Coraline

Meaning of Coraline

Coraline—pronounced KOR-uh-line—is a French-lilted cousin of Coral and Coralie, its roots reaching back to the Latin “corallium,” the precious red gemstone treasured in both Mediterranean lore and Indian “munga” bangles. The name first shimmered into modern ears through Neil Gaiman’s darkly whimsical novella and its film adaptation, giving it a story-book aura that’s anything but spooky in real life. In the United States, Coraline has quietly climbed from near obscurity in 2007 to a comfortable seat around the mid-500s today, rather like a shy child who eventually joins the school play and steals the scene. Indian parents often warm to it because coral is one of the Navaratna gems, believed to bring courage and good health—auspicious qualities to weave into a daughter’s destiny. With its oceanic imagery, literary sparkle, and a hint of gemstone mystique, Coraline offers a melodic alternative to Caroline that feels at once global and refreshingly new, as though a sea breeze had wandered into a classical raga.

Pronunciation

British English

• Pronunced as KOR-uh-line (/kɒrəˈlaɪn/)

American English

• Pronunced as KOR-uh-line (/kɔrəˈlaɪn/)

• Caroline
• Cora
• Coralie
• Corinne
• Corina
• Corabella
• Coralia