Reeva?

I think River is a lovely if slightly hippyish name. But then I'm rewatching Firefly at the mo, and looking forward to Christmas Doctir Who.

I wouldnt. But then I wouldnt use madeline either and if i had a holly, I wouldnt call her sibling jessica. You want people to have good associations when they hear your dds name.

Reba or Reeba you could use with no associations.

Its too recent an event I think, for people world wide not to remember it.

I think it's pretty. I think it's fine to use it. It's not unique, Reeva Steenkamp can't be the only association surely? I recently read a book by a Riva.

Or Rivka?

I would use the spelling Riva or maybe Reevah so it isn't associated so much

Oh, I don't think it's insensitive. It's not as if you know the family!

I just wouldn't want people's immediate thought on hearing my daughter's name for the first time to be 'Oh, like that woman who was shot by her boyfriend'.

It's fine to use it.

Not sure to whom it would be unsensitive to, to use the name. Doubt her parents are going care or indeed ever even know about it.

www.behindthename.com/name/riva

Apparently Riva can be short for Rebecca.

How about using spelling Riva (which I think can be a first name).

I would put it in the same category as Azaria. Which is a beautiful name, but I've never heard of one in Australia since the Azaria Chamberlain case in the 1980s. (They might exist but it must be v rare.)

I think because Azaria C was the first time people had heard the name, nobody has wanted to use it since because of the instant association.

I nannied for a little German girl who's best friend was called Riva (pronounced Reeva). It's quite nice and uncommon.

I think my problem with the name would be if dd ever asked me how I heard the name (because it is unusual) and why I gave her that name. I wouldn't like the answer to be "well I heard of it because a woman of that name was murdered by a fairly famous man".

But then again I think a lot of people don't tell children what their names mean (this was very important to me) or how they came to decide on them - I do.

So basically if you like it, go for it. In a few years time, unfortunately this murder and trial will be half forgotten. I bet most people have a half second beat before they can name OJ Simpson's murdered wife.

This was originally on my list too op, I love it but it got shot down here :D

Caoimhe is a similar sound, if you have an Irish connection?

I don't see people up in arms, being over sensitive or needing to calm down! Not at all. The OP asked people what they thought, and unsurprisingly, people have told her...????I would think of the association every time I heard the name unfortunately. And I wouldn't fancy explaining the name choice to my child when they were old enough to ask. It may well be a specific generational thing, and by the time the child is older it may be less of a connection, but the problem for me would be that I would know and think about the tragedy.

I quite like the name and don't understand why pp are getting up in arms about it Op if you like the name, then use it. If we all had to avoid certain names due to people getting over sensitive about it for one reason or another, then we'd all have a bloody hard time naming our children.
Calm down everyone.

Poor little Beyonce.

I think its lovely. People only think of the famous namesake the first couple of times they hear it and then it just becomes your child's name.

Friend's sister called her dd Beyonce. People were at first but the novelty wore off v quickly and it just became her name. Now we all think of the little girl not the singer when we hear the name mentioned.

And agree with other posters that Reeva Steenkamp did seem like a lovely person, and its a nice tribute / recognition of that in a way.

Lots of (surname) Riva folks here:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riva_(surname)

I think it's lovely, Reeva Steenkamp seemed to be a beautiful person inside and out.

Its a wild speculation but can imagine Reeva smiling at this.

I think if you like the sound, the spelling 'Riva' would avoid most of the associations.

Having said that, I just looked at the ONS chart and there were 70 babies called Reeva in 2014, presumably because the case was in the news, so it wouldn't be as unique as all that.

Apologies OP - jst realised it wasn't you that asked about Holly and Jessica,so sorry if my previous post was harsh. Unfortunately, and i do think Reeva is a pretty name, there are a lot of reasons why I just wouldn't use it.

Sorry Op but it's not remotely comparable to using Holly or Jessica. You said yourself that the ONLY reason you know this name is because of Reeva Steenkamp, you would be therefore naming your daughter because of her as opposed to using a name that just so happens to be the name of a tragic murder victim.

Unless you have a connection to using this name (which is where it differs to Holly and Jessica because there are a number of people or connections people in the UK may have to those names) then everyone will know the reasons you have come across that name. If you want to celebrate Reeva Steenkamp then that's fine but if not, you look foolish at best, crass at worst for watching a tragic news story and thinking 'ooo what a nice name'. And that's before I get to how your daughter might feel when she grows up and asks you where her unusual name comes from - if you knew the name Reeva before the tragedy, it would be completely different, but you don't so essentially you'd be telling your daughter you named her after a murder victim.

What about River? Sounds similar.