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I like Olga and I'm pretty keen on the Russian diminutive of Olya too.

i think the main reason people think it is ugly is simply because of the 'g' sound in it! I can see how people would get that first impression, but if they actually thought about it they would see that it is actually how sweet i is. Its like a dark horse of the name world! If you like it then use it! xxx

I like Olga, too. I think it's pretty and sophisticated. I don't get an "ugly" vibe from it at all, but different strokes, I guess.

change of heart

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I used to think it was horrid - big, swarthy, Russian sounding (if I can say that with the understanding that it is of course a stereotype and not discriminatorily intended). Then I met the kindest sweetest Olga ever and now I don`t mind it at all.

To me it sounds like the gulping sound a frog makes while swallowing a juicy worm. Which is why I don't enjoy it as a name! But what associations it may have in Russia, for instance, I just don't know. Perhaps Russian frogs have different habits.

I like it and don't think it's ugly at all. Maybe the -ga is a bit harsh for some people.

It seems very harsh to me, and while I enjoy a harsh name or two, I'm not crazy about this one. I do like Olga much more than Helga however. The O makes it more powerful and eternal sounding. Olga makes me think of a rough, thick woolen sweater, and if you are into that kind of name, there is not a thing wrong with it! It has a lot of merit.

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And hey, "ugly" names are coming back in style (Hugo, Gus, Matilda, Frances, etc) - so I bet if you use Olga you'll be ahead of the times!

Olga sounds like the name of an obese, middle-aged, unpleasant, Russian woman. That's what I don't like about it.

It's alright. I don't think it's ugly, but I don't think it's pretty, I do think it's unique, though.

It's my grandma's name. She was Olga Helen. She was Czechoslovakian.

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Despite this, I can't say I've ever been very fond of it. Like Bear says, I think it's the G that's unappealing to me. Or more specifically, it's the LG combination. It kind of gets stuck in my mouth, if that makes any sense. It's definitely not the O for me because about half of my favourite names start with O.

It's the "g" sound that most people don't like. That, and the fact that they're not used to feminine names beginning with an "o."

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I'm a Russophile, so Olga is fine by me. I love the nn Olya.

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By the way, are you pronouncing it the Russian way, "ULL-guh," or the English way, "OHL-guh?" Just curious.