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I like Ophelia better, possibly the Shakespeare association is too depressing?

I guess because it's too tragic? The Shakespeare association is sad and the meaning helps to emphasize it.

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Olivia has this peaceful olive branch association whereas Ophelia feels tragic and a bit hopeless.

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I do like Ophelia, though! I'm pretty tired of Olivia. I do love Livia and Olive.

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Another reason are the nicknames. You can get Livvy and Liv from Olivia which are cute. Fee and Fifi feel a bit more superficial and less calm.

I agree with all the below AND

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Many people like the nicknames Ollie or Liv. Ophelia has no obvious nickname.

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Ophelia's story in Hamlet is tragic. Olivia in Twelfth Night is less well known and comic.

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Olivia has nostalgic links to figures such as Olivia Newton John.

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Olivia is known and used in lots of languages.

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I like Ophelia and know 2 little girls with the name, but I am not surprised Olivia is more popular.

I think Ophelia is a better name, but much more difficult to pull off and it could be seen as bad luck.

Ophelia has more stuff going on than Olivia.

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Ophelia is a unique, invented name that evokes a specific character made memorable through her tragic fate (how many people could say who Olivia was in Shakespeare?). It's much more fanciful than Olivia, and Olivia has a longer history as a given name. Olivia is beautiful but also gives the bearer more options, while Ophelia has such a strong personality it's harder for it to be flexible in terms of what kind of person could carry it off.

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Olivia also has easier nickname choices. What to call an Ophelia for short? Oph? Ophie? Feely? Nothing seems quite comfortable.

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I think that's probably why Ophelia doesn't appeal to as many people.

Perhaps the popularity of Oliver for boys has helped Olivia's popularity.

Maybe the Shakespeare tragedy association and o feel ya