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Re: Liv.
I think the pronunciation is too problematic. It's like, when I liked the name Leif for a boy but I pronounced it "leaf." Everybody shrilled that "It's LAYF" and how tacky it was for me to say "leaf." So, I'm here to take my turn objecting that Liv is properly pronounced "leave," and pronouncing it to rhyme give is just as wrong/ignorant-American-sounding as pronouncing Leif as "leaf." (How wrong or ignorant-sounding that is? I dunno.) Liv pronounced to rhyme give, will be interpreted as a short form of Olivia or Livia in the US, no matter what you say it is when you get opportunities to explain - IMO. And IRL you don't get opportunities unless you're willing to act pretty weird, giving a bunch of trivia about your / your kid's name unprompted. So if that assumption really bothers you ... eh. You have to just like the sound of the name and not insist on any kind of purity about exactly which name it really is. Which is totally what I would do if I were you.I think it's also about as hipster as Charlize or Rihanna, since I think virtually no one in the US heard of it as a full name until Liv Tyler. That is to say, it's not very hip IMO - it's more just a celebrity copycat name, where it's used in the US and isn't short for Livia or Olivia.It feels to me like basically Liz, updated. Very similar vibe to Liz circa 1975, only less sassy-spunky and more smiley-happy because of the homophone with the verb live.It's not bad, but it's nms. I would def use it as a nick for Livia, though.

This message was edited 3/19/2013, 7:57 PM

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