I used to love
Olivia when I was a kid, it seemed like such a special name, very Victorian and rare. There was a character on my favourite show, Road to
Avonlea, named
Olivia and I just loved her. But then
Olivia became so popular, it became boring. I switched my allegiance to
Olive.
My husband really likes
Olivia, so that's given the name some shine again.
I don't mind
Lily, but I prefer it as a middle name, because it's so light and insubstantial. I also have an ancestor named
Lillie who was a dreadful person, so
Lily felt like a "mean" name to me. It's pretty, but
Lily is cold, fussy, and pale, while
Olivia is dark, intelligent, and has a certain refined class. I think the influence of
Olivia de Havilland is pretty strong in my mind.