Message: "Calliope" - Behind the Name

Calliope

by solveig (zfluffyboots)

7/27/2018, 7:22 AM

My daughter's best friend is named Calliope, with the nickname Callie. It is very, very rare for her to be called by her full name. Callie's birthday was a few days ago and my friend posted up about her.

That's when I realized I really did not like the name Calliope. I'm not sure why. What do you guys think about it?

#Calliope

This message was edited 7/27/2018, 7:23 AM

Replies

- basilisk (blaaarg)

7/29/2018, 7:45 PM

I have a friend named Maxine whose sister is called Calliope. Her other sister has a weird name too but I forget it.

It suits Calliope because she's very artistic and new age and it sounds like a great brand name.

I think that it doesn't sound as nice in practice as it does in theory.

- number1212

7/28/2018, 8:51 PM

It always made me think of “cantaloupe”.

- Caprice

7/28/2018, 12:13 PM

I really like Calliope, but I prefer it pronounced call-li-O-peh. I don't like the "pee" sound in the end of cal-LIE-o-pee.

- Angrboða (Moirrey)

7/27/2018, 10:11 PM

I don't mind it, but even though I know how it's pronounced and I pronounce other Greek names with the E at the end I always want to say it like "cantaloupe".

Calliope is the protagonist in Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, which was one of my favourite novels as a teenager.

- Cayden (theparkite)

7/27/2018, 8:34 PM

I’m not a fan, mostly because of the -pe sound at the end. The spelling is also not intuitive for how it’s said .

- Dracotorix

7/27/2018, 4:44 PM

I like it. I just think of the muse, the instrumemt, and the hummingbird.
Callie is cute but boring compared to the full name IMO.

- CN

7/27/2018, 1:19 PM

I don't like it at all. I'm leaning towards hating the sound of it. It looks cool but the sound lets it down. I put it in the same category as Daphne, Phoebe and Esme. All names I can't stand because of the sound.
Callie is sweet though. I like it.

- Tassiegirl +2

7/27/2018, 1:07 PM

"Blinded by the LIght"

...."with this very unpleasin"
sneezin' and wheezing'
the calliope crashed to the ground".
.......Manfred Mann.

Well, that's what comes to my mind. That's an old song, though. Most may not know it.

- Bex

7/27/2018, 2:19 PM

I love that song. It's one of my all time favourite songs.

- CN

7/27/2018, 1:16 PM

I know it! It was actually written by Bruce Springsteen. It's a fun song. But I can't say I've actually registered that they sing calliope.

- noel (glaucous)

7/27/2018, 11:09 AM

It comes across to me as a mainstream(ish?) Greek mythological name that I enjoy the sound of, similar to Penelope but with a better meaning and slightly less prim. I would have guessed it was more common than it apparently is, for the same reasons Martha said she was surprised.

ETA
I think I usually read it as kah-LIE-oh-pee, but also I'm tempted to say kal-e-OH-pee...does anyone else say it either of those ways?

This message was edited 7/28/2018, 1:57 PM

- Rosalia_Paw +1

7/27/2018, 11:05 AM

Very Grey's Anatomy...

Good character but meh. It's a bit out there for me but Callie is nice to bring it more...normal (?) sounding

- Bitey

7/27/2018, 11:48 AM

Ahhh, thank you for helping me understand why it suddenly appeared on the charts.

- Martha (CarolineCarolina) +5

7/27/2018, 9:37 AM

I'm surprised it's not more popular because it's a lot like Penelope but even more accessible. People like C names more than P names for girls typically, plus Callie is a nickname you'd think would appeal to the masses.

I don't particularly like the name but I do like Callie.

- solveig (zfluffyboots) +4

7/27/2018, 2:03 PM

Take a look at the charts. It's just beginning to chart and already jumping fairly quickly.

I really like Callie as well.

- Martha (CarolineCarolina) +3

7/27/2018, 4:22 PM

Oh yeah, over 100 places in one year. Yikes. I wonder if it'll crack the top 100?

- solveig (zfluffyboots) +2

7/29/2018, 5:18 AM

No idea.

My friend desperately wanted an unusual name. I am not going to ever tell her that Calliope is climbing in popularity, as is Callie. Still, it's not like she named the kid Emma.

- basilisk (blaaarg) +1

7/29/2018, 7:31 PM

It's still quite unusual, but it is on-trend.

- solveig (zfluffyboots)

7/29/2018, 7:47 PM

On-trend is better than being 30 years ahead of the trend.

- mirfak +4

7/27/2018, 9:28 AM

I dislike it. I also ran into a child Calliope once. My impression is that it's blowsy. Like Ruby... sort of loud and tacky. The O that is supposed to be long, comes out neutral in an American accent - it's ka-LIE-yuppy. (sorry to Callie, Callie is a nice nickname)

- Tassiegirl +1

7/28/2018, 12:17 PM

I've been trying to see how I say Calliope, sneaking up on myself. It's not a word/name I've uttered more than 5 times in my life, likely.
This will get me a reputation for talking to myself.
(not from the U.S., I'm extreme east-coast Canada.)

I guess you could nick-name someone called Carolina, Callie. If you pronounced it Care-o-LINE-ah. LIke the states, North and South Carolina.

This message was edited 7/28/2018, 7:16 PM

- mirfak

7/28/2018, 1:30 PM

Heh. It could be like in "eye opener" - yope instead of yup. I still don't like it.
I think you could nn Carolina "Callie," sure. As it's a contraction. And in some Southern accents to me it sounds like the O syllable is almost dropped, and the r is soft enough to drop out.

- noel (glaucous) +1

7/27/2018, 10:54 AM

...not all American accents.

- mirfak

7/27/2018, 9:50 PM

It's still ugly. ;-P

- Elena

7/27/2018, 9:21 AM

I should like Calliope. I want to like it since I love Greek names, however, something is off for me and it's mostly the 'pee' sound at the end of it. Still, while I don't exactly love Penelope, I have warmed up to it a lot the more I see it being used. I suppose the same could happen with Calliope. I do like Callie and would use Callista (which I do really like) as the full name.

- Siân (Sharley) +1

7/27/2018, 8:47 AM

This is so weird, but I'm generally opposed to Calliope, but not opposed to Kalliope.
It sounds weird, but I think it's because I look at Calliope and see "Cantaloupe." It's a stretch, I know, but tell that to my brain.

It also has the "pee" ending which always conflicts me.

Either way, I LOVE Callie.

This message was edited 7/27/2018, 8:48 AM

- noel (glaucous)

7/27/2018, 10:59 AM

It makes me think of "cantaloupe" (which isn't that bad, just kind of weird to me), too.

Kalliope makes me think "kaleidoscope" instead.

Callie has grown on me, but I prefer that spelled with a K as well...it looks less like Collie.

- Myosotis

7/27/2018, 8:35 AM

This is the second time Calliope’s cropped up for me over the last few days haha. I think I’ve decided I do like Calliope, but I can see why you might not. I can’t stand how Penelope sounds, and I’ve been on and off about Calliope. I definitely do like the meaning, connection to the Greek mythology muse, and she conjures up some nice imagery for me; very sweet, artistic, creative, and a touch ethereal. I don’t know if she’s too good girl for me, but I’d love to meet one. Your friend has awesome taste, although it’s a bit of a shame Calliope doesn’t get used much in full, maybe in the future.

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