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Ginevra, Genevieve
34
Petcarb · 10/05/2022 04:48
Opinions please. Not mad about Ginny/Gin nickname but don't really mind Gen. I understand Ginevra is Italian for Geneva, is it akin to naming your baby "Paris" or something? But it seems a v popular name there. And is there too much Harry Potter association? (I didn't even know until I googled it was the long form for Ginny Weasley.)
Kisskiss · 10/05/2022 05:00
You’d get funny looks in Asia as Ginvera is a common brand of cheap body wash..
genevieve is beautiful!
cigarettesNalcohol · 10/05/2022 05:56
Genevieve is nice.
Geamhradh · 10/05/2022 06:08
Ginevra is Italian for Geneva but no, there's not the same connotations somehow as calling your child Paris. It's very unusual (only 5,000 in total) and considered quite a "posh" name. I've only ever known a handful. I like it! (The ones I know are young- all under 15) I've never heard anyone connecting it with Ginny Weasley (I didn't know either till you said!)
Theoldwoman · 10/05/2022 06:20
I love Genevieve. It’s in my top 10.
we have a chicken called Genevra.
feelinglowandblue · 10/05/2022 06:33
Genevieve when it’s pronounced Jean-Vyev is one of my most fave names of all time!
Synchrony · 10/05/2022 06:55
I like both.
I do think of Ginny Weasley for Ginevra and would be surprised if you can avoid Ginny.
The Genevieves I know shorten to Gen.
Luredbyapomegranate · 10/05/2022 09:31
Genevieve is great
Ginerva isn’t, it sounds like something vaguely medical or the name of a bank
There is a Scottish flower name Genista which is OK
Cryingintherain99 · 10/05/2022 09:54
I love Genevieve.
ButterRose · 10/05/2022 10:38
Love Genevieve also don't mind Genista as mentioned above but I'm not a big fan of Ginerva
Petcarb · 10/05/2022 10:46
Thanks so much. I've never heard the name Genista before, also lovely. Just need to get them past DH now!
ThumbWitchesAbroad · 10/05/2022 10:52
Genevieve was one of my names if I'd had a girl baby. I didn't. It would have been the anglicised version though, because I rather love the nickname Jenny but really don't like Jennifer (awful family member association, she was never known as Jenny though). I'm also a fan of Jenna as a short version, but can also be used as a name in its own right.
I do like Ginevra and I wouldn't worry about the association with Italian city names - lots of girls called Florence, for example! 
and Sien(n)a, for that matter. Venetia, Venice - all there! But I'm also a huge Harry Potter fan and would always associate it with Ginny Weasley.
ThumbWitchesAbroad · 10/05/2022 10:53
Lots of people misreading Ginevra as Ginerva - dunno why - Jin-EV-ra, people!
Recycledblonde · 10/05/2022 10:55
A friend has a baby daughter called Genevieve, they shorten it to GIgi which I think is lovely.
SweetNcrunchy · 10/05/2022 10:58
Ginevra is OK, a little try hard perhaps?
Genevieve pronounced the French way if you're thoroughly British is also a bit wanky. Pronouncec Jenna-veev is lovely though.
What about Virginia?
queenofmay · 10/05/2022 11:06
I really love Genevieve. It's one of my personal favourites. It reminds of Catherine Deneuve in the Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
I do like Ginevra too. It's very popular in Italy - in their top 10 I believe? It's also the Italian form of Guinevere (as in the Arthurian character), so it's not like calling a child London or something.
I think in the UK it would get misread/mispronounced as "Ginerva" which would be a pain though. It also maybe sounds more charming in an Italian accent than in an English one.
I don't think the Harry Potter thing is a big deal since the character is just called Ginny in all the movies, so that's what most of the public know her as.
drspouse · 10/05/2022 11:09
I know a Genevieve who goes by Evie, which I think is nice.
alorslanon · 10/05/2022 11:14
Gosh, Ginevra. From personal experience, I would REALLY counsel against a name which, when someone ask, what's your name? and you answer, they say "what?!" Ginevra is one of those, it really is. For a few years, while we were living abroad, my daughter had a name like that. It REALLY knocked her confidence. She'd say it in a big loud voice, and people would say, huh?! EVERY TIME. Poor kid. We're home now, and it's much better. But Ginevra, wow.
TempsPerdu · 10/05/2022 11:18
Going to go against the grain and say that I much prefer Ginevra to Genevieve. It’s more rhythmically appealing to me and flows off the tongue better.
A close friend of ours has a DD called Genevieve and it just sounds so clunky and prissy whenever she says it aloud - probably because she tends to emphasise the last syllable, so it’s ‘Jenna-VEEV’.
Ginevra just has a fresher and livelier feel to me.
Geamhradh · 10/05/2022 18:21
queenofmay
I really love Genevieve. It's one of my personal favourites. It reminds of Catherine Deneuve in the Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
I do like Ginevra too. It's very popular in Italy - in their top 10 I believe? It's also the Italian form of Guinevere (as in the Arthurian character), so it's not like calling a child London or something.
I think in the UK it would get misread/mispronounced as "Ginerva" which would be a pain though. It also maybe sounds more charming in an Italian accent than in an English one.
I don't think the Harry Potter thing is a big deal since the character is just called Ginny in all the movies, so that's what most of the public know her as.
Weirdly there are only 5000 Ginevras in the whole of Italy currently alive, but of those, over 3,000 were born in 2020.
It's gone from 0.0something % in 2000 to 1.something % in 2020.
I suppose it's like the Chloe phenomenon in the UK twenty or so years back!
FayCarew · 10/05/2022 19:06
Of the two, Genevieve, but I'm not keen on it
pussycatlickinglollyices · 11/05/2022 10:49
I went to school with a Ginevra (she was lovely), she got "Ginny" quite a lot.
Ellmau · 12/05/2022 00:29
They're both lovely, but Ginevra is perhaps the more straightforward in terms of pronunciation.
Eastlyne · 12/05/2022 22:39
My sis is Genevieve, goes by Gennie. I like Ginevra too, but I like Gin/Ginnie.
veronicagoldberg · 12/05/2022 22:42
I knew a girl named Giverny, which could be an option.
ZoyaTheDestroyer · 13/05/2022 11:45
feelinglowandblue
Genevieve when it’s pronounced Jean-Vyev is one of my most fave names of all time!
Where on earth is that pronunciation from?
The usual anglicised pn is jen-uh-veev.
The French pn of Geneviève has four syllables: zhen-uh-vee-ev.
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