Olivia and Oliver too similar?

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2007
Olivia and Oliver too similar?
6
Tue, 04-03-2007 - 10:40am
After hearing lots of your opinions, my wife and I are leaning towards Oliver for a first name for a boy. I have a very close friend with a 2 year old girl named Olivia. Will I be stepping on their toes naming our son Oliver? My wife says they are different enough but I also don't want to come off as a copy cat. Opinions?
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-28-2003
Tue, 04-03-2007 - 11:06am
For siblings and perhaps even cousins they are too similar, but if Olivia is just the DD of friends then I think you have no problem at all using Oliver. Wonderful choice IMO.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2005
Tue, 04-03-2007 - 11:07am

Surprisingly, Olivia and Oliver are different enough for me. Not quite akin to using the same exact name she'd used for her child (Morgan, for example) or a truer male/female version (Alexander when she'd just named her dd Alexandra).

Olivia's not even technically the female form of Oliver, though they're considered related. Also, the pronunciations and stresses of o-LIV-ee-a and AHL-i-ver provide enough contrast to avoid sounding too similar, so I think you can feel comfortable you won't be stepping on anyone's toes. And for practical purposes, I believe you mentioned using the nn Ollie anyway, which should avoid any confusion when you get together with this friend and little Olivia. ;)

HTH


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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2006
Tue, 04-03-2007 - 12:00pm

different enough for me!

Brooke

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-15-2007
Tue, 04-03-2007 - 12:13pm

These names are too similar for a brother and sister, in my opinion, but I have NEVER understood why people think that, just because a neighbor, friend or relative has chosen a name, they can't now use that name or a similar one for their own child.

It's different if they don't WANT to use a similar name, but it's when people reject the name they love best on the grounds that someone else has "dibs" on it via an existing or future child that drives me crazy.

This is YOUR child. Give your child the name that YOU love best. Trust me - as a member of a family with lots of same-name relatives, it's just not that big a deal to have kids running around with similar names. There are much worse things in the world, and everyone adjusts to it just fine. Besides, in this case, one is a girl, the other is a boy. You are WAY overthinking this, in my opinion.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-01-2005
Tue, 04-03-2007 - 1:11pm
I think they are too similar. I also think both names are becoming fairly popular.

AJ, enjoying life with C.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-09-2005
Tue, 04-03-2007 - 3:25pm

I LOVE Oliver and don't think it is too similar. They are different names and you won't look as if you are copying. I have never met ANYONE named Oliver before!! I love the name.

-Nikki