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Cornelius
I made a "check all you like" poll a couple days ago featuring 20 masculine names ending in -us, and I was surprised by how well Cornelius polled (Cyrus + Aurelius have the most votes so far, Darius is 2nd, and Cornelius is 3rd, with more votes than Marius, Cassius, Caius, Demetrius, Octavius, Ignatius, Nicodemus, Junius, Theseus, etc)...What are your thoughts on Cornelius? If you like it, why do you like it?I like it, but I also associate it with corniness, so it's mainly a GP for me.

This message was edited 10/9/2019, 12:02 AM

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I adore it! It's regal without being stuffy (though I love stuffy names). Perhaps the regality is tempered by the name's slight dorkiness (never a deterrent for me).
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That's a good description! Regal...and a little dorky. To me it's over-the-top in a fun way. It's also 100% Hello, Dolly!Yes, New York! It's really us -
Barnaby and Cornelius!
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Everybody's already said how much it reminds them of corn, so I won't go into that. But even if "corn" were simply a sound and not a foodstuff, I'd still hate it. It sounds like a yowling cat. And then it's followed by that heavy, awkward "EE" sound. The one that trained singers are taught not to pronounce fully (they hedge toward "ih" instead) because it sounds so unpleasant. It's funny, because I like that sound in some names, but not this one. It's just too harsh when it follows "corn".

This message was edited 10/9/2019, 12:28 PM

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I love Cornelia and Cornelius, and no, they never make me think of corn, although at this point I've heard that so many times, the names make me think of how they make other people think of corn. I think I came to love Cornelius first, because it's Neely Nolan's full name in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, so he's a lovable character from my tied-for-favorite book. Everyone loves Cordelia (I mean, not everyone, but a lot of name nerds do), and although Cordelia is pretty-sounding, it makes me think of Lear's daughter, and she makes me mad. I like Cornelia better because it's softer-sounding to me, and I associate it with cornflower blue. It's also Blair Waldorf's middle name on Gossip Girl, and she's fun.
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It's always been well used in Afrikaans families, as had Cornelia. I'm a bit tired of them both.
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I knew one in high school. He tried to go by Cory but has yet to escape the Corny nickname. It and most -ius names just seem pretentious to me for some reason (despite my love for Ignatius)
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I associate it with horns ... like unicorn. And with literal corn, like cornfields and corncobs. And (not sure where this came from) with a sort of hayseed-type early 20th century character. So I don't really like it. I'd like it better if it were prn cor-NELL-ius but alas, it's kneel.
I checked Cyrus, Marius, Darius, Ignatius, Caius, Cassius, and Liberius on your poll but my faves are Cyrus and Cassius.

This message was edited 10/9/2019, 1:15 AM

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I like Cornelius a lot, though the "corn" part isn't very pleasant. It sounds like a name a wizard or aristocrat would bear.
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Hi noel !!!!Cornelius is in my list but I'm sure I would not use it in real life. On a character for sure though.It is too heavy and has a a bit creepy vibe although it is Ancient Roman with a prosper meaning.I like Corneille, Cai, Kai, Cees.I much prefer Cornelia over it. That's a beautiful name for a girl!
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