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Julia

Carolina, because it sounds more exotic.

I don't much like either one, though I'd readily use Juliet as a mn (to avoid the inevitable nn Julie) and I did name my first daughter Caroline. So, in your place, I'd consider the probable nns each one would attract and then decide which you preferred.

I would go with Julia. It is beautiful and classic.

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Carolina is not terrible but I just like Julia better. Also, your daughter will always be correcting people regarding pronunciation.

I really like both names! I would pick Julia because it's shorter. -ia is also more pleasant to my ear than -ina which for some reason sounds kind of whiny to me. I don't think it's dated, even though it's gone through small waves of popularity, compared to other names it's very constant.

I'm more inclined to say Carolina suits better than Julia and, to me, your pronunciation of Carolina is the best one. Plus, it's not that commonly used, which can serve as an advantage.

I prefer Julia. It is classic and user friendly whereas Carolina just seems a bit too much.

I prefer Juliana. It is like a hybrid.

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Or Giulia.

Julia. Carolina pronounced that way will cause endless headaches. I like Julia more anyway. It's not dated. If it were Julia vs Caroline, it would be a closer contest.

I prefer Julia (I just like the sound more), but I think Carolina would be a nice choice, too.

In my opinion Carolina is just as international as Julia. Julia is pronounced differently in many other countries whereas Carolina would usually be pronounced the same so I would even say that Carolina is more international. I mean sure, Carolina can be pronounced like the state in english speaking countries, but my guess is that most people would pronounce it like you do and in non english speaking countries the pronunciation should be the same in all I can think of right now whereas Julia can be JOO-lee-a, JOOL-ya, YOOL-ya, YOO-lee-ah as well as the French and Spanish pronunciation which are different but I can't really explain them very well.

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Julia is a lot more common in many countries and even sort of dated in some (classic names can sound dated too for example Amanda, Stephanie, Laura etc. in the US).

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Still I prefer Julia for several reasons. First of all I prefer the meaning. 'Free man' is a good meaning but I always thought that meaning was kind of weird on a girl. It isn't a big deal but I care about meanings and I always think of this when I hear the name. I also prefer the sound and the nicknames. Julie is cute, Carrie is dated and I strongly dislike Caro. Carolina has four syllables so many people will try to shorten it. So you should ask yourself whether you like any of its nicknames. I personally don't care at all for Carrie, Caro or Lina.

This message was edited 11/15/2016, 3:33 PM