Feedback on a Baby Girl's Name?

Updated on March 22, 2011
L.Y. asks from Malvern, PA
30 answers

I have two boys and we are expecting our first girt next week! We are very excited, but still on the fence about a name. I have forever dreamed of a daughter named Hope (as I love the meaning, importance, and value of the word itself)...but we have a one syllable last name and I'm not sure how I feel about have two one-syllable names. My mom's name is Sandra, and I'd like to honor her but am not crazy about her actual name, so have been thinking about Cassandra to include her name in the baby's name. So....any advice on what we should go with? Part of me can't even imagine having a daughter named anything but Hope, but now I'm not so sure I love it with our last name....
So...we're thinking about either:
Hope Cassandra
Cassandra (Cassie) Hope
Cara Hope (my husband likes the name Cara a lot)

Thanks for any feedback!!

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Featured Answers

S.M.

answers from Columbus on

I hate to do this to you, but I always loved the name Hope until a friend ruined it for me as a first name. She wanted to name their daughter Hope Gabriella, but her husband started saying "Hope Gabriella isn't late for dinner," and "Hope Gabriella did well on the test today." They went with Gabriella Hope instead.

Cassandra Hope is a gorgeous name, and will grow up well with her. Cara Hope is pretty too, but it seems like Cara should be short for something else.

4 moms found this helpful
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R.K.

answers from New York on

As much as I like the name hope I think with Cassandra it is better as a middle. I like Cassandra Hope. But they would all be pretty.

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D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

When I hear Cara--I think of that little brat on Jon & Kate Plus 8! LOL

I have a friend with a Cassandra and it has never been shortened to Cassie--everyone ALWAYS calls her Cassandra.

I like Hope more as a middle name.

I'd vote Cassandra Hope.

My .02!

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

Go with Hope.
As a first name.
It is beautiful... AND it has always been your dream name... you will now have a daughter and that is your dream too... what a blessing!
This is your girl... as you have 'forever' dreamed of naming her.
Do that.

Go with "Hope Cassandra..."
that is beautiful.

Please keep Hope as a First name...
It will be a cherished story that you can share with your daughter as she grows up, and she asks you how you chose her name.
All little girls, one day will ask their Mommy "How did you choose my name?" or, "Why did you name me that?"
It is special.

It does NOT matter, how many syllables a name has in relation to a last name.

I vote for Hope as a FIRST name.
I hope your Husband understands....

I do not care for "Cara Hope." To me is sounds like "Calliope."
But Calliope is a Greek muse of Poetry in Greek Mythology.
Which is beautiful too. For a name.

Cara Hope... is hard to say. It does not flow well.

3 moms found this helpful
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M.H.

answers from Dallas on

Definately name her Hope! So what if it's two 1-syllable names? Hope Jones sounds good, and they are both 1-syllable names. Hope Smith also sounds good! Whatever your last name is, it will sound just fine! Don't ruin your dream of having a girl named Hope for that reason alone! I like Hope Cassandra. Since Hope is 1 syllable, having Cassandra is great since it's 3 syllables. Sounds like a winner to me!

3 moms found this helpful

D.S.

answers from Allentown on

Hi, L.:

Depends on how smooth the name sounds as you say it.
Do you want the name to flow?

Cara Rebecca Hope..................

You could add a thrid name to make it flow to your liking.
Just a thought.
D.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.R.

answers from Spokane on

Name your baby what YOU want to name her (with hubby's input too, of course)! But if you have dreamed of this name forever, and can't imagine not using it, then USE IT - this may be your only chance! I shied away from a name I LOVED because my mom went on and on about how it wouldn't have a good nickname for my son, and six years later I still think sometimes I would like him to have the name we didn't end up using!

2 moms found this helpful

J.E.

answers from Los Angeles on

i agree to go with what you really desire her to be, Hope is sweet. you could add a second middle name if it added more balance, i did that with DD #3. Go with your heart!

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B.W.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I like Hope cassandra. If you love Hope so much, go for it. I think it will go fine with your one one syllable last name as long as it doesnt rhyme :) My second vote is Cassandra hope. Cara Hope just sounds like too much emotion (Care and hope).

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L.P.

answers from Pittsfield on

I think Hope is a beautiful name. I wouldn't worry about the syllables.
Congratulations on your pregnancy!

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M.B.

answers from Springfield on

I think Hope Cassandra is a very pretty name. I'm not fond of Cassandra as a first name if you are going to let people shorten it to Cassie, but that is just a personal issue I have. Cara Hope is cute too. If you want a name that isn't in alot of classrooms I would go with Hope.
Best Wishes!

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M.!.

answers from Columbus on

I vote for Cassandra Hope. Very pretty.

Congrats

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L.S.

answers from Dallas on

Maybe instead of using your mom's first name you could go with her middle name? My middle name is the same as my moms sisters and my sisters middle name is the same as my dads sisters first name. When naming my daughter I wanted to incorporate my sisters middle name which is Lyn although I really loved the name Grace as a middle name so I named my daughter Madilyn Grace-- madiLYN Just a thought!

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R.Y.

answers from New York on

I like Cassandra Hope. I'm a bit biased since I knew a girl named Cassandra that I like a lot.

My kids have a 1 syllable last name and we picked 2 syllable first names for both of them.

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J.J.

answers from Allentown on

I too think Cara and Hope are too short for a one syllable last name. I have a one syllable last name, and named my daughter a two syllable name and my son a three(3 sounds better than two). Now Cara is two but it is a very short name so might be okay depending on your last name. I would go with Cassandra Hope. This would honor your mother without actually using Sandra, you could also call a Cassandra, Cara for short. After all it is is the first two and last two letters of the name. Very appropriate nickname. I would probably choose to name her Cassandra Hope and call her Cara as a nickname if it were me. However having said all that, if you truly love the name Hope, and can't imagine a daughter without it, then none of this stuff matters and you should do what you love best. Just because other people don't like it doesn't mean your child won't love it.

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M.P.

answers from Lafayette on

my preference is cassandra hope. i actually almost named my daughter that.

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D.S.

answers from Houston on

the first thing that popped into my head was cassandra and then i read it. cassandra hope sounds better than hope cassandra but i like hope more than cassandra. i go by my middle name and hate it. all businesses like hospitals docs and such call me by my first name and half the time i dont respond to it. my opinion is hope cassandra even though that doesn tsound right to me and call her hope. that name is too cool not to be the one she goes by. by i agree you need a longer middle name or it wouldnt sound right

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B.C.

answers from Joplin on

Name your daughter the name you want to call her, do not name her one thing and think you will call her something different. We went round and round trying to find a name we Both agreed on for our little girl. I wanted to name her KC or even tried to compromise and spell it out Kacey, my SO would have no part in it, he did like the name Kristen so we went with Kristen Claire ( Claire also honoring my Aunt who had played a large role in my life) we had every intention of going ahead and calling her KC....it never happened, she is Kristen and has been from day one...both her father and I if we had it to do over now agree we should have named her Claire as her first name...with names there is no do over...so if Hope is the name in your heart, please honor that so you will not regret it.
My youngest was Luke through our Entire pregnancy...it even ended up on the First copy of the birth certificate...we ended up changing it before we left the hospital with no regrets...so sometimes the name we love does not seem to fit when we have our little darlings in our arms...go with your gut instinct = )
Congratulations on your baby girl!

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M.F.

answers from Philadelphia on

Cara Hope is a beautiful name! Congratulations!

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K.D.

answers from Philadelphia on

Instead of Hope, how about Honor? Same first letter, nice meaning, 2 syllables? also, Sandra comes from Alexandra, so you could use any form of that (via Italian Allessandra) to commemorate your mom.
there are also variant forms: Sanda, Sandie, Sandreea, Sandrella, Sandrelle, Sandretta, Sandrette, Sandria, Sandrina, Sandrine, Sanndria, Saundra, Wysandria and Zandra.

For more information, see also related names Chrysantha, Deandra, Kassandra, Kendra, Shandra, Wysandra and Cassandra.

In addition, the following names have similar meanings to Hope:

Amala ... "Hope." ... [4]

Ashia ... "Life and hope." ...

Charity ... "and now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. See also Faith and Hope. [27]

Elpida ... "Hope."

Esperanza ... "Hope." ... [2]

Hope ... One of three names/qualities (Faith, Hope, Charity) described in the Bible at I Corinthians 13:13 ... Actress Hope Lange.

Nadia ... "Hope." ... [14]

Pandora ... followed by the one counterpart, Hope. [6]

Rainbow ... It is also seen as a symbol of hope and of ethnic and gender-preference tolerance ... [1]

Raja ... "Hope."

Speranza ... "Hope." [3]

Tikva ... "Hope." [1]

Verity ..

K.G.

answers from Boca Raton on

Cara Hope... although I like Hope much better as a first name but don't like the sound of Hope Cara..
Congrats!

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T.J.

answers from Seattle on

My personal opinion is that Cara and Hope are both too short for a one syllable last name, although I don't know your particular last name! And it matters more how the first name sounds with the last name, since they'll be said together more often throughout life. I love Cassandra! Or Alessandra. Cassie is adorable when she is little. My vote is Cassandra Hope!

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

I LOVE Cassandra. So pretty. And I like the nickname Cassie a lot too. So, that is my vote!

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E.F.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Love Cassandra Hope. Congrats, and good luck!

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Congrats! I have a few suggestions:

Carley Hope
Hope Alana
Cassidy Hope
Cassandra Layla Hope

Good Luck!

M

C.F.

answers from Boston on

Hope Cassandra :-) Beautiful

Good luck !

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K.M.

answers from Laredo on

I really like the name Cara Hope!!

I like names that you don't hear very often, it's original & adorable!

But my second pick would have to be Cassandra Hope.

Congratulations!!

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J.R.

answers from Sacramento on

I think Cara Hope sounds nice, people are funny with names, my thoughts on Hope Cassandra sounds like I hope she's cassandra etc...I like Cara...just my opinion, :) let us know...

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K.F.

answers from Cleveland on

Cassandra Hope for sure-Love it!

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B.B.

answers from Missoula on

I like Cassandra Hope a lot.
Congrats!

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