I recently discoverd the name [name_f]Claudie[/name_f]. I really like this form of [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] but the problem is the meaning. [name_f]Claudia[/name_f]/[name_m]Claudius[/name_m] means Lame. What i dont understand is that there are alot of historical and even some biblical figures with this name. Why is this name used so often when the meaning appears tot be so bad?
[name_f]Do[/name_f] any of you know some stories that put a positive spin on these names and their meaning?
I agree with PP. Some names just sound great and therefore they’re used despite their meaning - equally, its history could also outweigh some of the meaning.
There are lots of names with ‘bad’ or less desirable meanings - [name_u]Tristan[/name_u] means noisy or sorrowful, [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] means blind, [name_m]Paul[/name_m] means small and [name_u]Cameron[/name_u] means crooked nose. I guess their sounds outweigh their meanings.
In terms of putting a positive spin on [name_f]Claudia[/name_f]:
There was a [name_m]Saint[/name_m] [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] Saint Claudia - Wikipedia
[name_f]Claudia[/name_f] Muzio - an operative soprano - one of the most successful in the early 20th century
Here’s a whole list of Claudias that might help you find one that’s inspiring
Thanks #Greyblue. The story of [name_m]Saint[/name_m] [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] does improve the image.
#kgf.plie I suppose you’re right. [name_m]Just[/name_m] usually common (and biblical) names have a more positive meaning. Therefore i thought that maybe i missed something.
I can’t for the life of me find the original source, but I remember reading an article about how names like [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] and [name_f]Cecilia[/name_f] (“blind”) were once used as part of a superstition. The thought was that using a name that meant something good was a sort of temptation to karma- that if you named your child something that meant “strong” or “beautiful” they would end up weak or ugly. So parents took to naming their children things with negative meanings in hopes that it would ward off the bad luck. Eventually, the meanings and superstition were forgotten, but the names were widespread and lovely enough that parents continued to use them.
I’ll keep looking for the source and update you if I find it!
Random, semi off topic story: My aunt was almost a [name_f]Claudia[/name_f], but when she was born my Grandma decided she was more of a [name_f]Janet[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f].
I wouldn’t let the meaning of the name discourage you from using it–I actually really like [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] and would be thrilled to hear it on a child.
I’d say that so much time has passed since the name [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] was first recorded that it’s impossible for us to know for sure what the original meaning was. After doing a little reading, I found that the Ancient [name_m]Roman[/name_m] gens (family) [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] were said to be of [name_f]Sabine[/name_f] origin, so the name may have arisen in the [name_f]Sabine[/name_f] language, rather than Latin (the Sabines were an ancient Italian ethnic group). Perhaps the “lame” meaning is the result of an incorrect assumption that the name has a Latin origin.
In any case, nowadays a name’s sound, family connections and religious significance tend to be given more weight than its literal meaning, at least in Western countries.
@katinka–it made me chuckle, too, when my grandma told me that story! This is kind of exactly why I don’t get how people can wait until the baby is born to name him/her. In retrospect, she’s a [name_f]Janet[/name_f] [name_f]Sue[/name_f], but she could have just as easily been a [name_f]Claudia[/name_f]! Babies don’t look like themselves except for a little bit of resemblance in retrospect, anyway…
I hate hate hate!!! [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] because I think it sounds really ugly and in my country it’s considered a grandma name but unfortunately it’s coming back into style but I’m glad I’m not the only one that dislikes that name. Some names that sound better than [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] are:
[name_f]Clothilde[/name_f], Clotille, [name_f]Clodagh[/name_f] and [name_f]Cliona[/name_f].
I love [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] and I have the same internal dilemma about the meaning, since otherwise I tend to invest a lot into positive meanings. Still, something about [name_f]Claudia[/name_f] makes me think of an independent young woman who owns a restaurant or bakery in some mediterranean, cobblestoned street. It’s strong and attractive.
Whenever I think of [name_f]Claudia[/name_f], I think of my favorite Babysitter’s Club member! Am I dating myself? I always associated with her in her creativity and innovative thinking - she was the paradigm of a girl who wasn’t academically strong, but shone in areas of art, creativity and thinking out-of-the-box.
