What do you think of this for a girl?

[Geepers]

I have an online friend with a daughter named Alyvea. I really, really like it, but can't decide whether if I stole it, that people would think it's just a different spelling of Olivia.
If I did use it, I'd want it to start with a definate 'ah' sound, and not and 'oh' as in Olivia.
Would I spend forever correcting people? Would my future daughter hate me forever for inflicting a 'made-up' name on her?

you would spend eternity correcting people. and your dd would spend her whole life introducing herself and having people respond with "eh?"
As my DS1 informs me regularly it is no fun spelling your name all the time - even when it is because the world is full of dimwits.
Don't do it.

not great, people would think that you couldn't spell Olivia

I didn't even realize it was pronounced like Olivia when I first read it.. I don't like it. To me it just looks like someone is trying to hard to make a common-ish name, unique.

Alyvea does sounds made up IMO unfortunately, and people are likely to mistake it for Olivia all the time. Plus would be forever spelling it for people.

Alyssia/Alicia would be a better alternative with the 'Ah' sound plus it is a very pretty name and not over popular. IMO

I'm not keen, sorry

I don't like Olivia either though

A resounding no then lol ;)

I don't think I'd have been able to convince my DH anyway, although I still love it. I'll stick to Harriet or Gabriella.

But Olivia is pretty. I like Harriet too.

Sounds like a skin cream to me - sorry. Why not go for Olivia?

Love both Harriet and Gabriella

I reckon you have been taken by a fancy to Alyvea but would you still like it as much in 5 years time or is it just a passing fashion...

At least you will have heard Harriet and Gabriella a lot over the years so you know you must like those names by now IYSWIM.

Harriet is lovely. I wanted it for dd2 but dp argued against it.

Gabriella is very pretty

I desperately wanted Gabriella for my now 2 year old, but DH hated it and I gave in and named her Amelia, but every-one calls her Millie. I HATE it. I regret to this day giving her the name Millie, but it's too late to change.

Could have been worse though, for two days she was called Phillipa. She so is not a Phillipa, or a Pip, or a Pippa.

i personally don't like it as i think it really is just another spelling of olivia. why not Alyssa? that is better recognised and sounds so pretty?

You could keep Alyvea for a middle name if the first name is not too many syllables. Harriet sounds 'jolly-hockey-sticks' but Hattie is nice. Gabriella has lots of cool shortenings. How about Juniper for a cool and unusual but easy to spell name? Friends of mine just used it...

As an Olivia myself, I'd like to vote a big NOOOO!!! People would just see the name Alyvea and assume she had backward parents. And nobody pronounces my name OHlivia btw, that's just Americans. And the A spelling makes it look too similar to Amelia IMO.

If your Amelia is still only 2, why not just announce that she's to be called Amelia? You'd need to try and talk her into it first though, but she might surprise you. Funnily enough my DSis is actually an Amelia and she's just called Mee for short!

I like the name Olivia. Alyvea just looks like a stupid way to spell it.
Reminds me of ALoe Vera too.

Alyvea is really awful . Don't.