Camilla/Camila or Cara?

I’m divided between both names, and I’m posting to ask for honest opinions and any possible associations, besides [name_f]Camila[/name_f] Cabello and [name_f]Cara[/name_f] Delevingne. I’d pronounce [name_f]Camilla[/name_f]/Camila ‘ca-MEEL-ah’ and [name_f]Cara[/name_f] ‘car-uh.’ Which name do you prefer and why? I’m not fussed about nicknames and popularity. However, I do want something feminine, elegant and timeless that’d work just as well on a baby and an adult, which honours her Italian heritage. Either way, possible middle names would be: [name_u]Alexis[/name_u], [name_f]Lorelai[/name_f] or [name_f]Michelle[/name_f].

Thank you! :purple_heart:

I personally prefer [name_f]Cara[/name_f] because I tend to like as few frills as possible, but “feminine, elegant and timeless that’d work just as well on a baby and an adult, which honours her Italian heritage” is [name_f]Camila[/name_f] all the way.

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I find [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] very pretty :slight_smile: [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] [name_u]Parker[/name_u] Bowles is an association, but it’s doubtful if she’s a good, bad or neutral association - not my favourite person tbh

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Cara to me feels a bit dated, more of a 90s name. I find [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] much prettier and fresher

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Cara is sweet and lively

Camilla I’d pronounce Cuh-mill-uh so I’d go with the [name_f]Camila[/name_f] spelling - elegant and fresh

Cara is my favourite

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I agree with @Greyblue [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] is cam-ill-uh

So if you want Ca-Meel-uh go for [name_f]Camila[/name_f] or there’s the option of [name_f]Camellia[/name_f]

I also like [name_f]Cara[/name_f] so it just depends what you prefer

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Cara is my favourite. Such a simple and pretty name, timeless and international.

Camila is lovely too. Quite a bit more popular in the US, but for good reason! I agree that for your pronunciation, I’d stick with the single L spelling.

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[name_f]My[/name_f] choice for you would be [name_f]Camila[/name_f].

[name_f]Cara[/name_f] is nice, but I don’t think it fits this description as well.

[name_f]Camilla[/name_f] is pretty, but for the pronunciation you want, I would go with [name_f]Camila[/name_f]; [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] could be mispronounced as either Ca-mee-yuh (in Spanish) or Ca-mill-uh.

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[name_f]Camilla[/name_f]/ [name_f]Camila[/name_f] would be perfect for that! [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] [name_f]Michelle[/name_f] is my favorite combo with your middle names. [name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps!

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May I ask which part of the description you think fits [name_f]Camila[/name_f] better than [name_f]Cara[/name_f]? I’d agree that [name_f]Camila[/name_f] sounds more feminine than [name_f]Cara[/name_f], but I was wondering if anything else fit too. I’m conflicted because I like the simplicity and few frills of [name_f]Cara[/name_f], because I think it holds its own elegance, but I also want it to be a little expressive, hence [name_f]Camila[/name_f].

I don’t mind that association even though I’m likely to hear it often among adults. I doubt children her age would care. Thanks for your input!

@Greyblue, @Etymology and @katinka, I’d go with ‘[name_f]Camila[/name_f]’ then, thank you for pointing that out! I much prefer that pronunciation and it’d be an unnecessary hassle to correct people if I added another ‘l’ in.

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Personally I love [name_f]Cara[/name_f]! It feels feminine, goes well with all of your middle names, and is overall just a very pretty name. I think she’ll be able to grow with it and I’m not sure about others but I know a lot of [name_f]Camila[/name_f]’s and not very many [name_f]Cara[/name_f]’s, so she’ll be her own person! Good luck with the baby <3

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I personally prefer [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] or [name_f]Camila[/name_f], although it being spelled [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] would make me more inclined to say it “cuh-mill-uh” rather than “cuh-meel-uh”. No other associations that haven’t already been mentioned come to mind for either of these names, but they’re both nice names!

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Thank you! :heart: That’s a good point, I wasn’t bothered about popularity but that fact that she’d be one of fewer Caras than Camilas is definitely something to consider.

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Cara is definitely feminine and elegant in its own way! And it does work well for both a baby and adult.

I think I run into problems with “timeless” and “Italian.” I think of [name_f]Cara[/name_f] primarily as an Irish name meaning “friend” more than an Italian name meaning “dear,” though of course it is both. [name_f]Camila[/name_f] just feels more solidly associated with the Romance languages.

Cara/Kara also had a peak in popularity in the US a few decades ago, so it feels just a tiny bit dated compared to [name_f]Camila[/name_f], which is super current here.

But again, I personally prefer [name_f]Cara[/name_f]! I really think you can’t go wrong with either.

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Thanks for your reply and explanation! That makes sense, I’m used to [name_f]Cara[/name_f] as an Italian name because I hear it often but I see where you’re coming from. Name trends are tricky because they change so unexpectedly. I try not to fuss over popularity for that reason but I guess [name_f]Cara[/name_f] being a little dated gives it an advantage in that way too, although I’d agree with the sentiment that [name_f]Camila[/name_f] sounds fresher.

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[name_f]Cara[/name_f] is beautiful too, just in a different way. It is simple, stronger, yet still feminine. I believe it is important to pay attention to the reactions that other people’s comments elicit in you. For example, if positive comments about [name_f]Cara[/name_f] makes you happier than positive comments about [name_f]Camila[/name_f] (or vice-versa), then you will know which name really feels right.

The name you pick will be everything you want for your little one (feminine, elegant, timeless, Italian vibe), because you will pick it with those reasons in mind :slightly_smiling_face:

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My favourite is [name_f]Camila[/name_f] (which I would pronounce ca MEEL ah) think this name is so pretty and romantic sounding. I think [name_f]Camilla[/name_f] (which I would pronounce cuh mill uh) and [name_f]Cara[/name_f] are pretty but there’s just something special about [name_f]Camila[/name_f] which makes me love this name more. I really like the idea of [name_f]Camila[/name_f] [name_f]Lorelei[/name_f]

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I prefer [name_f]Cara[/name_f], I think it’s pretty and I associate it with the meaning ‘beloved one’ which is nice.

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