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HelpOpinions on Olivia?
I used to dislike Olivia because of its popularity. For work, I've been researching our library's history and have done a couple of living histories as Olivia Butterfield, the first librarian. Since I've learned so much about her, Olivia has really been growing on me. I just wondered what you all thought about its popularity or about the name in general.
"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero
My PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/71785/87209
My PNL: http://www.behindthename.com/pnl/71785/87209
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I like it. It has elegance which its popularity can't spoil, and then there's the Twelfth Night association, which is fun.
Back among the tangled undergrowth of my family tree there's an Olivia, born just before the first world war, who was named Olivia but became known as Olive. I find that very unfortunate.
Back among the tangled undergrowth of my family tree there's an Olivia, born just before the first world war, who was named Olivia but became known as Olive. I find that very unfortunate.
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I like Olivia despite its popularity. I think it has enough history and is pretty enough to override the popularity issue.
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It's really, really popular here, has been. Popularity does influence my feelings on a name, because at a certain point I'm just "Enough! Enough already!" and then hearing it past that point just makes me sort of annoyed. I guess it just reminds me of how depressingly lemming-esque people really are.... Popularity is so varying and clustered though, so it could be that my corner of the world just really overindulged the Olivia-love.
Anyway, Olivia is pretty in theory, and if I try really hard to remember the way I felt when I heard it back before it was the name of every kid who wasn't Hannah, well, I suppose it's lovely even.
Like a song you liked when you first heard it, and then it was played to death on the radio to the point where you couldn't even stand to hear the opening notes.
Anyway, Olivia is pretty in theory, and if I try really hard to remember the way I felt when I heard it back before it was the name of every kid who wasn't Hannah, well, I suppose it's lovely even.
Like a song you liked when you first heard it, and then it was played to death on the radio to the point where you couldn't even stand to hear the opening notes.
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Popularity has always influenced my feelings on a name, also, but you've put it into words better than I ever have. I concur with everything you've said about popularity, the annoyance at how lemming-esque people are.
In my corner of the world, thirty years ago, it was Sarah/Sara and Joshua. To the point that I just about hate those names for no other reason than how stupidly popular they were.
In my corner of the world, thirty years ago, it was Sarah/Sara and Joshua. To the point that I just about hate those names for no other reason than how stupidly popular they were.
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I think it deserves to be popular - it's a beautiful name! Very elegant.
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I don't like it and I think of martinis.
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I like it very much but wouldn't use it due to popularity.
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A name's popularity alone doesn't change my opinion of the name itself. Olivia is pretty and elegant, but to me it has both a coldness and imperiousness and a slithery, slippery feel. Oliver has a slippery, slithery feel too, even more so than Olivia.
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I've always liked it a lot. It's very pretty, and it ages well. Plus, it's a beautiful gold/amber color.
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It's my DD's middle name. I think it's beautiful! :)
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It's a name that I don't mind based on sound, but find annoying based on popularity. Like Sophia. In a vacuum I'd like it. In the real word, nope.
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It's not as popular as you think... I mean, it's no Jennifer or Ashley.
http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/olivia,jennifer,ashley
It's more like a Rachel or Rebecca or (someday maybe) Camilla - a name that doesn't crash out of style quickly, because it's too classic and didn't come suddenly out of total obscurity in the first place. http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/olivia,rachel,rebecca
I like it.
http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/olivia,jennifer,ashley
It's more like a Rachel or Rebecca or (someday maybe) Camilla - a name that doesn't crash out of style quickly, because it's too classic and didn't come suddenly out of total obscurity in the first place. http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/olivia,rachel,rebecca
I like it.
This message was edited 1/31/2014, 12:57 PM
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Olivia is beautiful, classy and feminine, and is great because it's used all over the world. It works well in both English and Spanish. However, popularity would keep me from using it- not due to the actual number of girls that will have the name but because I fear that it is the next Jessica/Brittany/Ashley... Here today gone tomorrow. I believe in 20 years that it will sound quite dated.
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