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Help[Opinions] Geneva
WDYTO Geneva? I never really noticed it and thought "eh Euro placename trend" ... until I met a girl named Geneva and thought, hey, that seems nice.
I notice that Genevieve seems very much more popular on this site than Geneva is. To me Genevieve is one of those names that's gorgeous on paper, and in French, but not so very usable as a baby name. Do you like Genevieve better than Geneva?
If you don't like Geneva, or don't like it as much as Genevieve, why?
Who are Geneva's brothers (boy names in what you think is a similar style)?
Who are Genevieve's brothers?
BQ: WDYTO Vaughn (or Vaughan) as a feminine name?
- mirfak
I notice that Genevieve seems very much more popular on this site than Geneva is. To me Genevieve is one of those names that's gorgeous on paper, and in French, but not so very usable as a baby name. Do you like Genevieve better than Geneva?
If you don't like Geneva, or don't like it as much as Genevieve, why?
Who are Geneva's brothers (boy names in what you think is a similar style)?
Who are Genevieve's brothers?
BQ: WDYTO Vaughn (or Vaughan) as a feminine name?
- mirfak
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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I like Geneva though I'd say it's about tied with Genevieve, for me. They each have their own qualities I enjoy. Genevieve feels more light-hearted and cheerful. Geneva is more serious but also more unusual and therefor more intriguing.
You know I love Vaughn on a girl :) The Vaughan spelling seems superfluous and no better than Vaughne (which I believe you advised me against before). It confuses me some why no one can "see" this on a girl- it's so similar to Dawn and Yvonne, afterall -more fashionable though, I think.
You know I love Vaughn on a girl :) The Vaughan spelling seems superfluous and no better than Vaughne (which I believe you advised me against before). It confuses me some why no one can "see" this on a girl- it's so similar to Dawn and Yvonne, afterall -more fashionable though, I think.
This message was edited 3/16/2015, 6:32 AM
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I happen to love the name Geneva. I used to file under the Euro place name trend too, but it actually has a pretty decent history of usage. I think reading about a Geneva in the late 1800s gave me a different perspective on the name. I also just really love the sounds in it.
I *always* go back and forth between Geneva and Genevieve. On the one hand, Geneva is shorter and more streamlined. It sounds more youthful and as another user said, it's spunkier than Genevieve. But I always come back to Genevieve at the end of the day. I think I'm attracted to the saint's story and I also like the familiarity of it. Genevieve just sounds so elegant. Geneva seems more stylish to me, flashier, but Genevieve feels more substantial for some reason. Genevieve feels more mature I guess, like a name with a lot of character.
Geneva's brothers: Jules, Emile, Clement, Thierry, Roman, Marcel, Claude, Robin...
Genevieve's brothers: Theodore, Frederick, Leopold, Vincent, Orlando, Bertram, Rupert, Dominic...
As for Vaughn, I think it would be interesting to see as a feminine name. I mean it does rhyme with Dawn after all. I think it could really work on the right woman. I know a Devonne who goes by Vonne, which is pronounced just like Vaughn. It suits her. I'm not a huge fan of unisex or neutered names, but I don't mind Vaughn.
I *always* go back and forth between Geneva and Genevieve. On the one hand, Geneva is shorter and more streamlined. It sounds more youthful and as another user said, it's spunkier than Genevieve. But I always come back to Genevieve at the end of the day. I think I'm attracted to the saint's story and I also like the familiarity of it. Genevieve just sounds so elegant. Geneva seems more stylish to me, flashier, but Genevieve feels more substantial for some reason. Genevieve feels more mature I guess, like a name with a lot of character.
Geneva's brothers: Jules, Emile, Clement, Thierry, Roman, Marcel, Claude, Robin...
Genevieve's brothers: Theodore, Frederick, Leopold, Vincent, Orlando, Bertram, Rupert, Dominic...
As for Vaughn, I think it would be interesting to see as a feminine name. I mean it does rhyme with Dawn after all. I think it could really work on the right woman. I know a Devonne who goes by Vonne, which is pronounced just like Vaughn. It suits her. I'm not a huge fan of unisex or neutered names, but I don't mind Vaughn.
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I like your description of the difference between the names.
I also like the term "neutered names" - that's a keeper!
I also like the term "neutered names" - that's a keeper!
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My 15-yr-old sister is named Geneva. I think it's lovely, and prefer it to Genevieve. I like how the stress is on the long e rather than the "GEN." Also, I like the sound of "NEEV" more than "VEEV"
I have 4 brothers named Riley (family name), John, Samuel, & Gregory.
As to Vaughn, I fall in the save-the-male-names camp, so I'm not a fan of feminizing it.
I have 4 brothers named Riley (family name), John, Samuel, & Gregory.
As to Vaughn, I fall in the save-the-male-names camp, so I'm not a fan of feminizing it.
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I've never met or even heard of anyone called Geneva in the UK, but we are a lot closer to Switzerland. I checked and it has been used in England at least since the early Victorian period, but it's very rare.
Some sibsets I found:
Philip, Geneva and Rosa
Walter, Buckley and Geneva
James, Geneva & Maria
Geneva & Florence (I was hoping for more cities there, but sadly there were only two!)
I have trouble divorcing it as a name from the place, as it's so unfamiliar, but it looks fine in those sets. Although I want to pronounce it genniver.:)
Not sure what I'd put with Genevieve - probably other old-fashioned but not yet popular names, like Muriel or Howard. I like both names but wouldn't use either of them, altough they could grow on me.
Can't imagine Vaughn on a girl, although it does rhyme with Dawn.
Some sibsets I found:
Philip, Geneva and Rosa
Walter, Buckley and Geneva
James, Geneva & Maria
Geneva & Florence (I was hoping for more cities there, but sadly there were only two!)
I have trouble divorcing it as a name from the place, as it's so unfamiliar, but it looks fine in those sets. Although I want to pronounce it genniver.:)
Not sure what I'd put with Genevieve - probably other old-fashioned but not yet popular names, like Muriel or Howard. I like both names but wouldn't use either of them, altough they could grow on me.
Can't imagine Vaughn on a girl, although it does rhyme with Dawn.
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I like Geneva, but I (obvs) like Genevieve more. Geneva sounds a little spunkier and Genevieve a little fancier. Geneva has a bob; Genevieve has a French twist. Genevieve will always be my preference (pretty much above anything and everything else), but Geneva is a great name.
Geneva's brothers are Jonas, Everett, and Walter.
Genevieve's are Theodore, Benedict, and Carlisle.
Geneva's brothers are Jonas, Everett, and Walter.
Genevieve's are Theodore, Benedict, and Carlisle.
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Haha, I love the hairstyle comparison!
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I like Geneva more than Genevieve. Genevieve seems fussy to me, a bit whiny. Geneva on the other hand seems warm and friendly. I hadn't really thought of it as a name before but it's very pretty.
I also prefer Genoveva to Genevieve.
A brother for Geneva: Maxwell, Moses, Henry, Jerome, and Harold.
A brother for Genevieve: Alexander, Sebastian, Edward, Theodore, and Henry.
I think Vaughn or Vaughan as a feminine name is terrible.
I also prefer Genoveva to Genevieve.
A brother for Geneva: Maxwell, Moses, Henry, Jerome, and Harold.
A brother for Genevieve: Alexander, Sebastian, Edward, Theodore, and Henry.
I think Vaughn or Vaughan as a feminine name is terrible.
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On Geneva, I think it has a pleasant sound, but I still automatically think of Switzerland. :)
I've always liked Genevieve, ever since names became something I truly thought of (age 12-13). I really like old school French names, maybe it is because of my ancestry, who knows. I do think it is slightly prettier in the French pronunciation, Jahn-vee-ev. However, I like the English Jenna-veev, too.
For me, it'd probably go in the Middle name spot.
I know some people find it pretentious, probably in the same way they find Sebastian pretentious, but I don't. I think it is no less pretentious than Victoria or Isabella, but it is well, French, which a lot of people substitute for "classy" and therefore it gets used an pretentious way, and the other two are more familiar.
Geneva's brothers are Felix, Rowan, Oliver... something current, but not too out there.
Genevieve's brothers are Theodore, Nicholas, Frederick... something a bit older, longer.
I've always liked Genevieve, ever since names became something I truly thought of (age 12-13). I really like old school French names, maybe it is because of my ancestry, who knows. I do think it is slightly prettier in the French pronunciation, Jahn-vee-ev. However, I like the English Jenna-veev, too.
For me, it'd probably go in the Middle name spot.
I know some people find it pretentious, probably in the same way they find Sebastian pretentious, but I don't. I think it is no less pretentious than Victoria or Isabella, but it is well, French, which a lot of people substitute for "classy" and therefore it gets used an pretentious way, and the other two are more familiar.
Geneva's brothers are Felix, Rowan, Oliver... something current, but not too out there.
Genevieve's brothers are Theodore, Nicholas, Frederick... something a bit older, longer.
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I don't like either one. Geneva is very much an old lady name around here; in fact, my stepfather has an aunt in her eighties named Geneva, nicknamed Johnnie.
Genevieve I don't like because it sounds so very posh and pretentious.
Vaughn just sounds like a trendy-old-man-name-on-little-boys name.
Genevieve I don't like because it sounds so very posh and pretentious.
Vaughn just sounds like a trendy-old-man-name-on-little-boys name.
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I can imagine really liking Geneva if I met a person actually named Geneva. I bet it would sound pretty cool then. Right now I think, like you did, eh, it's another place name. But it does seem a lot more classic and a lot less tacky than, say, London or Paris.
I prefer Genevieve, but then it is my sister's name. The whole thing is kind of a mouth full though. My Genny goes by Genny or Ducky most of the time.
Speaking of names you didn't think you'd like, I just finished a novel with a girl character named Merrick! I know that's that one of your boy name faves, but I was kind of drawn to it for a girl.
Re: Vaughn - no, I don't like it. I find the word itself unattractive.
I prefer Genevieve, but then it is my sister's name. The whole thing is kind of a mouth full though. My Genny goes by Genny or Ducky most of the time.
Speaking of names you didn't think you'd like, I just finished a novel with a girl character named Merrick! I know that's that one of your boy name faves, but I was kind of drawn to it for a girl.
Re: Vaughn - no, I don't like it. I find the word itself unattractive.
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Was it Anne Rice, or another book? And, was the character born with a tail? Heterochromic irises? Magic powers? lol
The first time I heard the name Merrick as a first name was in about 1987 when I met a girl (about my age - 16?) who called herself that (I doubt it was her real name - not much about her was real). So the original girl Merrick wasn't Anne Rice's character - I'm not sure who it was. Maybe one of Rice's early books had one in it? Anyway I immediately felt that the name was really a guy name, and this girl called herself that as an affectation, because she wanted to seem edgy and gothy. I just thought it was really appealing as a boy name.
Deliberately using names unconventionally on girls, has always been an affectation. (It's becoming that way for boys too?) So personally I think the name Merrick on a girl sounds embarrassingly characterish, though I see its appeal. I think Merrick comes off witchy and "edgy" on a woman because of the Mer- being familiar as a piece of a feminine name, and the -rick so familiar as masculine. So it worked for Rice's witch, and I'm sure for other female characters. To me personally, the -rick part makes it manly and the Mer-part makes it sound happy ... it's cheerful-tough like Nicholas or Jack. But, I can also see how people perceive the Mer- part as making it femme, and the -rick adding an "edge" or whatever. *raspberry*
So I predict (and have secretly predicted since forever) that if Merrick ever does take off in popularity as a baby name, it'll be as a girl name. At best, it'll do this sort of thing: http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/kelsey,mackenzie,lindsay,aubrey,london
And I'll be exasperated, but I won't think it's as bad as some other names people give to girls.
The first time I heard the name Merrick as a first name was in about 1987 when I met a girl (about my age - 16?) who called herself that (I doubt it was her real name - not much about her was real). So the original girl Merrick wasn't Anne Rice's character - I'm not sure who it was. Maybe one of Rice's early books had one in it? Anyway I immediately felt that the name was really a guy name, and this girl called herself that as an affectation, because she wanted to seem edgy and gothy. I just thought it was really appealing as a boy name.
Deliberately using names unconventionally on girls, has always been an affectation. (It's becoming that way for boys too?) So personally I think the name Merrick on a girl sounds embarrassingly characterish, though I see its appeal. I think Merrick comes off witchy and "edgy" on a woman because of the Mer- being familiar as a piece of a feminine name, and the -rick so familiar as masculine. So it worked for Rice's witch, and I'm sure for other female characters. To me personally, the -rick part makes it manly and the Mer-part makes it sound happy ... it's cheerful-tough like Nicholas or Jack. But, I can also see how people perceive the Mer- part as making it femme, and the -rick adding an "edge" or whatever. *raspberry*
So I predict (and have secretly predicted since forever) that if Merrick ever does take off in popularity as a baby name, it'll be as a girl name. At best, it'll do this sort of thing: http://www.behindthename.com/top/name/kelsey,mackenzie,lindsay,aubrey,london
And I'll be exasperated, but I won't think it's as bad as some other names people give to girls.
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It was some recent bestseller, A Spool of Blue Thread. Merrick does sound kind of witchy and "edgy" now that I think about it, but in this book the name was chosen by a kind of Appalachian redneck social climber trying to appear old money blue-bloodish in Baltimore. He named his son Redcliffe.
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Haha, that's funny when considered alongside the Anne Rice character. Hard to believe the author wasn't aware of it, especially since it was a title character.
But now that I think of it, the surnaminess just seems like another reason to think it'll show up on girls in real life. I dunno, it never sounded posh to me as a surname - dog food company, Elephant Man. Guess it might seem that way "back east" since it's the name of a town - so there's probably an old family.
But now that I think of it, the surnaminess just seems like another reason to think it'll show up on girls in real life. I dunno, it never sounded posh to me as a surname - dog food company, Elephant Man. Guess it might seem that way "back east" since it's the name of a town - so there's probably an old family.
This message was edited 3/15/2015, 10:01 PM
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So move to the west coast? haha. I don't think it's pretentious-seeming here.
Maybe someone disagrees ... dunno. Nobody has called it pretentious in the comments, yet.
Maybe someone disagrees ... dunno. Nobody has called it pretentious in the comments, yet.
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Geneve was common here, and Ginevra was used in Harry Potter. (French and Italian translations) There's a student at the school I work at named Genevieve, and the first syllable sounds like Jen in Jennifer. I don't see why not.
The sibset I know is Owen, Genevieve (Evie), and Miles.
The sibset I know is Owen, Genevieve (Evie), and Miles.
This message was edited 3/15/2015, 6:08 AM
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I know a Geneva with brothers Mason and Brighton.
Its okay, its just something I wouldn't personally use. On someone else's kid its okay. I really hate the idea of her being nicknamed Gen though.
Genevieve has always struck me as a little pretentious and kind of ugly. I also never know whether people want it pronounced Jenna-veev or Jenna-vee-ev. I suppose her brothers are along the line of Harrison and Laurence.
Its okay, its just something I wouldn't personally use. On someone else's kid its okay. I really hate the idea of her being nicknamed Gen though.
Genevieve has always struck me as a little pretentious and kind of ugly. I also never know whether people want it pronounced Jenna-veev or Jenna-vee-ev. I suppose her brothers are along the line of Harrison and Laurence.
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