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[Opinions] Caro
WDYT of Caro for a girl? It's the name of Maggie Smith's character in The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (though I feel like I got it elsewhere), and I quite have an affinity for those pseudo-made up southern names (ie Clairee from Steel Magnolias). I feel like it sounds quite unlike Carol (because the "l" is often emphasized on that one), and has sort of a androgynous charm to it. Also: please no suggestions to use it as a nickname for Caroline. Carolyn I can do, but I go to college with so many Caroline's that it's on the Elizabeth/ Lauren/ Katherine status for me right now.
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It's a very Dutch name to me - it's unisex here, but it is far more often given to girls than boys. It has been on record here since at least 1941.A known bearer here is actress Caro Lenssen (b. 1983), daughter of actress Renée Soutendijk (b. 1957).
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Well all I was going to say is that I thought of it as a nn for Caroline years ago (I know I am not unique in this, I have since heard of it before) and it has been the name of a very minor character type person of mine ever since. I really like it, I think it has a sort of sweet quirkiness to it.But since you ask about it only as a name on its own, I don't know. If it had some sort of separate etymology I'd be more for it, or even if it were a more established nickname. But since it's neither of those things to my knowledge, it seems like just a random sound, which isn't my thing to use for a name. It sounds so close to Carol (in my accent... we cut off consonants a lot) that I think it would be confusing, as well as people probably assuming it's short for Caroline in the first place.
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I like it. Never read The Divine Secrets of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood, though... I bowled against a girl with the name in high school.
I like it a lot more than any of the similar/related names.

This message was edited 5/5/2012, 3:23 PM

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I'm afraid all I can think of is Karo Syrup.
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That association didn't dawn on me until about an hour after I posted this... but yes, it's pretty off putting for me too given that association.
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Ick I'm so sad to hear you compare Caroline to Lauren. And I know you don't want to hear it, but Caro's full name in the Ya-Ya sisterhood was Caroline. : /That said, I like Caro! I think it's cute. I don't like it on its own though - you'd have to find a full name. Carol is foul. How do you feel about Carolina?
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Aaaah Carolina... we have a complicated relationship. I LOVE it when it's pronounced the Spanish or Italian way (a la Carolina Herrera)... but no one in America is gonna say it that way unless they hear it that way right off the bat or are corrected. But yes, I suppose overall I like it.
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It seems outdated, not classic. Carrie would be classic.
It also looks incomplete, like it needs that l at the end. I think Carol is very pretty and in fact I think it has a less dated sound than Caroline.
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Hmm... interesting. I associate Caroline with the million and one 18-22 year old women I know who bear it, so it's much more of a classic for me. Carol is my 60+ aunt or Carol Burnett for me.
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the sound of Caroline is dated to me, not the name itself...Caroline is pretty common for young women now and Carol isn't, but the ine/een ending names seem dated by their sound: Adeline, Pauline, Janine, Caroline.
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are you in the South? You must be if you know a million and one Carolines.
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I am indeed :):D
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I noticed it in a recent UK BA - I've forgotten the combo but it was the middle name, and the BA explained that it honoured grandmother CarolaCarola was born in Roumania and there was a British writer called Carola Oman - I think Carola is pretty and deserves more attention.Is Caro pronounced to rhyme with pharoah, or is it like Caroline with the suffix lopped off? If the latter it reminds me of carrot and I would not use it.
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I know a woman who used to work in the drugstore for forever. Everybody calls her Karo (like the syrup) but her real name is Martha. I have no idea why they call her Karo, except she is morbidly obese and maybe drinks Karo syrup like water? lol
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