Is Octavia pretentious?

[persephoneplum]

I have loved this name for a long time now and about 6 months ago, decided if I ever had a girl child, she would be called this.

I've got cold feet now and feel it might be a bit pretentious - and I have no problem with strong names,a lot of my favourites have cropped up in the other 'pretentious' thread - but I am considering if it would affect a child adversely.

Freya is my second choice and despite its extreme popularity in Britain, it doesn't even crack top 1200 in my state of Australia. Do you think this might be a better choice in terms of how a name affects a person?

Gardenhunter, why would your sons giggle about Octavia? Is it because it's unusual? Do they also laugh at foreign names? I really don't understand why children would find names laugh-worthy unless they are either silly e.g. poopoohead or Willydick or, possiboy, very unusual. Is Octavia that uncommon and/or laughworthy?

By the way,I don't have any Octavias myself, and probably wouldn't use the name, but I just don't understand what is so 'funny' about it?

Hmmmm pretentiousness level would depend on how posh you are and whether you already have seven children.
I like the name very much though.

No more wannabe upper middle class than hundreds of others including maybe India, Leonora, Clarissa etc.

Freya is also lovely. I'm not helping much am I.

sounds like one of those heathly yogarts

Would you feel comfortable calling her this name?What if you always worried that people would think you're pretentious??If you truly didn't think it was a pretentious name I don't think you would even be asking that question in the first place.Good to go with your instincts x

Like Octavia, especially if your DS is Felix. I also like Clementine and Tabitha from your list.

I was at school with an Octavia and she was indeed posh -in a mousy, churchy way unfortunately. Made me associate the name as being quite cold -sorry!

I like unusual names but I think this one does fall on the wrong side of pretentious I'm afraid.

soooo pretentious
up there with tarquin