Genevieve

[Hawknotdove]

What do you think? I’ve always loved it and hubby seems to be on board for forthcoming DD.... but now I’m having a wobble (a self-confessed over thinker, so would have happened with any name!). Is it a bit marmite? Frumpy? old-fashioned? Or (my thoughts on a good day) feminine, elegant and not over-used or faddy?!

FWIW I know it would get shortened. Actively want a name that can be - I like having flexibility with my sons’ names and I like all possible nns for Genevieve (prefer Evie/ Vievie/ Viva but don’t hate other variants)

I don’t need new suggestions, but views on other names on shortlist also welcome:
Grace (have always loved but know it’s a bit boring)
Isabel (pretty but probably too popular)
Imogen (love Immy but find Imogen a bit clunky to say)
Calista (like but may be too unusual for us)
Stella (like this but lack of nn is an issue for me)

I love Genevieve and agree with your view of it - feminine, elegant and not over-used. I also love Imogen. Grace and Isabel are lovely traditional names but feel over-used to me now. I find Stella and Callista quite harsh sounding. I prefer Estelle and Celeste.

Thanks for all the feedback so far - really useful. Girls names are much harder than I thought they would be!

Beautiful. And I love Jenny/Ginny for a nn

I also really like Callista but not Stella. That's a lager

I love it! :)

Genevieve is lovely.

Could you use Star as nn for Stella?

I love Genevieve I think it's a beautiful name. I'd shorten it to Ginny.

I love it but we had a difference of opinion about how to pronounce it so went for Jennifer instead.

I like it. I've only ever known one, a classy, attractive French lady.

I love all your names, Genevieve is lovely, if it was my name I wouldn't shorten it but Gen is a nice shortened version.
How about Estella then you can shorten to Stella?
Calista is also pretty

I love it! Think it’s beautiful and very elegant. Also really love Grace and Isabel, I know they may been seen as ‘boring’ or overused but genuinely think
They stand the test of time

if I saw that I would assume French pronounciation and that you were French/had French heritage. How much do you want to have to keep correcting people?
I like Imogen and Grace.
Stella - no- it's either a beer or an evil ex of Phil Mitchell
Calista- never heard of it - possibly another beer?

I love Grace as a name - no trouble about no automatic nn or being boring - just classic - I also love Stella. I think had I had a girl I would have chosen Stella.

Beautiful name and the name of one of my favourite actresses Genevieve Bujold.

Lovely and much better than your other options.

Classy with good nn potential

I love it

Beautiful. I’d shorten to Gen I reckon. It would be to Jen like Jon to John and Cate to Kate; slightly interesting.

Its my name, I go by Gen/Jen/Jenny.

Nobody actually calls me Genevieve, also pronounced the English way.
Personally I dont mind the nicknames which is good as they are foisted upon me regardless.

I love it - one of my fave names. I like all the other names on your list a lot, apart from Stella, which I'm afraid just makes me think of the larger.

We have a Genevieve! She is shortened to Gigi. Both beautiful names imo

Love it, but hate the shortenings to Jen or Gen or Jenny- totally different vibe.

The only one I know was Vivi which had the same feel as the full name.

Gigi is good! I just think the shortening has to have the same European kind of feel or you've lost the loveliness of the name.

One of my best friends is Genevieve but she's French and it is such a beautiful name, I don't really like the English pronunciation because it sounds so wrong to me.

I also much prefer the French pronunciation of Je ne vee ev! The emphasis is on the last syllable.

I love Genevieve & unusually for me with French names I prefer the English pronunciation.