Two names and two weeks to go....

[saracita00]

Both are pretty. I know of two Claire/Claras that have been born in the last few months, so I would call it the contemporary choice as I think those names are making a bit of a comeback. On the other hand, Louisa is definitely the underused vintage name. Good luck deciding.

[kyemsma]

I love the pp's suggestion of Clara Louise.

[lineska]

I prefer Louisa, while normally I dont get the naming after a character thing, here it seems to be more about a special bond with your mother than just a movie character. I like it.

I do like the suggestions of a fn/mn combination if you dont already have a mn chosen....Louisa Clare, Louisa Clarice (pretty!), or Clara Louise. (Or both in their original form if the double -a ending doesnt bother you.)

[garnet]

I prefer Clara - she's very sweet and charming.

If you're looking for combos, I think

Clara Madeline
Clara Juliet
Clara Beatrix

are gorgeous!

[garnet]

p.s. I love your penname!

[lilysong]

While Louisa is definitely fresher than Louise in my mind, I still find it dated. I live in an area where there are a lot of 50 something Louises and I can't picture either name for a little baby.

I really like Clara. It's young and fresh and pretty but ages well.

A pp mentioned that Louisa Von Trapp is a fictional movie character. Actually, the Von Trapps really did exist -although the movie alters their story somewhat, and none of the VonTrapp family members were named Louisa. After fleeing Austria, they eventually settled in Stowe, Vermont.

[ashthedreamer]

I absolutely love Clara! Louisa is lovely, as well, but I find Clara more striking and charming.

Good luck!

[mellec730]

I LOVE both.

To me both names are sweet yet refined. I feel Louisa ages a little better than Clara, but not significantly. The abundance of nickname options for Louisa and that it's less common than Clara give it a slight edge in my opinion.

But you really can't go wrong with either. They're both awesome names.