Ravenna

I love it. Sounds mystical, magical and mysterious, like the name of a wizard or sorceress.

Sophisticated, beautiful and magical, it is. Ravenna reminds me of a gray stone castle under a cloudy sky. Perhaps because of the historic Italian town, I strongly associate it with the taste of red wine and the smell of old books. Indeed, it comes across as a pretty alternative to Raven, which is nothing more or less than trendy and fake-Goth.

I prefer this to Raven, which feels too trendy. Also like how the opening sound isn't too harsh.

Too extra and complex, although it would be nice on a book character, a witch perhaps.

Ravenna is the most Goth name ever!

I like this name a lot, although I think it is more fitting for a book character than a person, perhaps in a medieval based fantasy novel set in a magical version of Venice, like a young witch's apprentice who always has a crow or raven sitting on her shoulder.

I would prefer Rowena over Ravenna.

Ravenna sounds like a great alternative to Raven, which is a nice name itself too.

Pretty, but there are prettier. It's too much like Raven, and for some reason, it makes me think of the name "McKenna", which I dislike.

Don't like it. Another Italian city name being used in English. I think that using Italian city names is strange and pathetic, not "posh" or whatever the parents were trying to be. A real Italian name would sound better.

Reminds me of the word "ravishing": adj. Extremely beautiful or attractive; enchanting; entrancing. :)

I don't think it's "tacky" or "unimaginative" at all. "Ravenna" is a poem by Oscar Wilde (see http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ravenna), a beautiful tribute to the ancient Italian city "where Dante sleeps, where Byron loved to dwell". There is also a genus of butterfly called "Ravenna".

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I prefer this name to Rowena, which has "wee" in it.

My guess is that most people have chosen this name as the feminine variant of Raven, as Raven is apparently too ''obvious'' and not feminine enough. In that way, it seems like an unimaginative, lazily constructed, and tacky name. Even if you used it because of the town, it doesn't sound very pretty or sophisticated.

Okay, now, slight_night_shiver, that was a little harsh. You have left some of the most negative comments here on BtN. Ravenna is a beautiful name, or at least I think so.

I really, really like Ravenna! It conjures up an image of a sweet girl with dark brown eyes and curly black hair. It's a possible middle name for me. I greatly prefer it to Raven, which just sounds trendy and fake-Gothic.