baby name tell me what you think:

[maizy]

When I had my son 5 years ago I was certain through out the entire pregnancy that he was a girl. I planned on naming the baby girl Camilla. Its a family name, Italian.

Since then Prince Charles has married a woman named Camilla and when I mention the name it seems to evoke thoughts of her. I'm ok with that I suppose. Camilla is a family name and I love it but it does not feel as special to me as it did 5 years ago.

Another idea I had was Camille; not a family name but close to the original Camilla. Give me your thoughts...

[Datura]

Camilla is very pretty.

[Aubergine68]

I didn't recycle opposite gender names for later children. My first was a girl and the "boy" name I chose for her didn't fit for my next pregancy, so I chose a new boy and girl name for that child, new names for the child I miscarried, new names for my youngest.

Either I changed in what I liked, or the name was just so associated in my head with the previous pregnancy, I just couldn't make the connection with the new one.

I think Camille and Camilla are both very pretty, classic names, not too common, with great possibilities for nicknames, too. I like Camille a little more. The wife of Prince Charles is not a young woman and will hardly be stealing your daughter's thunder when she is an adult.

But if it were me, I'd be digging the baby name books out and rummaging through my family tree looking for new inspirations.

[Kabes]

We used the four names we agreed upon before we even got married. I love Camilla and Camille. Camilla is the name of a close family friend so I don't associate it with PC's wife. I personally couldn't use Camille because I have a Cecile and they are just too close.

[Kirsten]

I think Camille is very pretty, and it gets my vote.

Camilla isn't so much my style, but I understand you like it because it is a family name. It just seems.... frumpier? to me. I also think it would be mispronounced more than Camille - though that could be too.

Camilla makes me think of Prince Charles wife when she was his girlfriend/mistress and his "I want to be your tampon" letter was found and published. Ick. But I just dislike PC in every possible way, and Camilla by association so I think I'm biased.

Do you like the nicknames Cami or Cam? 'Cause that will be used by friends even if you don't use it in the family. Many years ago, I liked the name Brittany for a girl (PRE-Miss Spears) but hate the nickname Britt so didn't use it. There is just no way to stop an obvious shortening, and why fight that battle?

I really considered Camryn for dd3.

Would you be open to using Camille for a middle name? What other names do you like?

[Shiloh]

Camille gets my vote...Camilla...yeah too many associations.
Camille reminds me of Camomile tea....ah...so soothing...

[annakiss]

Sorry - due date crashing.

Well I think of Gonzo's chicken from the Muppets when I think Camilla. It was on our list too. I like it.

[janellesmommy]

Your daughter's peers aren't even going to know who Prince Charles is. Pick the name you like best.

[guestmama9920]

I'm British and don't think of the other Camilla when I hear the name

And she may be Queen soon, not a bad thing to share a name with a Queen

[zinemama]

I would never think of *that* Camilla when hearing the name.

I would think of the early Madeleine L'Engle novel of the same name.

It's a beautiful, not common, not trendy name with family meaning. Go for it.

[cellarstella]

I'm partial to Camille because I had a great friend from preschool to highschool with that name. We never called her anything but Camille. Her middle name is Amelia; I always liked how Camille Amelia sounded!

[Alcyone]

I love the name Camille. It's one that would on my short-list if we didn't live in Denmark. (Danes would say it Cah-mee-leh which I don't like as much.)

I know this will probably sound really weird, but…
Before I was born, my parents were living in Bay St. Louis when hurricane Camille hit. It totally devastated the area, but my parents' apartment was untouched and my dad slept through the whole thing as my mother watched the rest of the complex get demolished around them. It seems like I should associated Camille with destruction, but I don't. I think of my parents living through this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event. It's kinda hard to explain, but it's always been a special name to me.

[Emily's Mama]

Would you pronoune Camille as "Ca-MEE" or "Ca-MEAL"?

Personally, I like both. Maybe leaning towards Camilla.

[boobyfeeder]

I like Camille. Like a pp said, it will probably be shortened to Cami or Cam, so if you don't mind, go for it. I like to choose names that don't have a nickname for my kids, b/c most times I hate the common nickname.

[iris427]

I love that name. I don't think of Camilla whats her name. It's a really pretty name and when people get to know your child, they'll associate the name with her, not with some old British lady.

[Azryel]

Camille is on my short list for a girl, too. My best friend in preschool was a little French girl named Camille, and I just loved her.

I like Camilla fine, too, and definitely don't associate the name with Prince Charles.

* Jaime

[Ilovelife]

I vote for Camilla since it has family meaning to you. They are both pretty names, IMO.

[maizy]

Thanks Ladies,

All your answers were so nice. I also love Camille too and think of soothing chamomile tea. I love Camilla because it was a great aunts name. I have been digging through the old family bible and found an Amelia, Hazel, Ruby and Violet too. I love all these names.

No I don't like the nick name "Cam" and dislike "Cammie" even more. We thought we would go with either "lilla" or "Milla" depending on what fit.

Who knows this may just be another boy and my fretting about girl names futile! I can't think of boy names at all.

[lcaitlin]

I love the name Camilla -- it is beautiful! And I think Milla is a great nickname and a more intuitive one for English speakers to come up with themselves because of the way they will pronounce the name (camilla rather than cameel-lah).

[KBinSATX]

Somebody will always have a problem with the name you pick. I don't see anything wrong with Camilla. Camilla will leave her own impression on the world and after people meet her it will be her that comes to mind when they think of Camilla.
Plus by the time your Camilla will be a Supremem Court Judge Prince Charles' Camilla will be long dead.
We named our son Duncan and during pregnancy we got so many comments on the donut shop (Dunkin' Donuts). But after he was born nobody called him a Donut anymore...
Pick what you like. I think both Camilla and Camille are nice. Personally I'd stick with Camilla because it has a connection to your family while Camille is just a pretty name. I am a foreigner and it's important for me to have a little piece of my history/heritage passed on to my children so each of them has part of their name reflect their European heritage.