We have had our hearts set on [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Sinclair[/name_u] (inspired by grandfather’s [name_m]Edward[/name_m] and [name_m]Clarence[/name_m]) for our first son, joining big sister [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f]. However, I had someone bring up the other day that [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] sentences [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] to death in [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m]'s play [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear (yikes!)….so it might not be a good choice. I am pretty heartbroken over this, and so am wondering….is this a true deal breaker? Should we choose something different? Honest opinions, please! Thank you so much!
I wouldn’t worry about it. Most people aren’t familiar enough with [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear to make the connection.
I am a literature grad who loves [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] and [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear. I read your heading and didn’t make the connection at all till I read your post. So, I’m saying not an issue at all. And even if someone did think of the connection it wouldn’t worry me. But really, it’s a rare person out there who even knows [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is from [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear.
Great names, and great siblings!
As an English major and teacher who can’t remember [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] in Lear, I would say it is SO not a deal-breaker!
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Sinclair[/name_u] is gorgeous, as is [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], as are the two together! Great choice!
[name_u]Leslie[/name_u]
Yet another English Lit major (specializing in Renaissance which meant a loooooooot of [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m]) saying it’s not a problem. His name is barely even mentioned in the play. 1. Most people aren’t familiar with [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear. 2. Most people will not remember this character, even if they do remember the play pretty well. 3. Most people who do remember the character will not know/remember/care that he is named [name_m]Edmund[/name_m].
I agree that it’s a little weird of an association, but only if you over-analyze it. Kind of like naming an second child [name_u]James[/name_u]. Does that mean he is supplanting your first baby? No.
I am much more apt to think of [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] and think [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] and then hear [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] and think [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Spenser[/name_u], and then think that you’re cool. 
Full disclosure, I instantly thought “oh, a [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear-themed sibset” but I didn’t think anything about the whole [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] sentencing [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] to death thing (possibly because [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] have like no interaction in the play—their plots are very separate. And for what it’s worth, he reverses his decision to have her killed, although it’s too late by then.) To me it just signifies that the names match in style.
And as previous posters said, most people won’t be aware of the association. I pretty much live and breathe [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] (I work at a classical theatre company), so I’m the exception. I’d also say that while [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] is pretty tied to Lear (or Lear and [name_f]Buffy[/name_f] the Vampire Slayer), [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] has a wide history of use and a lot of other famous bearers and associations. I wouldn’t call it a deal breaker at all.
I’m sure most people wouldn’t make the association, so I wouldn’t worry. They’re both beautiful names btw!
Only English teachers (here in the U.S.) have read [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear. Most people are sadly lacking in literary knowledge so I would not worry about people making rhat connection.
They sound fantastic together.
I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Sinclair[/name_u]! 
What an amazing name - so perfect!
I didn’t know about the [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] connection but personally it wouldn’t stop me using it. I hope you go for it, [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] has such a special place in my heart I love to hear it being used and the combination with [name_u]Sinclair[/name_u] is just gorgeous!
It’s not a deal breaker, however, if it’s something always coming to mind, it might end up bothering you more than anyone else.
I did pick up on the fact that both [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] are from [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear, but couldn’t remember the fact that [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] killed [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] in the end. I think a lot of people would have read it at school, which is where I read it, but who remembers that kind of thing from high school anyways? It seems like from this thread that a lot of people didn’t get the reference at all even if they’ve read [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear, so I wouldn’t worry about it.
Definitely not a deal breaker! Hardly anyone is going to make this connection, and if it is ever brought up, you can just laugh it off. They are both unusual but established names, not solely tied to [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear (especially [name_m]Edmund[/name_m], which reminds me initially of [name_u]Spenser[/name_u] and [name_f]Narnia[/name_f]), and they work so beautifully together. [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] [name_u]Sinclair[/name_u] is wonderful!
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Thank you to everyone for taking the time to offer their feedback and insight! It was wonderful hearing from some of the “experts” on [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m], and fun to learn a little bit more about the history of [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]! Cheers went up around our family room as I read all your advice to my husband and mom! You have restored my confidence!
[name_f]Cordelia[/name_f] pops up in ([name_m]Edmund[/name_m]) [name_u]Spenser[/name_u]'s The Fairie [name_f]Queen[/name_f], so there’s another link :).
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] doesn’t automatically make me think of a Shakespearean villain in the way that, for instance, Goneril, [name_m]Iago[/name_m], Shylock or [name_m]Caliban[/name_m] does (or even [name_m]Claudius[/name_m] or [name_f]Tamora[/name_f]). I think a sister called [name_u]Regan[/name_u] might be a bit much, but [name_m]Edmund[/name_m]'s fine. Besides, he redeems himself. And I have a bit of a soft spot for the villains, myself 
I think it’s more like calling your children [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f] and [name_m]Claudius[/name_m] or [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] - one name will trigger the [name_m]Shakespeare[/name_m] reference for many people, but the other name isn’t as tightly linked to the play. Of course, [name_m]Claudius[/name_m] and [name_f]Gertrude[/name_f] don’t cause [name_f]Ophelia[/name_f]'s death, but [name_m]Claudius[/name_m] is still ‘villainous’.
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] is probably my favourite boys name at the moment - I love Anglo-[name_m]Saxon[/name_m] history, the nickname ‘[name_m]Ned[/name_m]’, the fact that it’s familiar but not as common as [name_m]Edward[/name_m].
[name_m]Edmund[/name_m] makes me think of a whole bunch of Anglo-[name_m]Saxon[/name_m] people, especially kings. Mostly, I think of [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] the Martyr (the Anglo-[name_m]Saxon[/name_m] story of his death is pretty cool) and [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] Ironside (a warrior prince, and king for a while). I think a lot of people probably think of [name_f]Narnia[/name_f].
For [name_f]Cordelia[/name_f], I do think of [name_m]King[/name_m] Lear, but also of [name_m]Geoffrey[/name_m] of Monmouth’s account of her (in his version, she ruled as queen and fought in battles).
So, two warrior monarchs from history and myth. I think they match really well.