Oliva or Olivella

[joieria]

Do you prefer Oliva or Olivella for a girl?

We've ruled out Olivia because it's too popular but Olive seems too plain for us. We have Spanish links and want to choose between these two names but can't decide!

Olivella definitely sounds like a brand name for a "I can't believe it's not butter" product.
Oliva will be misread and changed to Olivia I think.

I agree that olivella sounds like olive oil spread. Oliva just looks like a misspelling of Oliver or Olivia.

Just go for Olive or Olivia. Anything else just sounds silly.

I know your problem is that Olivia is really popular, but I think this will also be a problem with Oliva as it sounds so similar.

It’s like when people say oh Isabelle is so popular so we went for Isabel. It’s still practically the same name and will blend in with all the similar popular names.

Having said that, Olivia is a beautiful name. If you like that just go for that rather than Oliva/Olivella, which aren’t as nice and will be mistaken constantly for Olivia.

Both names are municipalities in different Spanish regions - are you from either of them?

Neither work very well in the UK for the reasons already given.

Just have Olivia. It's a lovely name. I taught for over 20 years and met 1. And outside of work, I know 1. My niece.
She gets Liv, Livvy, Livia and Olive !

How about olive?

Not useful if you want a Spanish name, but if you just want something traditional but less usual, the name Olivera (Oh-lih-VEH-rah) has a long history in South Slavic countries and languages (Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian, Serbian, Slovene). Also gives the option of Vera as a diminutive as well as the usual Oli/Liv(vie)/Vivi choices.

I don't like either. She will spend her whole life correcting wrong spellings.

Olivia is a lovely classic name that has stood the test of time. Stick with that.

Olivia is popular because it's beautiful and classical (Shakespearean as well so it's unlikely to date as badly as some trendy names do imo). Olive isnt my taste but I can see how it might have a kind of retro/vintage cool to some.

Oliva will be constantly confused with Oliver and Olivella sounds a bit comical imo. If Olivia is really too popular for you (and bear in mind in some areas it will be less popular than others) then there must be other less popular Latinate choices that would honour your Spanish heritage - Lucia, Claudia, Aurelia, Julia, Carmen, Marina, Alicia, Valeria, Helena/Elena, Ines, Octavia, Maria, Cecilia, Valentina?

Agree with others Olivella sounds like a margarine.

If you call her oliva everyone will assume its a typo and she will spend her life with people saying "oh is it supposed to be olivia?"

Yes sorry, I misread it as Olivia too, and echo the margarine comments.

If people reading a baby names thread misread Oliva as Olivia, then there’s not much hope… also how is it pronounced… like Oliver?

Olivia is OK although I'm not personally a fan. Olivella is awful. Both sound like margarine. One sounds like you merged olive and Ella to make up a name.

Neither - please consider the child and all the explanations until she is of age to change her name.

God there are some rude people on here!

Both are nice but Oliva may be confused for Oliver.

Another one to throw into the mix could be Olivette? I know one, and have always thought it's a lovely name.

Oh thank you for all your comments. I see they're not very popular choices... actually I hadn't really thought of Oliva sounding like Oliver for some reason!

I guess I know what you mean about Olivella but I think once you knew a child with the name people wouldn't think of butter. I still like it even though obviously I am in a minority!

I quite like Olivine as a PP suggested, maybe Olivina? Or Olivinia?

Thank you for your other suggestions, I'll have another look through.

Olivera or Olivine/Olivina would be better!

I quite like Olivine as a PP suggested, maybe Olivina? Or Olivinia?

Are you just inventing 'names' now? They are all awful. The feminine of Oliver is Olivia. You could have Olive. You can't just whack random syllables on the end of Oliver and call it a girls name!

Just go for Olivia - it’s a beautiful name. I’d rather have a popular name than a weird made up one. Don’t do this to your child.

Olivella but you need to pronounce it the Spanish way.

Agree with a pp that Livia is better. Although Liver. Not keen on the whole Olive Oilness of Olivia anyway really.

Aceintunela would be more authetic

They're all pretty terrible. They all look like what they are i.e. someone who wants to call their child Olivia but needs to be 'different' or cr8ive.

If Olivia is too popular just look for a different name.

Olivia and Olive are both really nice names. Oliva, Olivella, Olivine and Olivina are all awful.

If you're OK with it being pronounced olive-ella in the UK (Unless you correct to a Spanish pronunciation every time someone reads it)

Oliva looks like a typo. Or a "cool" speller of Oliver.

I'm not a fan. Sorry

How about Lavinia?