Will Olivia inevitably get shortened?

[Brightyellowflowers]

I like the name Olivia, not overly keen on Liv or Livvy. Is this inevitable?

Yes by secondary school, if not before

I know 3. 1 has always been an Olivia and the other 2 are Liv's (but only to friends and family. At work / school they are also Olivia)

I know two, both are Liv

Same here! All the Olivias at my DC’s school are known by their last name as there are so many.

There are other options for shortening it eg. Via, ollie, ols, lils but where I'm from people would 100% shorten it with it being more than 2 syllables!

I know a few, always called Olivia but they are quite young about 7-8 so that could change as they get older. One of them I noticed that her mum calls her Liv but haven't heard anyone else call her that.

How about Iona? Impossible to shorten this beautiful name.

Most of the Olivias I've known have gone by Olivia.

@FondantFancyFan It's 3 syllables, and Io an Ione are also names. Ian gets shortened to E.
Iona doesn't go with some surnames.

@Dillanegasms , I'd say Elizabeth as 4 syllables but Olivia as 3.
If using both in full I'd probably say Lizbeth and Liv-ya.

I had Elizabeth and Catherine on my list when pregnant but deleted them because I dislike most of the nicknames. It’s not inevitable that she’ll choose to be a Liv or Livvy but it’s likely.

My mother’s childhood best friend in the 1940s was Maggie, whose parents insisted on Margaret at home but couldn’t stop her introducing herself to people as Maggie and using that name socially.

The Iona I know is universally called Iggy…. I know an adult Olivia (because she doesn’t like it shortened) but most have been Liv and you can’t do anything about what her friends call her. If you don’t like the obvious contracted form don’t choose the name but it still might end up not what you expect. It took me a long time to work out the real name of my son’s friend Lod (Elodie)

Know a Livi ( spelling retains the original letters in Olivia.) Any name can be shortened. Ellie or Ella can be Elle or Els. Isla can be Ails. Anya can be Ann or Annie

Friend of mine is an Olivia. But I do know a couple of younger girls/women who go by Liv (personally I think this is a nice shortening)

Are you sure? We nearly went for this before realising how insanely popular it is and avoiding. Good call first baby’s group I went to there were three of them.

Every Olivia I know is a Liv/Livi/Livia, so I think probably yes.

Yes, I believe that the (imo) very pretty name Olivia will be shortened. I don't know why but it seems people prefer a name to be shortened. There are so few names that can't be shortened somehow.

Unless she hates it being shortened herself and is confident enough to repeat “I prefer Olivia” even to adults, then yes it will be shortened. I don’t think it’s always the case for all names, but generally 4 syllable ones are more of a mouthful to say quickly - so I know very few longer names that don’t get shortened sometimes. You could push for something other than Liv though- Oli, Via or Lia? You’d likely have to use it from day 1 though.

(I have exactly the same issue with name choices btw - so many longer names I love but dislike the most commonplace shortening. It’s a tough one.).

Oli, Ol, Livs, Liv, Livvy, Via - been teaching a long time!

My niece is Olivia and is only ever Olivia with family and friends

More often than not it gets shortened. DD knows 3 20yo Olivias - two Livvys and only one goes by her proper name.

It isn’t inevitable but it is very likely. It’s like Catherine, Elizabeth and Victoria in that way.

We have an Olivia in our family. She has variously been Liv, Livvy , Lou in the bosom of her family but is firmly an Olivia outside the home. I think it is the most elegant name and will always be raging my dsis got there before me!

It’s a lovely name but has been spoiled through over use. Why do so many people recycle the same few names over and over again?!

Olivia /Eve /Amelia /Grace /Isabel / Lily every other girl now is called one of these or a derivative of them admit am really bored of these names now! So many other perfectly nice names! Why not Miranda/ Susannah / Hester / Mary /Honor ? She’ll be one of four in a class. Like my local friendship group there are about 20 of us 4 of us have my name, 4 all have another same name then 3 share another same name. Bonkers.