Thoughts on Clémence, Asha, Cora, Blythe, and Nola

Girl Names
1

Exactly what the title says! These are all names on my long list and that I like and that have moments when I absolutely adore them but have never really stayed in my top 10. But I could still see myself using them…so I’d love feedback. I can handle honest opinions, but I do request something more than a yes or no because that doesn’t really help me figure out why I should keep or drop a name.

But otherwise all is fair in love and names! What’s your immediate reaction? Does it bring to mind a particular image? Who do you see with the name? Etc.

Thanks!

Clémence
[name]Asha[/name]
[name]Cora[/name]
[name]Blythe[/name]
[name]Nola[/name]

I do have French citizenship if that makes a difference for the first one.

2

Clémence – your French citizenship does make a difference here to me. I think it has a nice sound, but isn’t for me.
[name]Asha[/name] – I have a cousin [name]Asha[/name] and people rave about her name. I think it’s very pretty and fresh.
[name]Cora[/name] – Spunky in an old fashioned kind of way. Pretty but grounded
[name]Blythe[/name] – Never could get behind this one. I think it has a sort of whiney sound.
[name]Nola[/name] – I prefer [name]Nora[/name]. This makes me think of New Orleans for some reason.

3

Interesting, I think [name]Blythe[/name] has such a soft lyrical sound! [name]Nora[/name] is actually on my list too, but it just feels a little more common and plain to me usually. Thanks for the feedback, it’s helpful!

4

Clémence- [name]Love[/name] this one. I think in works in English as [name]Clemence[/name] too; I’d be tempted by [name]Clea[/name] as a nickname.

[name]Asha[/name]- I like it, but not as much as others on this list.

[name]Cora[/name]- This name is unexpectedly timeless in the US- still retains that fin de siècle flavour, though that might change if it continues to gain ground. Come to think of it, it manages to be both [name]Belle[/name] Époque and down-to-earth :slight_smile: Given its background as a latinization/anglicization of [name]Kore[/name], I think it would weather the top 100 or even top 10 quite well, and better than some of her -ora sisters. If you’re French, have you considered [name]Coralie[/name]?

[name]Blythe[/name]- seeing how popular this is here (and on a couple of other name sites) always makes me smile. [name]Blythe[/name]'s been my online moniker since I was about 12 and allowed to have an online moniker- my given name is [name]Anne[/name] and at the time I had just read the entirety of [name]Anne[/name] of [name]Green[/name] Gables in a month (having refused to have anything to do with them on principle from the age of seven). Anyhow, I do like it, but there’s that pesky ‘careless’ connotation to the word blithe…and oh boy, would the French ever struggle with this one. I think my friends in the 06 would render it something close to ‘blight-uh’.

[name]Nola[/name]- [name]Love[/name] this name lots. Soft and approachable, but has some fiery Irish backbone there too. The reference to New Orleans doesn’t bother me, but I’ve never lived in the US. Would [name]Orla[/name] appeal? Sort of has a similar sound, feel, and history, but without the cajun associations. I also like [name]Nuala[/name], but I think in [name]Canada[/name] and the US the pronunciation could prove frustrating.

5

Wow, that’s a really impressive taste in names :slight_smile: I especially love them collectively: [name]Clemence[/name] and [name]Asha[/name], they’re quite eclectic but together so vibrant-sounding. And [name]Cora[/name] and [name]Blythe[/name] are meant to be. My favourites would be [name]Clemence[/name] and [name]Blythe[/name], followed by [name]Asha[/name] and [name]Cora[/name].

When I was younger I was absolutely in love with names like [name]Cora[/name] and [name]Nola[/name], but recently I’ve started to consider them a bit dry and old. [name]Nola[/name]'s French pronunciation is absolutely gorgeous, but in an English/American accent (or Australian such as my own) it’s got a bit of an unpleasant rolling sound, as if the person saying it was annoyed. That’s a strange way to express it but I’m not sure how to explain it otherwise. [name]Cora[/name] on the other hand I hold in higher regard especially because I love [name]Cordelia[/name], and I really like it as an additional given name to [name]Clemence[/name], [name]Blythe[/name] or [name]Asha[/name]. But there’s something about it that’s becoming stale for me.

[name]Clemence[/name], hands down, gorgeous! It’s clean if that makes sense, both visually and aurally, and I imagine a spirited, poetic European girl. In a less-French environment I think [name]Clemency[/name] would fair better because [name]Clemence[/name] can sound more masculine…but to be honest, I doubt it matters. They’re both fine. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal to have a foreign name, in fact it enriches rather than limits an individual! Another Bonus is the association with [name]Clemence[/name] [name]Poesy[/name].

I used to be put off by the name [name]Blythe[/name] because it reminded me of blype, but I’ve really grown to it in recent months. Especially since it’s the middle name of a friend of mine. Again it’s fresh and clean, and whilst for some it could bring to mind [name]Blythe[/name] dolls, to me it brings to mind elegance. For obvious reasons it also brings to mind the sky (sky blue, blythe) and ballet (lithe, blythe).

[name]Asha[/name] is an interesting one. Where I’m from it’s quite popular and trendy, and mostly used amongst “bogans” so on it’s own I wouldn’t consider [name]Asha[/name]. But like I said before, when [name]Asha[/name]'s paired either through sibset or as a given name with more traditional names ([name]Clemence[/name], [name]Blythe[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name], [name]Marcelle[/name], [name]Lotta[/name], [name]June[/name], [name]Frances[/name], [name]Colette[/name] etc) it can be such an interesting, beautiful mix!

6

My favourite is definitely [name]Nola[/name]. I do like [name]Blythe[/name] but for a mn spot only. The rest are fine apart from [name]Asha[/name] which I dislike. So not really much problems there.

7

[name]Clemence[/name] is really, really pretty. It has a composed and calm sound that is so refined. I also like [name]Clea[/name] as a nn, a good idea which the poster above mentioned. Very tempting, indeed!
All other names pale to me in comparison with [name]Clemence[/name]…

I like [name]Asha[/name], it has a brisk, dewy sound.

[name]Cora[/name] is a very sensible and lovely.

I do like [name]Blythe[/name], previously, I’ve shown indifference towards [name]Blythe[/name], but now, it has a solitary, snappy sound that I like.

[name]Nola[/name] is also very nice…

But my favorite is definitely [name]Clemence[/name]…A magic name, I say…

8

Oh I just adore Clémence! Its been on my list of years and have never grown tired of it.
[name]Asha[/name] - I’ve always been surprised I don’t like [name]Asha[/name] more than I do. Something about it just seems a little…dull
[name]Cora[/name] - I prefer [name]Cora[/name] as a nickname to [name]Coraline[/name]/[name]Coralie[/name], etc, but I do like it
[name]Blythe[/name] - [name]Love[/name] [name]Blythe[/name]. Its happy, streamlined and pretty
[name]Nola[/name] - My least favourite of the group. I guess when thinking of [name]Nola[/name], I just think that [name]Nona[/name] or [name]Nova[/name] are much more my style and compared to them [name]Nola[/name] seems dated.

9

Clémence is stunning ([name]Clemency[/name] is my #1 for [name]Baby[/name]), whether you are french or not. It’s a very calm, poised and clean name (which are qualities I love in a name). I liked what sylfessev said; a magic name. [name]Blythe[/name] evokes some of the same feeling for me, and it has such a soft & sweet sound, it’s a gorgeous name. Also one of my favourites.

I’m not crazy about the other names, [name]Nola[/name] & [name]Cora[/name] are pretty but that’s about it. ([name]Nola[/name] makes me think of [name]Scarlett[/name] Johansson in Match Point.) [name]Asha[/name] is interesting, but sounds unfinished, or what a toddler would call an [name]Aisha[/name], Asherah or [name]Ashira[/name]. If that made sense…

10

Clémence - I actually like this name although it is the name of my co-worker’s mother and seems middle-aged to me. I don’t like [name]Clem[/name] as a nickname. It seems mature and respectable.
[name]Asha[/name] - It is sweet and has a pleasant sound, but it kind of gets lumped in with all the other popular/trendy “ash” names in my mind.
[name]Cora[/name] - I love this name. The only [name]Cora[/name] I have ever known is one of the spunkiest and funniest girls I have ever met. So I tend to associate the name with somebody fun and full of personality. I also really like the sound of the name and short and sweetness of it.
[name]Blythe[/name] - Not crazy about it, but there is nothing wrong with it. I think it is the initial “Bl” at the beginning of the name that gets me. It reminds me the word “blah”.
[name]Nola[/name] - I like this name a lot. It reminds me of [name]Nala[/name] from The [name]Lion[/name] [name]King[/name], [name]Lola[/name] which is sweet and spunky, [name]Nora[/name] which is pretty and sophisticated etc.