New Post
Search
HelpLavinia (and others)
How do you feel about Lavinia? I really like it, but most people I talk to seem to think it's too frumpy.
Also:
Benedetta?
Leocadia?
Magdalene (mag-da-lee-NEE)?
And finally, Helle? I know what it looks like, but it's pronounced like hel-uh (the Danish Helle, not the Greek one) and I find it oddly appealing.
Also:
Benedetta?
Leocadia?
Magdalene (mag-da-lee-NEE)?
And finally, Helle? I know what it looks like, but it's pronounced like hel-uh (the Danish Helle, not the Greek one) and I find it oddly appealing.
This message was edited 12/1/2014, 8:18 PM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
1
Replies
Lavinia I quite like. I have always had a love for Lovinia and Lovisa - so Lavinia is totally usable to me. I don't get the frump at all, but I have never met one... so that could affect my perception.
I think it falls into the same category as Virginia to me. It can bee seen as old and ugly or retro-chic. I personally go for retro-chic.
Benedetta is decent but not my style. It is a pretty popular surname where I live and the family has a not so nice reputation.
Leocadia looks a bit like it is truing to hard. I happen to like Leontine, Leonila, Leonora and Leonie. I am sure in some accents it sounds smooth, but in my accent it sounds disjointed at the 'c', and a bit harsh.
Magdalene I love, but I pronounce it mag-dah-leen. I really dislike the pronunciation you prefer, simply because it sounds wrong to me. That is a personal preference though,a nd if that pronunciation is natural where you live or in your culture - than I say it is fine. I like the name regardless.
Helle is lovely, but only if you live somewhere in which the name would be pronounced OR you are Danish. I think a person could pull it off if they were totally foreign to the Danish culture - but it would seem a bit odd. It is such a pretty looking name though, and simple too.
I think it falls into the same category as Virginia to me. It can bee seen as old and ugly or retro-chic. I personally go for retro-chic.
Benedetta is decent but not my style. It is a pretty popular surname where I live and the family has a not so nice reputation.
Leocadia looks a bit like it is truing to hard. I happen to like Leontine, Leonila, Leonora and Leonie. I am sure in some accents it sounds smooth, but in my accent it sounds disjointed at the 'c', and a bit harsh.
Magdalene I love, but I pronounce it mag-dah-leen. I really dislike the pronunciation you prefer, simply because it sounds wrong to me. That is a personal preference though,a nd if that pronunciation is natural where you live or in your culture - than I say it is fine. I like the name regardless.
Helle is lovely, but only if you live somewhere in which the name would be pronounced OR you are Danish. I think a person could pull it off if they were totally foreign to the Danish culture - but it would seem a bit odd. It is such a pretty looking name though, and simple too.
1
I actually know a woman named Lavinia (she's around 50). She's very hip, very athletic, is a well-respected professional -- not frumpy at all. She does the name proud. Still, I can't say that I love it. For the longest time, I kept wanting to call Lavinia Olivia (four syllables, prominent v sound). Whatever. I do think it's doable.
The rest are NMS although Leocadia is fascinating. Helle would be mispronounced a lot, I fear. I do like Halcyon (nn Hallie).
The rest are NMS although Leocadia is fascinating. Helle would be mispronounced a lot, I fear. I do like Halcyon (nn Hallie).
This message was edited 12/2/2014, 5:39 AM
1
I love Lavinia, and I completely fail to see how it's frumpy. If one doesn't like it, okay, but I can't wrap my mind around the reason for the dislike being "frumpiness." I think for a name to be frumpy it has to have once been popular at a time when middle-aged and elderly women were being born, and Lavinia has never been popular. It's ancient Roman and very far from frumpy.
I don't think Helle, no matter how it's pronounced, is usable in an English-speaking country.
I don't think Helle, no matter how it's pronounced, is usable in an English-speaking country.
1
I like Lavinia. I don't think it's too frumpy.
Benedetta and Leocadia are way too frumpy though.
Magdalene is fine, but why on earth would you pronounce it like that? It makes it very ugly and it doesn't make sense at all.
Never heard of Helle before. But I think I like it. It reminds me of Nelle, which I absolutely adore.
Benedetta and Leocadia are way too frumpy though.
Magdalene is fine, but why on earth would you pronounce it like that? It makes it very ugly and it doesn't make sense at all.
Never heard of Helle before. But I think I like it. It reminds me of Nelle, which I absolutely adore.
1
Oh sorry, I didn't read all of the comments.
I'm not a native English speaker, so a lot of pronounciations of Magdalene make sense to me, but I never heard that one before. I pronounce it Magda-LAY-nuh.
I'm not a native English speaker, so a lot of pronounciations of Magdalene make sense to me, but I never heard that one before. I pronounce it Magda-LAY-nuh.
1
I really like Lavinia. It's quite unusual, but she could always go by Liv if she wanted to blend it.
Benedetta and Leocadia are waaaaay over-the-top. I like Magdalene (prefer Magdalen, though), but am not really sure how to feel about that pronunciation. I'd say MAG-duh-leen (Magdalen would be MAG-duh-lehn, which I like better).
I live in Northern California where people say "hella" all the time, so Helle is laughable as a name to me.
Benedetta and Leocadia are waaaaay over-the-top. I like Magdalene (prefer Magdalen, though), but am not really sure how to feel about that pronunciation. I'd say MAG-duh-leen (Magdalen would be MAG-duh-lehn, which I like better).
I live in Northern California where people say "hella" all the time, so Helle is laughable as a name to me.
This message was edited 12/1/2014, 11:36 PM
1
When I saw Helle, I thought of one of Gwen Stefani's songs, "I'm feelin' hella good, so let's just keep on dancin'". I can't see it as a name, either.
I used to know a Leocadia when she was five. She's seven or eight now, so I can see it being used.
Benedetta looks like it should be Bernedetta. Magdalene is fine, too.
Lavinia might be too Edwardian for most, but I'd use it.
I used to know a Leocadia when she was five. She's seven or eight now, so I can see it being used.
Benedetta looks like it should be Bernedetta. Magdalene is fine, too.
Lavinia might be too Edwardian for most, but I'd use it.
1
I like Lavinia, it's a family name for me. Interestingly I don't find it frumpy at all - it actually has more of a dominatrix vibe in my mind!
Leocadia is awesome. I love that one. It's artsy and sharp.
Bendetta is neat, I've never thought about this one. It's got a sporty yet cozy feel to it.
Magdalene is gorgeous, but I wouldn't have guessed at the pronunciation you provided.
Helle is bitchin'.
Leocadia is awesome. I love that one. It's artsy and sharp.
Bendetta is neat, I've never thought about this one. It's got a sporty yet cozy feel to it.
Magdalene is gorgeous, but I wouldn't have guessed at the pronunciation you provided.
Helle is bitchin'.
1