8.5 Months Pregnant and Can't Decide on Baby Girl's Name

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We're trying to decide on a name for our daughter.  We have two children now, a boy and a girl, Christian and Caroline.  I actually want to avoid a C name.

My top two names are:

Livia Kate (call her Livie)

OR

Katherine Olivia (call her Livie)

As you can see by our two current children's names, we like classic, timeless names, but nothing super duper common.  I like Olivia, but it is just too common, especially in our area.  I thought about Livia and like the sound, but didn't want anything "made up" or too unusual.  I also worry about her having to say "My name is Livia, like Olivia, but without the O." for the rest of her life.

On the other hand I like Katherine Olivia because it's classic and timeless, but we're on the fence about calling her Livie - a nickname of her middle name.  I'm worried that could be annoying for her and confusing for others.

We also did a baby name poll for our friends and family and so far Livia Kate is in a distant last (behind Charlotte, Julia, Juliana and Katherine Olivia).  I'm worried people might think the name is awful.  I know I shouldn't care what others think, but I do.  This isn't my name, it's for my daughter and I want people thinking her name is beautiful.  Not ugly or weird. 

Any thoughts you have on these two names would be greatly appreciated!  Please be brutally honest.   

Southern-Yankee

Katherine Olivia.  I love it!

Loganswife

Katherine Olivia

ChefSarah22

I love Katherine Olivia, however I wouldn't call her Livie.  If you want to use a NN based on Olivia, name her Olivia.

HannahO28

I really like Livia. I know that people are unfamiliar with it though, and see it as a creative version of Olivia. Regardless, I think you should use. I would guess that your friends didn't vote for it simply because it's less popular (Everyone LOVES Charlotte and Catherine). I doubt they would actually say that Livia is awful. They just like the popular names more (which makes sense...the masses tend to like popular names!)

Katherine is pretty boring to me, and I think it's silly to name her Katherine and call her Livie.  

Carolinagirl413

I think using Livia is going to cause her to make a lot of corrections to people calling her Olivia and/or spelling it Olivia. NMS.

I've never understood the idea that using a middle name is confusing or annoying. I've gone by my middle name my entire life and it's never annoyed me or caused any confusion. When meeting someone for the first time, I give them the name I go by; on the first day of school, when the teacher called roll and got to me, it was a simple "I go by Kate." The teacher marked it down, and that was that. That being said, I prefer Katherine Olivia.

RedCardinal

I love Livia pronounced (Lee-vyah). Very pretty.

TripMomma

Joy2611:

I love Livia!!  Everyone's going to say it's looks like you forgot the O in Olivia, but it's its own name with its own history.  I love that it's from Ancient Rome.

 

Katherine is just ... meh.  I mean, it's a great name and a classic name, but it just doesn't do anything for me.

I agree with this...however, if you are worried about it I would probably just name her Olivia and call her Livia or Livie.

ObLaDi

I think Livia is lovely (way better than Katherine Olivia). I agree she'll have to explain it for many people the first time she meets them. My name is the same way--it's not a big deal.

Happily Overwhelmed

Of the two Livia Kate.

I don't mind Livia at all..I actually like it. However feel Olivia Kate sounds better. I guess Livia Kate just looks like two shortened names together to me?

I like Katherine Olivia fine too. But if you're going to call her Livie regardless I'd go with the previous one. Katherine seems a bit stuffy too.

 

shellybird101

You might as well give her the O she is missing from the name OLIVIA, it sounds too much like a NN when just saying Livia.  And I'm not a fan of Katherine.

ljtvirkus

Livia Kate!

blu-eyedwife

Katherine Olivia

unverfkm

I have some friends who wanted to name their daughter Liv, but their parents convinced them she needed a more formal name so they named her Livia.  She is now 6 and they wish they had gone with their gut and named her Liv.  I say name her what you really like.  Your friends and family will typically not mention the other names they liked once you name her. 

BTW... It is one of my biggest pet peeves to name your child knowing you will call them by their middle name.  If you plan to call her Livie I would make it her first name, not her mn.