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[Opinions] Cora
I'm loving this one more and more. I think it's bound to gain popularity. What do you think? Would you consider it? What middle name would you pair with it?I think my admiration for the name was sparked by the mother character in Downton Abbey, which is probably my new favorite show in the world.

This message was edited 2/14/2011, 10:46 AM

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I do like Cora, I think it is simple and sweet. For some reason, it reminds me of the name Coral, which is also kind of cute, though a much more awesome branch-off of Coral is Coraline :-)
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I do like Cora but I can definitely see it rising in popularity. I do love Coretta though.... If Cora isn't "black" enough for you ;) :P
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I'm kind of surprised it hasn't gained more popularity lately... I vastly prefer its femininity and simplicity it to some of the trendy names, and for an "old fashioned" name, it doesn't seem too stuffy.I I associate it with one of the daughters in The Last of the Mohicans.... Also, I recall that in the newer Hugh Grant/Drew Barrymore movie Music and Lyrics, the young Britney-esque pop star of the film is named Cora.

This message was edited 2/14/2011, 6:16 PM

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I like it. It's simple and sweet. I'd probably consider it along with Coral and Coralie. I'm not quite sure which of the three I like the best. Cora Juniper
Cora Margaret
Cora Madeleine
Cora Thomasina
Cora Helene
Cora Berenice
Cora Beatrix
Cora Elowen
Cora Isabel
Cora ArianeDo you like any?
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My friends daughter is named Cora Josephine. I think she's 3 or 4
I really like the name though =]
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I love Cora, I think it's so sweet. I do think it will gain popularity, considering the current trends.
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I too think it's going to catch fire soon. It's on the same wavelegth as Emma, Norah, Ava and other gently old fashioned stars. I'm not sure if this is just a my-family thing though, but all my relatives call Cora "a black name". Like not in a bad way, just... they associate the name with African-American people. The way most people would say Jamal is "a black name", I guess. I would totally consider it. I personally think it would look good on any person. I once got the random combo of Cora Rachel on name genie and I really liked that, despite not liking Rachel at all usually. It just seems so warm and kind. I also like Cora Marianne, which makes the names sparkle.
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That's odd. WHen I think of "Cora", I think of a blond or a very pale brunette. *shrug*
I like Cora Rachel-- both names are very simple, and they look pretty as a combo.
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That's really interesting. I suppose it depends on one's frame of reference. I've never known a Cora, period, so to me, it's a completely blank slate. She could be anyone from any walk of life. My ggm was Cora (white, btw) but that doesn't count since I never knew her.
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It's very cute. It's not "black" in my mind (something like Aretha is a "black name") in my mind. And I suppose Coretta sort of is, possibly because of Martin Luther King's wife.I agree with you Cora could get caught up in the "old-fashioned" trend.Oops, btw I thought for some reason this was the OP, I guess I'm tired :)

This message was edited 2/14/2011, 11:53 AM

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I am a little offended.I know many black people with normal names that white people DO use. Not just Aretha (I doubt there's many people with that name besides the singer) and Coretta (again, not many people besides MLK's wife), and definitely not just LaKeisha and Shaniqua.For example: Ella, which is probably most popular with white girls. Famous black bearer: Ella Fitzgerald.Just because you've only heard of black people with names that white people don't use doesn't mean that all black people have such names.

This message was edited 2/14/2011, 2:33 PM

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I know many black people with normal names that white people DO use. Emphasis mine, of course. I fully admit I'm nitpicking here, but isn't it also offensive to say that so-called black names aren't "normal"? That only the white ones are? The names black people use are plenty normal to them.

This message was edited 2/15/2011, 2:54 PM

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They're normal to me, too. Especially if names like Ayden, Emmaleigh, and Alyvia are supposed to be "normal" =P

This message was edited 2/15/2011, 3:02 PM

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Even when I hear a name like Shaniqua or Lakeisha, I hardly take notice. Names like that have been used for quite some time, now.
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So have names like Kayla, and Alyssa! =)
People just don't notice ... and I don't mean you, I never really thought about it before either but I think there is a certain stereotypically white style of creativity, too.

This message was edited 2/15/2011, 11:58 PM

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Oh, there is. I work in a high school, and I come across plenty of names that would fit a stereotype for any race. And when you get down to it, they're all "normal."
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jeez, I only meant it as a mental associationIt's like saying "Ingrid is a Swedish name in my mind" even though it's used by plenty of people who aren't remotely Swedish. I never said that certain names couldn't be used by whites because they too associated with usage by blacks or whatever.It is really necessary to be so PC at all times?

This message was edited 2/15/2011, 12:21 AM

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I don't think Chloe was at all implying that all black people have only "black" names or that any name necessarily belongs to any one race but as Kitty mentioned we all have our own associations. Octavia and Renata were the only girls I had ever known with those names so, for a long time they seemed to me like "black" names. I now think both names are completely gorgeous and even though I still have the same associations for them, I also wouldn't hesitate to use them. Coretta Scott King is the only Coretta I've EVER heard of yet Coretta is one of my TOP names.Also, it goes both ways. I have a friend named Chandra who often got told, by black girls, that she had a "black" name. I also don't think referencing a name as being "black" or "white" or whatever, is always a bad thing. There are a few of my favorite boys names that my bf has said he likes but isn't sure a white guy could pull off - somehow to him Whitney and Sidney sound a bit girly on a white guy but suave on a black guy

This message was edited 2/14/2011, 10:21 PM

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I understand what you mean. It's one thing to imagine a charactor with a name and another thing to pass off a name as "belonging" to a particular color of people.
Especially since, in my history of loving names (undisclosed number of decades), something being called a "black name" has never been considered a good thing by the person saying it. Ever.
In this case, it seems that it's less about the actual opinion and more about using language that some ignorant people also use. I AM NOT SAYING ANYONE HERE IS IGNORANT! (for the record) Anyone can have a bad choice of words... happens to me WAYYYY too often! ;-)That being said, I don't think New Chloe meant anything negative by it, I think she was actually saying that she disagreed with her family's opinion.
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Just because you've only heard of black people with names that white people don't use doesn't mean that all black people have such names.Of course not, and nobody has said that or meant to imply it. I think for Chloe's family, perhaps they just associate Cora with certain people as it is used largely by them in their experience. We all have associations, right?I'm Australian, and being a name nerd I know that certain names are more popular in the indigenous community than the non-indigenous community here. Thus, I can sometimes hear a name like XYZ think 'indigenous name.' This doesn't extend to my thinking that all people named XYZ are indigenous or that it should not or could not be used on a non-indigenous child. As a side-note: Ella Fitzgerald can't be traced back as the reason for Ella and -Ella names being popular, whereas Aretha Franklin definitely influenced her name's rise up the charts for a short time.

This message was edited 2/14/2011, 6:20 PM

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I don't think they meant to offend anyone(m)Unfortunately, the way society and mass media portray races implants the idea that certain names seem to only fit with certain races. Like how certain fashion trends and clothing are associated with different cultures, ethnicities, etc.
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oh no certainly notNever meant to offend. In fact I don't agree with my family on the matter of Cora at all - I have no clue why to them it is a "black" name.
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:-)
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I never used to care for Cora, but now I know the most delightful 10-year-old Cora and so the association has bumped the name way up in my opinion. Cora Belle
Cora Beth - maybe some people think Beth is filler, but I really enjoy it as a fn or mn.
Cora Cecile (nn CC) - oh wow, alliteration without sounding silly! I love it.
Cora Genevieve
Cora Guinevere
Cora Henriette
Cora Josephine (nn CJ?)
Cora Louise
Cora Lucille
Cora Suzanne
Cora Winifred - oooo!
Like any?Do you happen to like Cora for a nickname? Some longer name possibilities:
Coralie
Cordelia
Coretta
CorinaAnd just for fun:
Cordelia Marion
Cordelia Maeve
Coretta Pearl
Coretta Frances
Coretta Felicity
Corina Mabel
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