Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Octavia

36 replies

slidley · 07/07/2015 11:15

What are opinions on Octavia, for a girl, please. Good name or bad name? Also, I'd thought it was obvious, but how would you pronounce it.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
manicinsomniac · 14/07/2015 13:59

I love it.

Wouldn't dare use it myself but if you want to then go for it!

MadameJosephine · 14/07/2015 12:19

I know a lovely Italian girl named Ottavia (o-tar-vee-a) which I think is really pretty

BothEndsBurning · 14/07/2015 09:18

I didn't even know there was a car model named Octavia. Lots of proper names have been used for marketing purposes, it wouldn't bother me.

ChrisQuean · 13/07/2015 20:46

Oc-tay-vee-ah.

I once worked with an Octavius who was an old Etonian and pal of David Cameron. I'll leave you to imagine what he was like (and you'd be right!)

It's a nice name, if rather pretentious. No good nick names that doesn't sound contrived. It's a big name to carry off, like Augusta or an Anunziata Grin

EmmaWoodlouse · 13/07/2015 20:41

I'd pronounce it OcTAYvia, but it's not my cup of tea - sounds very upper class to me.

WombOfOnesOwn · 13/07/2015 20:38

This is my chosen name if my baby turns out to be a girl--Octavia Frances, specifically. Tavvy for short.

AliAliAlium · 09/07/2015 14:34

Oc-tay-vee-a. Wouldn't immediately think of the car. I really like it.

DramaAlpaca · 08/07/2015 23:56

I like the name, but wouldn't be brave enough to use it & DH would veto anyway.

I'd pronounce it Oc-tay-vee-a.

AFAIK the Skoda car model is pronounced Oc-tah-vee-a (according to the TV ads at least)

maggiethemagpie · 08/07/2015 21:17

Sister of Mercedes and Portia (Porsche)?

Y0la · 08/07/2015 18:53

I like it. But it's hard to say as well. I can see an Octavia being tavy for short. would thtq bother you?

RiverTam · 08/07/2015 18:10

Oct-Tay-vee-ar

Don't like it. There was a girl at school called this, she was Occy for short which is also awful.

waxweasel · 08/07/2015 18:05

I know one - she's about 18-24 months. She's Oc-tay-vee-a but was introduced to me as NN Tavi (pron Tah-vee) which I thought was cute.

Sansarya · 08/07/2015 13:12

It was my gran's middle name too as she was an eighth child.

Sansarya · 08/07/2015 13:11

It's my mother's middle name and she's always hated it. No idea why, as I think it's very stately.

CardinalRed · 08/07/2015 13:11

Oc-tay-vee-a

There is no "r" in Octavia!

I thought of the Jilly Cooper book too.

shushpenfold · 08/07/2015 10:27

Octay-vee ah

LOVE the name....might just use it myself!!

Original poster
slidley · 08/07/2015 10:25

It was a classical Roman name, then used by Shakespeare, long before a Skoda car was named. So if the car is a person's main/only point of reference than that doesn't bother me

OP posts:
DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 08/07/2015 10:16

I'm sure you will get comments about cars the way some say Lotus! when a girl's called Elise but I like it, I'd say OcTAYvia.

WorktoLive · 08/07/2015 07:08

As long as you're happy with a lot of 'what, like the car?' comments, it's fine.

I know it's a real name and there was one in Shakespeare.

sweetpeame · 07/07/2015 22:11

I'd say Oc-tay-vee-a. It sounds incredibly pretentious IMO but that may not bother you!

BleachEverything · 07/07/2015 18:54

Octayvia is how I would say it. I love it.

CakeOClock123 · 07/07/2015 18:50

No it's a bloody car.

MamaLazarou · 07/07/2015 18:48

It's a lovely name, a bit ostentatious but you might not mind that. I would pronounce it Oc TAY veea.

reuset · 07/07/2015 16:13

Good name

Oc tay - vee a usual English pronunciation

Also Oct tar vee a

Original poster
slidley · 07/07/2015 12:28

No, not an eighth child! Not even close Grin

OP posts: