Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

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

Alternatives to Olivia?

37 replies

Moomin8 · 19/08/2019 10:50

I love this name but it has been so popular for the last 15 years that I feel using it would be unoriginal.

Or does that not matter?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
pensionpot · 19/08/2019 10:54

Ophelia?

formerbabe · 19/08/2019 11:00

Octavia
Olympia
Lydia

whattodowith · 19/08/2019 11:04

Olive

thebookeatinggirl · 19/08/2019 11:08

Ottile
Isolde

Cbeebiesrehab · 19/08/2019 11:28

Lavinia
Olive

GreenTulips · 19/08/2019 11:29

Orrianna

MacavityTheDentistsCat · 19/08/2019 11:31

How about just Livia?

MikeUniformMike · 19/08/2019 11:32

The spelling is Oriana.

OP, if you love the name, use it. Oliver is always popular and people still use it.

MacavityTheDentistsCat · 19/08/2019 11:34

(But I also think you should just use Olivia if you like it. So what if it's popular? It's only popular because lots of people think it's pretty!)

INeedNewShoes · 19/08/2019 11:35

Lydia
Alicia

But actually, if you love the name Olivia, just go with Olivia!

Moomin8 · 19/08/2019 11:37

Thanks for suggestions :)

Our aim is to choose something that's classic, won't date but also doesn't sound pretentious. For me, Octavia and Ottilie sound quite pretentious.

I like Lydia but I know someone who has used the name. Does this matter?

OP posts:
Moomin8 · 19/08/2019 11:39

Livia makes me think of The Sopranos.

OP posts:
IsobelRae23 · 19/08/2019 11:41

Layla, Amelia, Anastasia, Annalise,Brianna, Celeste, Daniela, Esme, Emily, Eliza, Freya, Giselle, Genevieve, Hallie, Imogen, Josephine, Lorna, Laura, Leah, Marnie, Nellie, Ottilie, Ophelia, Pandora, Savannah, Thalia, Tianna, Vivienne, Willow

AverageMummy · 19/08/2019 11:52

Olivia is a beautiful name & although it’s number 1, it’s still under 1% of babies because the current fashion is to be as unique as possible. I would still use it - it’s a beautiful classic name.

AverageMummy · 19/08/2019 11:54

It will date - when they’re 70 they’ll sound 70 but does that matter?
If you want a name that won’t date you need to avoid the current trends so names beginning and ending with vowel sounds especially a & y/ie at the end & avoid names beginning with vowels.

Cookit · 19/08/2019 18:37

I don’t think it matters.

Yes it’s number 1 but it doesn’t seem all that common - I think because there isn’t a name like it.
Girls names seem to predominantly start with E or A and then the top 100 names is just filled with names that sound like each other - Emily, Emilia, Amelia, Amelie... Eva, Eve, Evie, Ava, Evelyn and Evangeline ... you get the idea. At least Olivia stands alone.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 19/08/2019 18:42

Yes it’s popular but It’s also not faddy.
It’s classic and will probably remain so.
It suits any class and age.
Most names you can have a rough guess of the persons age, but You can’t with Olivia.

bridgetreilly · 19/08/2019 18:44

Rosalind
Sophia
Cordelia
Juliet

Moomin8 · 19/08/2019 19:44

Most names you can have a rough guess of the persons age, but You can’t with Olivia.

Excellent point!

OP posts:
LaPufalina · 19/08/2019 19:48

Ourania
Allegra
Emilia

user1493494961 · 19/08/2019 20:01

Olivia is too classic to date. I agree, use it if this is the name you love, otherwise you may regret it.

MikeUniformMike · 19/08/2019 20:39

I think it will be a name that will still be used but not be as wildly popular in a few years' time. A bit like Margaret, Elizabeth, Sarah, Rebecca etc.

An alternative might be Viola?

Horseshoe1 · 19/08/2019 20:59

Sylvia / Sylvie
Eloisa
Alicia
Aurelia
Azalea

But I have a nearly 3 year old in London and haven't met an Olivia yet. I bet it’s going to go down in the name charts!

fancytiles · 19/08/2019 21:30

Of you like Olivia just go for that!

Moomin8 · 19/08/2019 21:31

Viola is lovely

OP posts:
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.