Pointless question that I'm sure several will find offensive...
 

The name 'Cora' -

I've always loved it.

But about a year ago, a friend told me it's an older name, like Shoquanda or Kanye would be today. So an old, popular African-American name. Is this true? Anyone know? Because I never heard the name Cora before until I stumbled on it in a baby book of all places.

The girl's name Cora \c(o)-ra\ is pronounced KOR-ah. It is of English and Greek origin. Possibly a variant of Kore (Greek) "maiden". Probably a invented name coined by American writer James Fenimore Cooper in "The Last of the Mohicans" (1826). Classical mythology: name of the goddess of the underworld. A simple, pretty name with an old-fashioned air. Civil rights activist Coretta Scott King.

Cora has 53 variant forms: Corabel, Corabella, Corabelle, Corabellita, Coralee, Coralia, Coralie, Coralyn, Coree, Corella, Corena, Corene, Coretta, Corey, Cori, Corie, Corilla, Corine, Corinna, Corinne, Corisa, Corissa, Corita, Corlene, Correen, Corrella, Correlle, Correna, Correnda, Correne, Correy, Corri, Corrie, Corrina, Corrine, Corrissa, Corry, Corynna, Corynne, Coryssa, Kora, Korabell, Kore, Koreen, Koretta, Korey, Korilla, Korina, Korinne, Korry, Koryne, Korynna and Koryssa.


Baby names that sound like Cora are Cara and Cory.

Cora is a very common first name for women (#308 out of 4276) and also a very common last name for both men and women (#13828 out of 88799). (1990 U.S. Census)

The only 'Cora' I "know" is Cat Cora from Iron Chef America.

It's fairly popular around here. I know of two personally, and there is a chain of breakfast restaurant's (founded in Quebec) called Cora's

Chez Cora


that give the most ridiculous sized (almost American sized) portions I have ever seen.


I've never once thought it was an African origined name though.

Interesting. Thanks for the info so far.

Sorry, I have nothing new to add to the name question, but I'm perplexed...why would you think anyone would find this question offensive?

Because if the name is indeed a typical African-American name, then I just won't use it as an option anymore if I happen to breed a daughter someday. All kinds of arguments can stem from that statement. :o

^^ :lol:

I hope you're laughing with me Xerx. :(

Your cora is my cora.

I think you should so name your daughter, but if you have a son...

Well in that case I'd just have to sell him.

:o

wood,
would you consider using "Cora" as her "nickname"? ...not as any commemorativo of my selfness, but since you like it and it may have certain complex entanglements, using it as a nickname may offer broader options.

I like unusual names, thus my own lovely daughter's name...so, for example, you could name her something sweet and succulent like Coriander but use "Cora" as her daily nickname. Maybe?

It's possible.

But I'm way ahead of myself here. Possibly even out of my league as I'm not sure I'll ever even make a baby lol.

Dunno, I really like Cora though. Also like Ellie but not Eleanor. Anyways - was just wondering :).

We call my niece Ellie. He name's Eliza.

I don't know if you like that better than Eleanor...

Actually I do. That's unique too.
Hmmm.

Well it's not like I'd be naming her Stouffer's or something but that's pretty close.

I'm beginning to think you are a veritable connoisseur of these, wooÐs.
Wasn't there a movie called Cora, Cora, Cora?

According to Google, it doesn't look like it...

wait... are you making fun of me? :(

Brenna
Jetta
Lela
Ciara

Such beautiful names.

Those are also pretty ring.

Not at all...I met a lovely gal named Corinne once upon a time in the Catskills. Corinne Kanfi. A sweet smelling raven-haired Canadian girl. She gave me such a hug one time I almost drooled onto her sweater.

Perhaps you are thinking of Corrina, Corrina...

oooh that's a very pretty name too.

I should keep an ongoing list of good baby names. You know, just in case I get knocked up or something.

:expressionless:

I think Cora is a really pretty name. I have a shadow priestess on World of Warcraft named Kora! So unfortunately it's off limits for my own future children, as my husband and I have agreed not to name any offspring after our characters. We have to at least appear less nerdy than we actually are.

That's the one! Great movie! Thanks uncle phil.

I once knew a girl named Cora and she was an uber goodie two shoes and as such I've never been more than indifferent to the name. But here are some o my favorites for girls.

Angelica
Luka
Esme
Lyla
Anika
Vada
Kaydence
River
Alba

^^ **Resists obvious notch on belt joke**

^^ **Resists obvious joke about lack of belt and presence of virginity**

"Lafawnduh."

At last, we're finally getting offensive!

Pfft... "Tyronique Shaquita Ramirez-Johnson."

"Ram-Jo," for short

Now here is where I start quietly observing.

I had a great aunt named Cora. It's an old name; nothing at all uncommon about it. Some good friends of ours about 25 years ago named their daughter Cora, primarily because it sounded "quaint and old-fashioned". Her words. Not mine.

brand name of the last bottle of olive oil i bought was named "cora..."

Google: characters named Cora in literature

I would never name someone Cora...it is too ambiguous as to how to spell it, they'd spend their life saying "With a C and one R"

I knew a couple guys named "Cory" ...and I actually like the sound of Cora better.

It also reminds me of the inimitable Corazon Aquino.

If you can associate Cora with Coraline, it seems less likely to be misspelled.

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g2...aline-book.jpg

ooh, cool cover

It doesn't sound African to me. Not to mention it's a far cry from Shaquonda. I think it sounds old fashioned and for that reason I like it. I wanted to name my daughter Lettie after my grandmother. I was the only one who loved the name, even my gram hates it.

Oh Lettie's pretty. Very unique.
It'd make a nice middle name too.

Woods. All these names I listed are words that mean, 'Black'
You didn't realize that.

& yes I definitely found your original post quite odd.
Why ask such a question, that you knew was offensive?

got one for ya...

what does MARTA mean?

MARTA
 

Gender: Feminine
Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Polish, Slovene, Bulgarian, Serbian, Croatian, Swedish, Norwegian, Czech, Slovak
Other Scripts: Марта (Bulgarian, Serbian)
Pronounced: MAHR-tah (Spanish, Italian, Polish, Czech)
Cognate of MARTHA

From Aramaic מרתא (marta') meaning "lady, mistress". In the New Testament this was the name of the sister of Lazarus and Mary of Bethany. It was not used in England until after the Protestant Reformation. A notable bearer was Martha Washington (1731-1802), the wife of the first American president George Washington.

information courtesy of: Behind the Name: the Etymology and History of First Names


also, what happened here? wasn't this originally the title of one of squeeeb's threads?

nm.

hahahahahahah!

then there's:

Metropolitan
Atlanta
Rapid
Transit
Authority

ring,

I like the name Cora. And when I posted the thread, it appeared it was a name intended for African-Americans and I wanted to see what others thought. But you see, whenever someone mentions anything having to do with white or black or yellow or red, many like to pull out the racist card just because they want to stir the pot. I'm sure you know what I mean.

Great thread bump! Forgot about this one.

I've always liked the name Jemima

I'm just kind of puzzled as to how a name can be intended for a particular race.

Because only white people are stupid enough to name their kids Cuthbert.

lol





























......oh wait, you were serious?

were you?

Assuming you're Caucasian, would you ever name your daughter something that translates into 'African Tribe Princess?' Kinda silly, isn't it?

Because name meanings don't actually mean anything.

Are you seriously concerned that naming a daughter something that means "African Tribe Princess" would predispose her to a life spent seeking out her "African" roots?

*Is proudly named Shaquuuqakuakomima*

... not really. But I'll admit that certain names only really fit people of certain ethnicities.

I won't disagree that certain names tend to pop up more in different cultures than others. It just strikes me as odd that anyone would consider "intention" when deciding whether they would name their child a particular name. Who exactly is doing the intending? Is there some sort of Tribal diety that hands out retribution if little white girls are given names that some grown up white folks associate with some sort of overly generic conception of African tribal traditions?

A name is really just a set of syllables used to differentiate one person from another person. Meaning will obviously be different for different people. However, I think perhaps you folks are over thinking this.

It's cultural tradition that goes way back in the annals of history. Kind of like this:
(You may have already heard different versions of this...it's an oldie but goodie I think)

********** Joke**********

A little Indian boy asked his father, the big chief and witch doctor of the tribe, "Papa, why is it that we always have long names, while the white men have shorter names - Bill, Tex or Sam, for example?"

His father replied, "Look, son, our names represent a symbol, a sign, or a poem for our culture not like the white men, who live all together and repeat their names from generation to generation.

Also, it is part of our makeup that in spite of everything, we survive.
For example, your sister's name is Small Romantic Moon Over The Lake, because on the night she was born, there was a beautiful moon reflected in the lake.

Then there's your brother, Big White Horse of the Prairies, because he was born on a day that the big white horse who gallops over the prairies of the world appeared near our camp and is a symbol of our capacity to live and the life force of our people.

It's very simple and easy to understand. Do you have any other questions, Little Broken Condom Made in China?

************************

Do you wanna know whats rather funny? There are names I can't pronounce here. But actually LIVING in Africa, I know they all have regular names like Tom, Dick, Harry, David and Jane. Names that a non english speaking vietnamese native can pronounce without difficulty.

That's actually a very good point, Xerxys.
And I tend to agree with filtherton. Whatzahubbub?

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | NZ judge orders 'odd' name change

'nuff said

i went through basic training with a guy whose name was "baby boy" because that was the name on his birth certificate...

My mother has been called Cora all her life, but her actual name is Cornelia.

It may be sad, but apparently true according to an article I read a couple of years ago... your name can affect your acceptance among your peers, and also your chances at getting a job. In adolescents, children with "non-conforming" names (I believe that was the term that was used), were not as well as accepted as kids with "conforming" names. A black girl named Shaquanda would be accepted by her peers more readily than a white girl of the same name (different sets of peers). And HR managers apparently are much more likely to set aside resumés with names that suggest an ethnicity other than their own (mostly that white HR managers tended to reject more black, Muslim, or Hispanic sounding names).

So naming your kid may well require some ethnic sensitivity that most parents don't really consider when they name the child. And Woods opening post may well offend some people because of that, but I can certainly understand her position.