caroline vs carolina

tct1219

just wondering... i usually stay away from "popular" names, even though both of these are pretty common now. i have always liked carolina but i am liking caroline more and more now, despite the seemingly millions of carolines i've met. what do you think about either/ both?

 

edit: i guess i should add the pronunciation as "caro-LEEN-uh" since some people apparently pronounce it "caro-LINE-uh"

it is actually a german (and also south american/ spanish) name and the pronunciation, with the exception of N and S Carolina, is always LEE not LIE

LMS05

I adore Caroline. I've only met one in my entire life. It's not popular around here I guess. I don't like Carolina. It just seems too much like the states.

KappaUCF20

I like Caroline better (if it's pronounced like the word line at the end).  If I saw the name Carolina, I would pronounce it like the state and not caro-leen-uh. 

Stellar1

Caroline is nice- Not a big fan of Carolina...

alicemay

i love both names. i know a caroline and a carolina, and carolina does often complain that people say her name wrong. and everyone loves singing along to 'sweet caroline'!

amoureux

tct1219:

edit: i guess i should add the pronunciation as "caro-LEEN-uh" since some people pronounce it "caro-LINE-uh"

I wouldn't name her Carolina if that is how you want it pronounced.  It is going to be pronounced wrong by almost everyone she meets.  Why set her up for that annoyance?

tct1219

amoureux:

tct1219:

edit: i guess i should add the pronunciation as "caro-LEEN-uh" since some people pronounce it "caro-LINE-uh"

I wouldn't name her Carolina if that is how you want it pronounced.  It is going to be pronounced wrong by almost everyone she meets.  Why set her up for that annoyance?

i've only heard it pronounced the traditional way. i didn't even realize that people would think of it the other way, never heard of anyone named caro-LINE-uh, but that's something to think about i guess.

amoureux

Maybe it is a regional thing but the two Carolinas I have met both pronounced their name like the state.   I would never think to say it Caro-leen-uh.

HawaiiBrideGrm

tct1219:

just wondering... i usually stay away from "popular" names, even though both of these are pretty common now. i have always liked carolina but i am liking caroline more and more now, despite the seemingly millions of carolines i've met. what do you think about either/ both?

edit: i guess i should add the pronunciation as "caro-LEEN-uh" since some people pronounce it "caro-LINE-uh"

We have a cousin (South American) whose name is Carolina (caro-LEEN-uh) and it's pretty but is a very foreign way of pronouncing it. Not that it matters, but your DD might get sick and tired of correcting people all her life. I have one of those names and I wish my mom had thought of that. Gets annoying. Depends upon your ethnic background. If you're Apple Pie American, then Caroline. If you're more exotic than Apple Pie, more like Passionfruit Pie, then maybe Carolina would work.

Poplin2007

KappaUCF20:

I like Caroline better (if it's pronounced like the word line at the end).  If I saw the name Carolina, I would pronounce it like the state and not caro-leen-uh. 

Yep. 

GettinNervous

I'm biased, because I HATE place names. So I'm all for Caroline.

Mrs.Husband

HawaiiBrideGrm:

tct1219:

just wondering... i usually stay away from "popular" names, even though both of these are pretty common now. i have always liked carolina but i am liking caroline more and more now, despite the seemingly millions of carolines i've met. what do you think about either/ both?

edit: i guess i should add the pronunciation as "caro-LEEN-uh" since some people pronounce it "caro-LINE-uh"

We have a cousin (South American) whose name is Carolina (caro-LEEN-uh) and it's pretty but is a very foreign way of pronouncing it. Not that it matters, but your DD might get sick and tired of correcting people all her life. I have one of those names and I wish my mom had thought of that. Gets annoying. Depends upon your ethnic background. If you're Apple Pie American, then Caroline. If you're more exotic than Apple Pie, more like Passionfruit Pie, then maybe Carolina would work.

This. First, I love Caroline. Second, Carolina is NMS, but my family would undoubtedly pronounce it the way you do because of my latin/spanish background. That being said, I'm guessing most posters are right that unless you too have this heritage people will most likely mispronounce it like the States.

beckys96

I like Caroline better.

PunkyBooster

Caroline (Caro-LINE) is becoming popular, much to my dismay, it's been a fave of mine for over 10 years. I love it.

Carolina (Caro-LEEE-nah) is quite beautiful and distinctive, I've not seen or heard this yet. 

My good friend is called Lina, which is also beautiful, if you were to give her the option of a nn in the future. 

DarcyLongfellow

KappaUCF20:

I like Caroline better (if it's pronounced like the word line at the end).  If I saw the name Carolina, I would pronounce it like the state and not caro-leen-uh. 

This.

If you're not actually from whatever country (Italy? Spain?) where Carolina is a common name, I think naming your child Carolina (and insisting that it be pronounced Car-o-leen-a) sounds a bit pretentious and like you're trying too hard to be different.

LOVE Caroline.  Doesn't matter if it's popular, it will never be trendy because it is a classic name.

AllThatGlitters101

I like Caroline. I am one of those people who would read Carolina as "Caro-line-a."

tct1219

i guess i've heard it more than most people here have and assumed it was that popular everywhere. doesn't everyone know who carolina herrera and karolina kurkova are?

KappaUCF20

tct1219:

i guess i've heard it more than most people here have and assumed it was that popular everywhere. doesn't everyone know who carolina herrera and karolina kurkova are?

Yes, I know who they are, but they are both from other countries.  In their native languages, the "i" is probably pronounced with a long "e" sound (like in Spanish).  Here in America though where most people speak English, the i will be pronounced with a long i sound like in the word Line.  That would be the correct way to say it in our language.  If you wanted to pronounce it the other way, you can do that but just be prepared to correct people all the time. 

This problem can happen with a lot of different names.  My favorite name for a girl is Brianna, pronounced like Anna at the end, but many people pronounce it like ON-a instead which is incorrect unless it only had one "n" (like in the Spanish name Ana).  Even though I know I'll have to correct people all the time, I'm still going to use it. 

newportbride715

Karolina is on our list. (K= the Swedish/Eastern European Spelling) It always amazes me to see that ppl would not know how to say it properly.

Do they think Carolina Herrera and Karolina Kurkova pronounce their name like the American state? Any other name ending in -ina is pronounced EENA.  (Karina, Katrina, Marina, Trina,Sabrina, Regina, Christina....)

Why would this name be any different??

LMS05

KappaUCF20:

This problem can happen with a lot of different names.? My favorite name for a girl is Brianna, pronounced like Anna at the end, but many people pronounce it like ON-a instead which is incorrect unless it only had one "n" (like in the Spanish name Ana).? Even though I know I'll have to correct people all the time, I'm still going to use it.?

I like Brianna and Brianne pronounced like Anna and Anne respectively. Almost everyone with this name that I know pronounces it ON. I don't care for it that way. I'm glad you are going to use it and pronounce it like Anna. It's a beautiful name.?

tct1219

newportbride715:

Karolina is on our list. (K= the Swedish/Eastern European Spelling) It always amazes me to see that ppl would not know how to say it properly.

Do they think Carolina Herrera and Karolina Kurkova pronounce their name like the American state? Any other name ending in -ina is pronounced EENA.  (Karina, Katrina, Marina, Trina,Sabrina, Regina, Christina....)

Why would this name be any different??

exactly! i guess i just assume because i know how to pronounce it, everyone else will too. karolina with a k might be more obvious though, since people won't associate it as closely with the states.

LMS05

tct1219:

i guess i've heard it more than most people here have and assumed it was that popular everywhere. doesn't everyone know who carolina herrera and karolina kurkova are?

I have no idea who they are. ?

KappaUCF20

Thanks LMS!

 

tct1219:

newportbride715:

Karolina is on our list. (K= the Swedish/Eastern European Spelling) It always amazes me to see that ppl would not know how to say it properly.

Do they think Carolina Herrera and Karolina Kurkova pronounce their name like the American state? Any other name ending in -ina is pronounced EENA.  (Karina, Katrina, Marina, Trina,Sabrina, Regina, Christina....)

Why would this name be any different??

exactly! i guess i just assume because i know how to pronounce it, everyone else will too. karolina with a k might be more obvious though, since people won't associate it as closely with the states.

There's a lot of gray area here.  I think the difference is that the name Carolina has become Americanized (hence the name of the states) so that's what people are going to go by.  If it was spelled with a K, I would probably assume it's Russian/Eastern European and pronounce it differently, but people who don't have an understanding of other languages wouldn't be familiar with that.  It's kind of ethnocentric and incorrect to say that Carolina is pronounced LEEN-uh because a lot of it depends on the individual culture.  If it was spelled with a K, yes... with a C, no.  I could debate this with you further, but then we'd be getting into a lot of linguistic theory and I don't think anyone wants to read that .

thenewmrsrussell

Carolina is too much like the state. I'd go w/ Caroline.

JnJHud

I really like them both, but I'm slightly partial to Carolina because it's not as common and it sounds a little exotic to me.