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HelpDoes Genevieve REALLY sound like a stripper's name?
When I expecting my first daughter, four years ago, I considered naming her Genevieve.
But immediately, a friend of mine wrinkled her nose and said "Genevieve? Oh no! That's a stripper's name."
I have the opportunity to use Genevieve again. Is it really a stripper name?
The problem w/ Genevieve, in addition to maybe or maybe not being a stripper name is the pronunciation. I would prefer the 'French" pronunciation, which I think sounds nicer (less stripper-likely, even). We live in a bilingual area and so both pronunciations fly equally well. However, I am not so keen on the (Anglo) JENNA-veev pronunciation. I am also not wild on the nickname Jenna.
Thoughts please?
My other alternates are Emmeline, Estelle (Estée) or Leanora (Nora). I would welcome feedback on those names, too.
Thank you!
But immediately, a friend of mine wrinkled her nose and said "Genevieve? Oh no! That's a stripper's name."
I have the opportunity to use Genevieve again. Is it really a stripper name?
The problem w/ Genevieve, in addition to maybe or maybe not being a stripper name is the pronunciation. I would prefer the 'French" pronunciation, which I think sounds nicer (less stripper-likely, even). We live in a bilingual area and so both pronunciations fly equally well. However, I am not so keen on the (Anglo) JENNA-veev pronunciation. I am also not wild on the nickname Jenna.
Thoughts please?
My other alternates are Emmeline, Estelle (Estée) or Leanora (Nora). I would welcome feedback on those names, too.
Thank you!
This message was edited 8/26/2014, 6:20 AM
Archived Thread - replies disabled
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Replies
I don't think Genevieve sounds like a stripper AT ALL! Stereotypical "stripper" names are usually tacky words like Candy or Crystal. Genevieve is almost the opposite!
I think the French pronunciation is nicer too, but hard to pull off in an English Speaking area. If you're in a bilingual area, people should be happy to use the French pronunciation - go with it! I don't like Jenna; my favourite nickname is Eve or Evie.
Emmeline is nice but a bit too close to the ultra-popular Emily - I think people would call her Emily a lot.
Estelle is a bit dated for me and reminds me of Joey's agent from Friends!
Nora is beautiful, but I'm not so keen on Leanora.
I think the French pronunciation is nicer too, but hard to pull off in an English Speaking area. If you're in a bilingual area, people should be happy to use the French pronunciation - go with it! I don't like Jenna; my favourite nickname is Eve or Evie.
Emmeline is nice but a bit too close to the ultra-popular Emily - I think people would call her Emily a lot.
Estelle is a bit dated for me and reminds me of Joey's agent from Friends!
Nora is beautiful, but I'm not so keen on Leanora.
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I get more of a nun vibe
Not strippery at all. Strippery to me is more like... Jade, Mia, Kaylie...you know...trashy and modern.
Not strippery at all. Strippery to me is more like... Jade, Mia, Kaylie...you know...trashy and modern.
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No definitely not. In fact my SO vetoed it because it sounded too grand and posh. I love it though, I'd use it if I were you
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Oh my god, I have to laugh. How on earth is Genevieve a stripper name?
My sister is called Genevieve. She's not a stripper.
Your friend is really weird.
My sister's name is pronounced the English way, because we live in Australia. She mostly gets called Evie. I'm biassed, but I reckon it's the nicest nickname for Genevieve. She doesn't get called Jenna by people, because she introduces herself mostly as Evie, or says like 'you can call me Evie' or something. It's not an issue.
Although I speak French, I find the English pronunciation nicer. I guess it's different if you're in a bilingual area, but no one would know how to say Genevieve the French way here.
I really like Emmeline and Estelle and Estée, but not Leanora/Nora. But I like Genevieve the best out of all of them. It's really not a stripper name. I bet if you asked around, most people would find a snobbish name!
My sister is called Genevieve. She's not a stripper.
Your friend is really weird.
My sister's name is pronounced the English way, because we live in Australia. She mostly gets called Evie. I'm biassed, but I reckon it's the nicest nickname for Genevieve. She doesn't get called Jenna by people, because she introduces herself mostly as Evie, or says like 'you can call me Evie' or something. It's not an issue.
Although I speak French, I find the English pronunciation nicer. I guess it's different if you're in a bilingual area, but no one would know how to say Genevieve the French way here.
I really like Emmeline and Estelle and Estée, but not Leanora/Nora. But I like Genevieve the best out of all of them. It's really not a stripper name. I bet if you asked around, most people would find a snobbish name!
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Really? Genevieve? A stripper name? I'd hate to think what other lovely classic names your friend think are stripperish.
Use it if you love it. It's a great name.
Use it if you love it. It's a great name.
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Uh, No.....
I don't think that Genevieve is a stripper name. I think it's beautiful. I like both pronunciations. Emmeline is nice, and so is Leanora.
I don't think that Genevieve is a stripper name. I think it's beautiful. I like both pronunciations. Emmeline is nice, and so is Leanora.
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I'm not paticularly crazy about 'Genevieve' personally but I definetly wouldn't call it a strippers name.
A strippers name would be something like Destiny or Sasha
Genevieve is fine though I really like leanora (:
A strippers name would be something like Destiny or Sasha
Genevieve is fine though I really like leanora (:
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...Huh?
I'm just surprised that anyone could think that. No, Genevieve most certainly is not a stripper name. It's a very pretty, respectable name. I personally prefer Guinevere, but that's just me. There isn't anything wrong with Genevieve. If you want the French pronunciation, it may help if you spell it the French way: Geneviève. I think if you correct people, they'll get that it's the pronunciation you want. Best wishes.
I'm just surprised that anyone could think that. No, Genevieve most certainly is not a stripper name. It's a very pretty, respectable name. I personally prefer Guinevere, but that's just me. There isn't anything wrong with Genevieve. If you want the French pronunciation, it may help if you spell it the French way: Geneviève. I think if you correct people, they'll get that it's the pronunciation you want. Best wishes.
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thanks for all the feedback
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Not even a little bit
Like....what?
Your other options are lovely as well, though. In fact I like Estelle and Leanora a bit more, because both Genevieve and Emmeline are kind of trendy. Or trendy-er, at any rate (I don't think either are actually hugely popular, but the other two names are less expected and therefore shinier)
Like....what?
Your other options are lovely as well, though. In fact I like Estelle and Leanora a bit more, because both Genevieve and Emmeline are kind of trendy. Or trendy-er, at any rate (I don't think either are actually hugely popular, but the other two names are less expected and therefore shinier)
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What? No....
...Genevieve is about as far from "stripper" as you can get.
I don't *get* the stripper thing most of the time. Names like Cinnamon, Destiny, Crystal**, okay, I can see THOSE as stripper names, but Genevieve ? Sometimes people say that about perfectly nice, not-tacky names, and I just don't get it.
**Not bashing these names if you like them, just saying to ME, they're more stripper-y than Genevieve.
...Genevieve is about as far from "stripper" as you can get.
I don't *get* the stripper thing most of the time. Names like Cinnamon, Destiny, Crystal**, okay, I can see THOSE as stripper names, but Genevieve ? Sometimes people say that about perfectly nice, not-tacky names, and I just don't get it.
**Not bashing these names if you like them, just saying to ME, they're more stripper-y than Genevieve.
This message was edited 8/26/2014, 8:45 AM
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these posts are helping me a lot. thank you. should have gone with my gut.
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Genevieve a stripper name? In what reality?
The French pronunciation doesn't do anything for me, personally, but if you prefer it, and it will fly in your area, I think you should go for it. Your other options are also fine, but if Genevieve's multiple pronunciations are a concern for you, you might find yourself unhappy with Emmeline ("leen" vs "lien").
The French pronunciation doesn't do anything for me, personally, but if you prefer it, and it will fly in your area, I think you should go for it. Your other options are also fine, but if Genevieve's multiple pronunciations are a concern for you, you might find yourself unhappy with Emmeline ("leen" vs "lien").
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by the way ...
What name did you change your first daughter's to?
What name did you change your first daughter's to?
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I will tell by Pm, if you like...
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Not in the slightest.
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Stripper name? This is ridiculous.
NO.
eta: My best friend in high school went (a lot) wild afterward and became a stripper. I hadn't talked to her in years and then all the sudden did and she told me she used "Caroline" as her stage name in honor of me.
NO.
eta: My best friend in high school went (a lot) wild afterward and became a stripper. I hadn't talked to her in years and then all the sudden did and she told me she used "Caroline" as her stage name in honor of me.
This message was edited 8/26/2014, 6:55 AM
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Oh that is just too funny! I almost spilled my tea all over me laughing!
It's nice she's honoring you, I suppose. Not a name I'd pair with stripping... :)
It's nice she's honoring you, I suppose. Not a name I'd pair with stripping... :)
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Oh no! Caroline is not a stripper's name! Some honour!
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Haha! One of my old school friends is now a stripper! I'm not in touch with her personally to find out if she uses a stage name but I'm intrigued now! One of my other friends still sees her regularly, I may get her to ask.
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Did you feel honoured??
This makes me wonder what stripper name I would choose to honour someone...my inner brat wants to pick my Grandma's name, but Shirley isn't really a sexy name. Maybe Shirleen. Yeeeaaaah, sexy Shirleen.
This makes me wonder what stripper name I would choose to honour someone...my inner brat wants to pick my Grandma's name, but Shirley isn't really a sexy name. Maybe Shirleen. Yeeeaaaah, sexy Shirleen.
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Haha, no not really. I thought it was kind of funny, such a prudish, preppy name for a stripper!
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I'm beginning to get the feeling ...
That in Ye Olden Days, Caroline wasn't considered a prim or prudish name in certain circles.
Ever read "The Crimson Petal and the White?" It's about a prostitue in London in the 1880's named Sugar who hooks a rich benefactor. She has a friend who is described this way: "Like many common women, especially prostitutes, her name is Caroline."
And I just recently read "Bowery Girls" about two street girls in NYC in the same time frame. Molly is a skilled pickpocket and Annabelle is a prostitute. They start working in a settlement and the lady who runs it uses the name, I forget, Elizabeth? Anyway, she reveals to them that she was once a street child and her name was Caroline, a name she changed when she set out to become respectable.
That in Ye Olden Days, Caroline wasn't considered a prim or prudish name in certain circles.
Ever read "The Crimson Petal and the White?" It's about a prostitue in London in the 1880's named Sugar who hooks a rich benefactor. She has a friend who is described this way: "Like many common women, especially prostitutes, her name is Caroline."
And I just recently read "Bowery Girls" about two street girls in NYC in the same time frame. Molly is a skilled pickpocket and Annabelle is a prostitute. They start working in a settlement and the lady who runs it uses the name, I forget, Elizabeth? Anyway, she reveals to them that she was once a street child and her name was Caroline, a name she changed when she set out to become respectable.
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Ha! Well that spices it up a bit!
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"Vintage Prostitute" is the most amazing style description ever.
How about Moll?
How about Moll?
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Ha well i guess my definition of "old prostitute names" comes from that Jack the Ripper movie that came out like 15 years ago.
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That's interesting. I hadn't heard that about the name Caroline. I haven't read The Crimson Petal And The White but I did see the TV adaptation of it which was good.
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Shirley is kind of cute, though I'd never say I wanted to use it or have it myself.
Shirleen maybe has a sexy vibe, if you're trying for a 1950's persona.
Shirleen maybe has a sexy vibe, if you're trying for a 1950's persona.
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oh boy ...
It's a nice thought, I guess. But I'd rather somebody honor me by taking me out to dinner on my birthday or telling other people what a neat person I am rather than taking my name as their stripper name. lol
It's a nice thought, I guess. But I'd rather somebody honor me by taking me out to dinner on my birthday or telling other people what a neat person I am rather than taking my name as their stripper name. lol
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agreed!
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It's not even remotely a stripper name.
You're going to have trouble getting the French pronunciation to stick, but if you really like it, go for it.
You're going to have trouble getting the French pronunciation to stick, but if you really like it, go for it.
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If I was a stripper looking for a stage name, Genevieve wouldn't be the last one I'd pick, but it would definitely be way out of consideration, firstly because I just plain don't like it and secondly because it has no aura of glitz and glamour to it whatsoever. It's cold and haughty and aloof and just plain unattractive.
The French pronunciation is exotic, and maybe more interesting, but it would never fly in a non-French-speaking family or area; it would be pretentious. Like somebody once told me about some British comedy show where the main character's last name was Bucket but she insisted it was supposed to be pronounced bouquet.
I don't totally believe that you changed your daughter's name just because a friend turned up her nose at it, without doing some research on your own. But for the sake of argument, Genevieve is not a stripperish name, though of course any stripper anywhere can pick any kiond of stage name she wants and probably some actually have chosen Genevieve, because they think it's sexy, or they just like the sound of it and want to use it.
The French pronunciation is exotic, and maybe more interesting, but it would never fly in a non-French-speaking family or area; it would be pretentious. Like somebody once told me about some British comedy show where the main character's last name was Bucket but she insisted it was supposed to be pronounced bouquet.
I don't totally believe that you changed your daughter's name just because a friend turned up her nose at it, without doing some research on your own. But for the sake of argument, Genevieve is not a stripperish name, though of course any stripper anywhere can pick any kiond of stage name she wants and probably some actually have chosen Genevieve, because they think it's sexy, or they just like the sound of it and want to use it.
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Whether or not a name is a "stripper" name is, when it comes right down to it, a matter of opinion, of course. However, there are certain names about which more people have the "stripper" opinion than others. Genevieve is decidedly not one of those names. I do not think of it as a "stripper" name at all, and I've never heard anyone say that it is.
What do you think of Heather and Autumn? They're just names that have had periods of popularity at different times, correct? Heather is a girls' name that had a period of great popularity from the mid 1960s through the late 1990s. Autumn is a girls' name which started to become popular in the late 1990s and is still popular. Just two different girls' names that were popular at different times, that's all. Well, I knew a guy who talked his wife out of using Autumn because he said it was a "stripper" name, while the name they ultimately went with was Heather. Utterly ridiculous.
Lesson: Anyone can say any name is a "stripper" name for any reason they want to but that doesn't mean that designation is "right" while any other would be "wrong." It seems you based your rejection of Genevieve on one person's reaction, but as I said, that is not a common reaction to the name at all.
In the US, insistence on the French pronunciation would be a problem, but if you live in a bilingual area, I suppose it's not. I say go with Genevieve.
When my sister was pregnant, she suggested Emmeline to her husband. He laughed his head off. She couldn't understand why, until he finally stopped laughing and was able to explain. He said that Emmeline sounded to him like something you put into your car's engine or gas tank. There's an example of how any individual can have any reaction to a name, but unless it's a common reaction, it needn't be taken seriously.
I like Emmeline and Leanora, I dislike Estelle, but I think Genevieve is better than all three.
What do you think of Heather and Autumn? They're just names that have had periods of popularity at different times, correct? Heather is a girls' name that had a period of great popularity from the mid 1960s through the late 1990s. Autumn is a girls' name which started to become popular in the late 1990s and is still popular. Just two different girls' names that were popular at different times, that's all. Well, I knew a guy who talked his wife out of using Autumn because he said it was a "stripper" name, while the name they ultimately went with was Heather. Utterly ridiculous.
Lesson: Anyone can say any name is a "stripper" name for any reason they want to but that doesn't mean that designation is "right" while any other would be "wrong." It seems you based your rejection of Genevieve on one person's reaction, but as I said, that is not a common reaction to the name at all.
In the US, insistence on the French pronunciation would be a problem, but if you live in a bilingual area, I suppose it's not. I say go with Genevieve.
When my sister was pregnant, she suggested Emmeline to her husband. He laughed his head off. She couldn't understand why, until he finally stopped laughing and was able to explain. He said that Emmeline sounded to him like something you put into your car's engine or gas tank. There's an example of how any individual can have any reaction to a name, but unless it's a common reaction, it needn't be taken seriously.
I like Emmeline and Leanora, I dislike Estelle, but I think Genevieve is better than all three.
This message was edited 8/26/2014, 6:40 AM
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yes, good points. Thank you.
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How is Genevieve a stripper's name? There's a French saint with the name, and there's this legend. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevieve_of_Brabant
But, at the same time, I'm not sure I could name two daughters Genevieve. I know that the first child isn't Genevieve anymore, but I would still be naming them both at birth as Genevieve.
I don't see any problems with Emmeline (nms, kinda common because of all of the Emmas and Emilys out there, but still not to bad), Estelle, or Leanora.
But, at the same time, I'm not sure I could name two daughters Genevieve. I know that the first child isn't Genevieve anymore, but I would still be naming them both at birth as Genevieve.
I don't see any problems with Emmeline (nms, kinda common because of all of the Emmas and Emilys out there, but still not to bad), Estelle, or Leanora.
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No way is Genevieve a stripper name.
I like both pronunciations and the only Genevieve I know actually goes by Evie for a nickname which I think is adorable.
But, I also love all of your alternates. Genevieve is kind of my favorite though. But I might be more inclined to use one of the alternates because even though you changed it, your daughter was Genevieve first. And that would always feel weird to me to use it on another child. But maybe it doesn't feel odd to you.
Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these choices.
I like both pronunciations and the only Genevieve I know actually goes by Evie for a nickname which I think is adorable.
But, I also love all of your alternates. Genevieve is kind of my favorite though. But I might be more inclined to use one of the alternates because even though you changed it, your daughter was Genevieve first. And that would always feel weird to me to use it on another child. But maybe it doesn't feel odd to you.
Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with any of these choices.
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She was Genevieve very briefly. I can't imagine her w/ that name now. I know, I know... it was an overreaction!
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Um, your "friend" isn't much of a friend, imo! And no, to answer your question, I don't consider Genevieve to be a stripper name at all. It's my cat's name, but it doesn't sound like a stripper name. Re: pronunciation, I like both. We even call our cat by both pronunciations and she answers to both, lol. If you live in a bilingual area, then go for it.
Re: the other names, they're all nice. I've grown tired of all Emma names so I prefer Leonora and especially Estelle.
Re: the other names, they're all nice. I've grown tired of all Emma names so I prefer Leonora and especially Estelle.
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