someone named Fanny. It's incredible. I want to write up some quotes from it but everything is so good. If you can get ahold of it at a library I really recommend it - I didn't really understand the whole Florestan/Eusebius thing before reading some of these essays.

This message was edited 10/19/2013, 11:20 AM

- oak (BBH)

10/19/2013, 12:19 PM

Oh, thank you. I will add it to my list of sources!

- Billina

10/19/2013, 8:21 AM

It's a sweet name. Pale pink, like a sprig of wildflowers. Lovely.

I like your girlfriend's combo, but I would tweak it to Clara Josephine.

- Quill (QuillHeart)

10/19/2013, 8:18 AM

I like it. I much prefer it over Claire/Clare/Klara.
I like Josefina, but I prefer Josephine. It does make for a nice combo with Clara though.

Clara Florence
Clara Jane
Clara Juniper
Clara Parthenope
Clara Seraphine

- Gracie (guest)

10/19/2013, 8:00 AM

I really like the name Clara and pretty much all forms of the name, Clare, Claire, Chiara, and Klara.

Clara Josefina is a gorgeous combo. I had never known the Portuguese pronunciation of Josefina til now.

I think I would go with Clara Isabel or Clara Juliet off the top of my head.

- insane romantic

10/19/2013, 7:38 AM

I think Clara is a beautiful name and Clara Josefina is a lovely combo!

Clara combos I like:
Clara Penelope
Clara Melisande
Clara Juniper
Clara Emmeline
Clara Melody
Clara Rosemary

- LMS +5

10/19/2013, 6:26 AM

Your girlfriend has a great name. I like it.

I like Clara but I don't like it much as a first name because I'm afraid people would shorten it to Clare, which I don't like. Do you find that happens with your gf?

I think Clara Josephine would be my first choice, but what about:

Clara Sophia
Clara Lillian
Clara Jane
Clara Margot
Clara Susannah
Clara Sylvie
Clara Therese
Clara Theodora

- Amphelise (Chrisell) +3

10/20/2013, 1:13 AM

It couldn't be shortened to Clare in most countries. The North American dialects are almost unique in pronouncing the first 'a' in -ara names as 'air', eg Sara as SAIR-uh, Tara as TAIR-uh etc.

Everywhere else, that first 'a' is pronounced 'ah'. SAH-ra, TAH-ra, CLAH-ra.

This message was edited 10/20/2013, 1:14 AM

- Fiammetta (lady murasaki)

10/20/2013, 9:53 AM

yep

There would be no reason for Clara to become Clare in a country that speaks a Latin language.

- Anneza +1

10/20/2013, 1:21 AM

True; but I once met a British couple (he was a diplomat!) who couldn't decide between Clare and Sarah for their new daughter so they merged them into CLAREa. She was a bad-tempered little girl; probably a coincidence. I was so startled that I decided not to ask them the spelling!

- blaaaarg (blaaarg)

10/20/2013, 12:11 PM

Interesting. Here that name would just be... Clara.

- Buneary

10/19/2013, 6:35 AM

No.

We live in Brazil. Clara is the standard Portuguese form. I've never heard Clare used here. (Still, we do sometimes use English names - non-Portuguese names are very common in Brazil due to our nation's history of immigration.)

This message was edited 10/19/2013, 6:37 AM

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