Vivian or Vivienne

[BrightandEarly]

Apologies - this is both hypothetical and irrational.

I'd love to name DC3 Vivian if she is a girl, but I've read (on here?) that that is a boys name and it should really be Vivienne for a girl. But I don't like the way that looks , too fussy somehow.

DC1 and DC2 have quite simple, strong names ending in a consonant.

Can I name hypothetical DD Vivian?

To me Vivian is a man's name albeit an old fashioned one that's more or less fallen out of use.

I'd plump for Vivien like the beautiful Vivien Leigh.

Where I grew up Vivian was a mans name. I know loads of viv who are blokes. I don't think it is used much these days .

Vivienne

Hmm yes Vivien is definitely preferable to Vivienne in my mind. Although I notice my autocorrect picks it up as a spelling error

It's a man's name. Rather like calling a girl Leslie. I am afraid I would think your daughter had uneducated parents if I met her. I know it's wrong and I know it's judgy but I wouldn't be alone so why cause your child embarrassment? If, on the other hand dc3 is a boy - absolutely fine and rather charming.

This is how Ms Leigh feels about autocorrect thinking her name's a spelling error.

Love that pic

Certainly wouldn't want to cause DC any issues associated with her name so sounds like we are better off steering clear of Vivian in that spelling.

I grew up with a Vivian who was a girl which may have skewed my perceptions, but admittedly that was not in the UK.

Vivienne.

Beautiful name.

Vivian is totally a boy's name. Vivien or Vivienne for a girl. Nice name for either sex!

Vivienne was number two on our list. The spelling is much more elegant with the -enne ending, imo.

Details thread. Waves at Hearts. I thought of you last night. Met old work mates in "that" pub near the NT from where you can see the LondonEye and fondly remember old MNet friends like LRD and Mrs S and a lovely lady with whom I ran for a train and can oly remember her RL name .

How's it all going?

Vivian is the name of Julia Roberts character in Pretty Woman. I know as a male aquaintance has the same firstname and lastname. So she'd be in good company----

I had a female friend called Vivian growing up. Never knew it was male too.

Vivienne! It's so much prettier. Vivian is a masculine name, plus it just looks frumpy and dowdy that way

I understand it thus:

Vivian = male
Vivien = female (English spelling)
Vivienne = female (French spelling)
Vyvyan = male (Yah spelling )

It's like Francis and Frances IYSWIM

I would say Vivienne "vivi-ENN".

I prefer Vivien to Vivian for a girl.

Vivienne.

I'm a Vivienne. I hate it, and never use it after first introducing myself in formal situations.

The reason I hate it is quite historical. The Young Ones was a popular programme when I was in Primary School. In a town in industrial NW England, no-one knew the name so for it to belong to a bloke, was bad news for me and good news for the bullies.

I know that's a very specific experience but it shows just how easily something as simple as a name can be used as an instrument of torture.

My grandmother is called Vivian spelt like that.i wouldn't think it was wrong if I met a girl Vivian. I do know it's a boys name as it's also my dads middle name!

Thanks all. I think Vivien is the way to go if we get to that point!