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[Opinions] Pixie
Does Pixie work? Do you like it?What about Fairy?Or Fay?Please rate my list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/6232
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No. It makes me cringe a fair bit and I tend to like GP and nature/mythology names. A weird aside, but this happened the other day, my mum (non-Anglo but has spent almost her whole life in the UK so in a way *very*-Anglo) was commenting on a girl at her work calling her son River, and my mum just... didn't get it or like it, and also very much felt it a) wasn't a proper English given name (that was a fascinating conversation because it was like... it was an interesting flip-side to the whole culture/naming debate which gets brought up here, but I feel UK minority culture is so complicated and I can only talk for my experience) and b) River (which shouldn't be used as a name) is absolutely a girls' name. She wasn't impressed with me telling her that I'd happily use River (m) or Ocean (f) and made a face, haha. Anyway, I don't like Pixie. I think of Geldof, it's a bit precious and pretentious and posed in light of that, and also whether fairies/pixies are a good or bad association is very heavily cultural, personally my idea of fairies is quite malicious and sinister and not cute and happy. Also... I just don't like it. It's very fake and pink sugary awfulness.
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I think Pixie would be a cute nickname for a more serious full name, like Patricia or Priscilla, maybe. I like it as a nod to the illustrator of the Rider-Waite tarot, Pamela "Pixie" Colman Smith. I don't like it as a full legal name, it conjures up that whole "manic pixie dream girl" trope. Fairy is still used a slur in some places, I think, although it's old fashioned. Fay is ok, but Fae has a more "fairylike" energy to it. Fay is cloaked in a bit too much vintage dust to seem spritely. My favourite "fairy" name is probably Peri.
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Fay works and is nice, Pixie is childish, Fairy is terrible, it’s also an anti LGBT slur.
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It's too cute! I'm usually a huge fan of the cutesy stuff, but this is just too much. I'd recommend Fayette or Elida.
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I think Pixie can really work if it truly fits somebody. But it’s way more of a nickname type. Kinda ridiculous is anything. Fairy isn’t much better to be honest. Fay is perfectly fine, much better, and usable.I prefer names that actually give me whimsical, enchanting, magical vibes. Maybe names from Mythology, Witches, Literature, or even by meaning, you know, that kind of stuff.

This message was edited 4/17/2022, 10:24 AM

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Fay is the most acceptable in real life. As for Pixie and Fairy, those are guilty pleasures. I'd use them for characters only.
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I don’t think Pixie really works for a legal name. It’s too infantile. I love it for a pet. The same can be said for Fairy. Fay is totally usable.
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Pixie is a haircut, I don't like it for a name. Fairy is not a good idea and Fay is nice.
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Pixie really only works as a nickname, Fairy is horrible, and Fay is actually really pretty (prefer Faye though).
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Well, I have come across Pixie in the wild somewhat recently, as a teenager's real name (she was Jewish, lived in a big American city, mom's name was Victoria, dad was British). It still sounded stagey...better than Dixie, Candy, Honey, Sparkle, Sprite, Doxy imv but not even as down-to-earth as Cherry, Undine, Blossom, Fawn, Winnie. About equal to Petal or Kiwi maybe...I can't decide if it's better or worse than Trixie, Dolly, Sugar. It's one of those word names that seem most likely as an old-fashioned childhood NN, like Cricket or Plucky or Skeeter. Fairy sounds worse because it seems unlikely even as a childhood NN.Fay (whatever spelling, though Fae and Fey look most magical to me) is ok but sounds plain/dated/quaint to me. I have an Aunt Fay and a great aunt Fay on different sides of my family.I do like Parisa, Siomha, Pansy, Prosper, Penny, Meriwether, Rainbow, Thyme. And names like Faith, Posie, Tiên, Siofra, Elfrida, Alva, Meabh, Nereida, Titania, Tinuviel, Umbriel, Poppy, Holly, Goldie, Sunny, Blessing, Nyx, Phoenix, Indie seem nice enough for other people as well. It's not sooo different from those.

This message was edited 4/17/2022, 9:27 AM

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no, and no, and yes ...Pixie is ridiculous. It's a name for a chihuahua, at least a chihuahua owned by a person with very cutesy ideas. Fairy is even worse.
Fay is all right, but better spelled Faye.
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My cat's name is Pixie. It wouldn't have been, but we got her as an adult from a rescue shelter, and they named her: she's tiny and graceful, with huge eyes, so it somewhat fits. On a human, I can't see it succeeding: compared to pixies, we are all large and clumsy. Same with Fairy, plus it used to be slang for a gay man; probably not any more, but it's not a risk I'd take. Fay is not my style, but I've seen it in use as a mn and not been put off, so yeah, maybe.
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