I like the name [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] way more than [name_f]Camelia[/name_f], but I want flower names for my characters, and while [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] looks close enough to camellia to be derived from it, I went to look up the name just to verify that that was the intended meaning of the name.
Nope! It means “young cult officiant.” Yikes. That definitely doesn’t fit the naming scheme I am going for. Does this happen to anyone else?
I don’t know, I might give the character a nickname like [name_f]Mila[/name_f] just to bridge the gap, but I am worried [name_f]Mila[/name_f] as a nickname for [name_f]Camelia[/name_f] will seem forced and unnatural.
There’s different meanings for [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] so I wouldn’t veto it out so quick in my opinion, I think [name_f]Mila[/name_f] works as a nn for [name_f]Camelia[/name_f], though other nn liek [name_u]Elia[/name_u] or [name_u]Mel[/name_u] would make more sense! The nn only as unnatural as the way you introduce it, I think if your worried you can maybe write your way around at and explain it “Her nn use to be [name_u]Elia[/name_u] but she found that too stuff so she declared herself a [name_f]Mila[/name_f]” sort of writing
I was coming to echo @acajou that the meaning of [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] is uncertain. [name_f]Camellia[/name_f] nn [name_f]Mila[/name_f] makes perfect sense to me!
Camilla is the name of a pre-[name_m]Roman[/name_m] princess and from everything I’ve found, its likely that it derives from an Etruscan origin, its meaning lost to time. [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] is also the feminine form of Camillus, which refers to a youthful (usually pre-pubescent) attendant who was employed in the religious rites of the Ancient [name_m]Roman[/name_m] religion; I can’t tell if the two are related but it may be likely. While [name_f]Camilla[/name_f]’s meaning may be unknown, I’ve always associated it with the princess in [name_m]Roman[/name_m] legend who was a skilled warrior and was so fast, she could run across the water without getting her feet wet, which is a pretty cool association in my mind.
The question between [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] and [name_f]Camelia[/name_f] may be a moot point however. [name_f]Camelia[/name_f] is the name of a flower but (like most flower names) it was named after a botanist, in this case [name_m]Georg[/name_m] [name_m]Joseph[/name_m] Kamel. While Kamel itself has a few different meanings depending on its origin, in this case it’s a Czech surname, a variant of [name_m]Kamil[/name_m] which is the Czech form of Camillus- so the name just goes back to [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] again. The only difference is the meaning people might associate between them, because [name_f]Camellia[/name_f] is obviously a flower name and if that’s what you’re looking for than [name_f]Camellia[/name_f] is the one for you. Personally, I’m a fan of [name_f]Camilla[/name_f].
I forgot to add- I don’t think the nickname [name_f]Mila[/name_f] for [name_f]Camelia[/name_f] is forced but if you’re worried about it, how about [name_f]Melia[/name_f], which is also the name of a genus of flowering trees as well as also being the Hawaiian name for the plumeria flower (also known as the frangipani). Other nicknames for [name_f]Camelia[/name_f] are [name_f]Cammy[/name_f]/Cammie (which I’ve always liked), [name_u]Cam[/name_u], or [name_f]Lia[/name_f].
Nah, [name_f]Mila[/name_f]’s pretty cute in my opinion! I love [name_f]Camelia[/name_f], and this happens a lot actually. It’s even in the novel I’m working on. I wouldn’t worry too much for now. I love [name_f]Mila[/name_f]! [name_f]My[/name_f] opinion would be to do it.