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

Nimue and Vivienne and Ninniane, Niniane, Lenore

60 replies

JessieIsabelle · 20/01/2024 21:10

I love Nimue and Vivienne. Ninniane and Niniane are other alternates for the "lady of the lake" and Lenore is her mother.

I wanted to know what you think:

Nimue - nim-oo-ay, we would consider this, but not sure we're brave enough

Vivienne - we're considering this, emphasis on the last syllable

(Ninniane, Niniane - wouldn't consider this, but interesting)

(Lenore - I like it, but not enough to use)

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
theduchessofspork · 21/01/2024 07:40

I love Vivienne but it’s popular now, if that bothers you?

If not then Lenore is nice, and I don’t think the soap thing is a huge issue.

Nimue is a great reference, but the reality is it sounds wet, like Lilou or Loulou. Niniane is too close to ninny.

Igraine
Morgaine
Iseult / Isolde / Esylt / Isotta / Ysella
was their an Olwen?

Squirrelsnut · 21/01/2024 05:57

Have you read The Mists of Avalon?

oldnorsesaga · 21/01/2024 05:24

KirstenBlest · 20/01/2024 22:24

@NoisyDachshunddd , we won't agree on that one. There have been several pronunciations given on this thread.

It doesn't really matter there have been several pronunciations already, it's non issue. In case someone can't pronounce it, you ignore it, you don't make every single person pronounce your name.

oldnorsesaga · 21/01/2024 05:21

I also love Nimue and Lenore. My pick would be Nimue.

KnittingKnewbie · 20/01/2024 23:33

Leonora?

MaloneMeadow · 20/01/2024 23:28

Vivienne is nice.. the rest are hideous. Why would you want a name that has ‘ninny’ in it? They all sound made up and you’re basically asking for your child to get made fun of.

Lenore is awful, it’s a fabric conditioner but Leonor is nice. Good enough for the Spanish royal family!

Sunnysideupagain · 20/01/2024 23:12

Vivienne is lovely but you don’t get a chance to dictate how people pronounce it.

I always think it’s a bit naff when people try to say a really common name is pronounced differently

Other names are awful- don’t do it.

noooooooo · 20/01/2024 23:06

Nimue by miles, I thought I’d heard them all, it’s lovely, Nimi is adorable, I can’t imagine a baby/toddler called Vivienne but it’s an elegant name for an adult. Agree about having a uncommon name being a good way to detect people who can’t cope with things they don’t already know, husband and DD have very unusual names and he says the same thing.

KatyPerryMenopause · 20/01/2024 22:57

Ellenora?

Ellysetta · 20/01/2024 22:56

Love them all, especially Nimue, how interesting. It will be mispronounced often but that isn’t a big deal - look at Irish names like Maire and Niamh!

Lenor is too well known as a brand but I also like Leona and Leonora.

If anyone tells you that your baby’s likely name is “AWFUL” you should probably ignore them as that’s a pretty horrible thing to say to someone.

margotmargeaux · 20/01/2024 22:33

Snowydaysfaraway · 20/01/2024 21:35

How about a name people including your dc can spell and pronounce?

This!

kitsuneghost · 20/01/2024 22:32

I love Nimue but pronounce it nimway

Bobbyelvis4ever · 20/01/2024 22:31

I know a Nimue (goes by Nimi), and a Lenore. The soap connection is only there the first time in my experience!

I like Vivienne, but would expect it to be shortened to Viv, which I very much dislike.

KirstenBlest · 20/01/2024 22:24

@NoisyDachshunddd , we won't agree on that one. There have been several pronunciations given on this thread.

Zampa · 20/01/2024 22:18

Leonor(e) is a nice alternative to Lenore and Princess Leonor of Spain seems a lovely woman.

NoisyDachshunddd · 20/01/2024 22:17

@KirstenBlest yes, I have a similar name that no one knows how to pronounce or even whether it’s a woman’s or man’s name. Total non issue. 98% of everyone Ive ever met, friend - or colleague- wise, apart from one person with a profound SpLD has grasped it immediately. The other 2%, it’s served as a very useful filter. In the absence of additional needs or English as a foreign language, people who can only
pronounce names like Sarah/ Keith/ Norman, or find anything slightly less common to be remarkable, are to be hard swerved, in my experience

WhollyGlorious · 20/01/2024 22:17

Nimue makes me thing of the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

Lenore reminds me of Edgar Allen Poe and the fabric conditioner.

Vivienne by far the best option (and to PP I think the emphasis on the last syllable means so it isn’t pronounced like Vivian).

KirstenBlest · 20/01/2024 22:14

@SunnyFog , Nolwenn is a breton name and I think it's nice

SunnyFog · 20/01/2024 21:58

Vivienne is such a lovely name.
Nimwen (I totally made that up) would be lovely too.

Maddy70 · 20/01/2024 21:50

JessieIsabelle · 20/01/2024 21:10

I love Nimue and Vivienne. Ninniane and Niniane are other alternates for the "lady of the lake" and Lenore is her mother.

I wanted to know what you think:

Nimue - nim-oo-ay, we would consider this, but not sure we're brave enough

Vivienne - we're considering this, emphasis on the last syllable

(Ninniane, Niniane - wouldn't consider this, but interesting)

(Lenore - I like it, but not enough to use)

My friends call their vaginas Vivian (American) so I would rule that out on that basis alone

KirstenBlest · 20/01/2024 21:46

@NoisyDachshunddd , I think the Nemu pronunciation is too close to Emu.
You don't end up telling people once, you tell everyone not familar with it once. In a lifetime, that's going to be a lot of people.

ianshe · 20/01/2024 21:43

ianshe · 20/01/2024 21:41

Just google pronunciation of Nimue because I'm interested and

It's not pronounced "way", it's "oo-ay". Nimue is three syllables, but pronounced very quickly, so it might sound to you like two syllables.

But regardless. It's, in my opinion, a not very nice name. 10/10 would not recommend Grin

KirstenBlest · 20/01/2024 21:42

@Nttttt , it can be Viv-y-en or Vivvy-Enn.
In French all the syllables have the same emphasis.
English names tend to emphasise the first syllable (e.g. Angela, Verity) but English speakers tend to emphasise the last syllable in French words (e.g Serviette, Baguette, Jeannette)

ianshe · 20/01/2024 21:41

Just google pronunciation of Nimue because I'm interested and

It's not pronounced "way", it's "oo-ay". Nimue is three syllables, but pronounced very quickly, so it might sound to you like two syllables.

SausageAndEggSandwich · 20/01/2024 21:37

It's nim-way

My friend's daughter is called Nimue

It's a lovely name.