We are expecting our third baby and are trying to come up with a girls name. I have always loved the name [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] (I decided in 7th grade after seeing [name_u]Les[/name_u] Miserables that I would have a baby girl named [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] someday and I haven’t tired of the name since…) but my husband thinks it is too [name_m]French[/name_m] and would sound crazy. He could be right. Our last name is Scandinavian, we live in a small rural community where people name their babies names not favored on Nameberry, our other two children are named [name_f]Corinne[/name_f] and [name_u]August[/name_u]. Is [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] doable? For us? Thank you for your help!
[name_f]Cosette[/name_f] is cute. If you’ve managed [name_f]Corinne[/name_f] and [name_u]August[/name_u] in the town you describe, [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] isn’t terribly far off. I might advise caution though. The meaning is not inspirational (although the literary connection is, to balance it out), and as a [name_m]French[/name_m] name that starts with Co it feels somewhat matchy to [name_f]Corinne[/name_f]. When I first started reading your post I wanted to suggest [name_f]Colette[/name_f] or [name_f]Cosima[/name_f] but [name_f]Corinne[/name_f] gives me pause for them too (especially [name_f]Colette[/name_f]). I don’t think it has to be off the table if you love it more than anything else, but if your husband’s reservations are really strong and the reservations you mention yourself and all these do seem like a lot (after all, you didn’t use it for [name_f]Corinne[/name_f]?), maybe consider it a middle name option?
What is it about [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] you love? Besides moving it to the middle could you use a name that evokes something about it? Some thoughts beyond [name_f]Colette[/name_f] and [name_f]Cosima[/name_f]:
[name_f]Celeste[/name_f]
[name_f]Juliette[/name_f]
[name_f]Lisette[/name_f]
[name_f]Odette[/name_f]
[name_f]Yvette[/name_f]
Congratulations on your expected bundle of joy! [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] is a lovely, poetic sounding name. It makes me think of “[name_f]Rosette[/name_f]” and flowers in general. Though a [name_m]French[/name_m] name, it conjures up Italian images for me as well, I think because it sounds a fair bit like the island of [name_f]Corsica[/name_f], which is off the Mediterranean coast of both countries.
I don’t think that you should let your location dictate what you name your baby. Ultimately, if you and your husband love it, that’s what matters. No matter where you go in this world, there will always be folks at the ready to judge about anything. Follow your heart, especially if you’ve loved this name for so very long.
PS I think that combination of [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] and [name_u]August[/name_u] sound lovely together. My only reservation is that [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] does sound a fair bit like your other daughter’s name, [name_f]Corinne[/name_f] already, which could be seen as a negative or a positive, depending on how different (or similar) you like your kid’s names to be from one another.
I agree with the two previous posters. I wouldn’t use it because of the similarity to the sibling name, but if you love a name sometimes that is what ends up being most important.
[name_f]Cosette[/name_f] was never intended to be a name. [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m] made it up as a pet name for the character Euphrasie. Like [name_f]Eponine[/name_f], I got the impression it was supposed to be rather trashy. It literally means ‘little thing’.
Thank you all for your replies. Maybe [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] isn’t the name for us, we will have to keep thinking about it. Jesba, thank you for the name suggestions. [name_f]Every[/name_f] name you mentioned is actually already on my favorites list:)
[name_f]Cosette[/name_f] is TOO “little thing” to me - all I can hear is the meaning of it, a dismissive name they called a little girl who wasn’t cared for. It’s also a bit close to the lovely [name_f]Corinne[/name_f]. But I do think an -ette name might be really nice with your other names! [name_f]Collette[/name_f] and [name_f]Claudette[/name_f] are gorgeous but maybe too close to [name_f]Corinne[/name_f]. [name_f]Lisette[/name_f], [name_f]Josette[/name_f], [name_f]Juliette[/name_f], [name_f]Laurette[/name_f], [name_f]Minette[/name_f], [name_f]Musette[/name_f], [name_f]Violette[/name_f]?
Wasn’t [name_f]Cosette[/name_f]'s real name Euphrasie? That’s to die for. But if you’re worried about your kids sticking out that seems like a no-go.
I will say that possibly a lot of people don’t hear “little thing,” and [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] does have a pretty sound and is easy to pronounce.
[name_f]Cosette[/name_f] is a beautiful name, but I have a hard time imagining on a real person because I associate it 100% with [name_u]Les[/name_u] Miserables. I also agree with those saying [name_f]Cosette[/name_f] might be too similar to [name_f]Corinne[/name_f]. But if you love it enough, I think you should go for it!
[name_f]Josette[/name_f] NN [name_u]Josie[/name_u]??
[name_f]Cosette[/name_f] is lovely, easy to pronounce and familiar. I don’t see a problem with using it. If you think it too close to [name_f]Corinne[/name_f], put it in the middle spot.