I’ve decided to get some fresh opinions on my favorite names, to hopefully revitalize my own love for them. I’ve been feeling so bored with them recently!
So, the first one is [name]Cordelia[/name]!
“From Cordeilla, possibly a Celtic name of unknown meaning. According to [name]Geoffrey[/name] of Monmouth, Cordeilla was the youngest of the three daughters of [name]King[/name] Lear and the only one to remain loyal to her father. When adapting the character for his play ‘[name]King[/name] Lear’ (1606), [name]Shakespeare[/name] altered the spelling to [name]Cordelia[/name].”
"[name]Cordelia[/name], the name of [name]King[/name] Lear’s one sympathetic daughter, has style and substance, and is exactly the kind of old-fashioned, grown-up name that many parents are seeking today. If you’re torn between [name]Cordelia[/name] and the equally lovely [name]Cora[/name], you can always choose [name]Cordelia[/name] for long and then call her [name]Cora[/name] for short – or [name]Delia[/name], [name]Lia[/name], [name]Del[/name], or even the extremely different [name]Cory[/name].
[name]Cordelia[/name] also appeared in [name]Evelyn[/name] Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, and was more recently promoted by a character on both [name]Buffy[/name] the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off [name]Angel[/name]."
It’s hasn’t been in the US top 1000 since 1950.
So, what do you think? You can talk about the name itself and associations, make up your perfect [name]Cordelia[/name] combo or even give names for her siblings. Whatever you are interested it!
My soon to be expected twin girl is going to be [name]Cordelia[/name] Janemarie. She will be joining [name]Conor[/name] and her twin brother [name]Cormac[/name]. It didn’t start out For this reason, but it turns out that we will have two Kings and a [name]Queen[/name]!
Here’s what I learned through various researching over the last 4 or 5 months. I put this together a while back, luckily…because I’ve had to copy and paste it quite a few times to various friends/family when they ask about the name:
Conchobhar ([name]Conor[/name]) MacNessa was the [name]King[/name] of Ulster. And, [name]Cormac[/name] [name]Mac[/name] Airt was probably the most famous of the ancient High Kings of [name]Ireland[/name]. [name]Cordelia[/name] is also a name that I’ve had an attachment to, since I first heard it in “[name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables”, that’s what she wanted to be called. It’s not an Irish Gaelic name (like [name]Conor[/name] and [name]Cormac[/name]), but is thought to be derived from Welsh Gaelic.
Also, [name]Queen[/name] [name]Cordelia[/name]/Cordeilla/Creiryddlydd was a legendary (and real) [name]Queen[/name] of the Britons, as recounted by [name]Geoffrey[/name] of Monmouth. She was the youngest daughter of the actual [name]King[/name] Leir (who “[name]King[/name] Lear” was based on), and the second ruling queen of pre-[name]Roman[/name] [name]Britain[/name]. [name]Geoffrey[/name] of Monmouth’s account is the only one that can be found that actually names her as a real [name]Queen[/name], but he is looked at as a very respected historian of his time, so most historians recognize his account.
[name]Shakespeare[/name] is credited with coining the current spelling, and is thought to have based the name [name]Cordelia[/name] on Cordeilla (Creiryddlydd - daughter of the sea), a Celtic name of legend. A book that he got the name “Lear” from (as an alternative to Leir) also contained the name “[name]Cordelia[/name]”, but as a misprint of Cordeilla. So, basically it’s thought that he unknowingly recopied a misprint from a monk and it became the chosen spelling/pronunciation, based on his work. The book he found the names in was “Holinshed’s Chronicles” (1577).
After telling my mother of our name choice she said that there is at least one [name]Cordelia[/name] in our family tree and thought to be another. The ancestor that was thought to also be named [name]Cordelia[/name] was only known as Aunt Deelee.
“[name]Anne[/name]” in [name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables wished her name was [name]Cordelia[/name].
[name]Cordelia[/name] [name]Chase[/name], a fictional character in the television series [name]Buffy[/name] the Vampire Slayer and [name]Angel[/name] the Series.
[name]Cordelia[/name], [name]Sebastian[/name]‘s youngest sister in the novel Brideshead Revisited by [name]Evelyn[/name] Waugh.
[name]Cordelia[/name] [name]Gray[/name], the detective in PD [name]James[/name]’ mystery novels and movies.
[name]Cordelia[/name] is also the title of a novel by [name]Winston[/name] [name]Graham[/name], published in 1949.
[name]Cordelia[/name] Naismith Vorkosigan of [name]Lois[/name] McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan novels is a soldier, scientist, wife and mother, and generally just a wise and courageous person.
[name]Cordelia[/name] is a moon of Uranus.
2758 [name]Cordelia[/name], is an asteroid.
There is a genus of butterflies named [name]Cordelia[/name].
Also, here’s a link to a survey taken from people actually named Cordelia about what it’s like.
Wow cool. Thank you! I had no idea abut the moon, Asteroid or butterfly genus Cordelias. You’ve obviously done your research.
When you have your little girl, it will be the third time I’ve heard of a new baby [name]Cordelia[/name] recently. I know a three year old and an almost two year old with the name, so hopefully it wont come across as completely out there if I do use it. If my son had been a boy, he was most likely going to be [name]Cordelia[/name].
I love [name]Cordelia[/name] - the sound, the meaning. It’s gorgeous, classic and yet distinct and unusual.
I think I love it even more now, after reading what thompssn had to say about it! I don’t know if I’ll ever use it, but it’s been on my list for awhile now, and think it’s one of my favourites. Such a beautiful name!
