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[Opinions] Zoe
I was just reminded of how much I used to love Zoe.I feel like alternate spellings and overuse have ruined it a bit.What is your opinion of this? Do you like Zoe? Do you know many?Do you like the alternate spellings? Zoey, Zoie?
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I've known two women named Zoe. One was my mother, who has been deceased for many years but would be about to turn 90 if she were alive. The other was my college roommate, who is 58 now. So both received the name at a time when it was unusual. I've never known a younger Zoe, or known anyone who used it. I only know it's popular from seeing the statistics.I like it, though I used to dislike it. I think that I was influenced to dislike it by the fact that my mother hated her name. I had to break free from that association. I agree that, to some extent, alternate spellings and overuse have ruined it a bit. When I gave my daughter the middle name Zoe to honor my mother, it was still an unusual name, and it stood out. Now, anyone would think she was just given a popular name as a middle, rather than an honoring name. Same for my granddaughter, whose middle name is also Zoe.I've always wished that my mom had lived to see her name become popular, while the names she bestowed upon her daughters, common and popular ones at the time, are "dated old lady" names.
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This is reminding me of my great-aunt Patricia, born in the 1920s, who changed her name as a young woman because her birth name Emily was 'a horrible old lady name'. LOL
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I hope this doesn’t sound odd, but I always think about your mother in reference to Zoe now — that’s how surprised and interested I was to know of one from her generation. I grew up with four in my grade (not uncommon to have two in a class) and have met several since then. To me, it was one of the common names. My parents commented way back in the day how surprised they were that it was so common — they’d never known one. “We just had six Susans,” said my mother. I like that you gave the name to your daughter (and then she gave it to hers! So cool) — I think it pairs beautifully with Victoria.I’d love to know what she’d feel about it if she could meet all the lovely young women and cute babies named Zoe everywhere now.
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Thank you. Those are sweet things to say.
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hey, isn't Zoe...your granddaughter's mn? That means you know three Zoe's, even if it is her middle!
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Yes, it is. If we're counting middle names, then I've known four, because it's also my daughter's middle name.

This message was edited 5/6/2018, 7:06 AM

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I know three Zoes, all over 30, and someone else I know had a great-grandmother Zoe who was mildly famous, in a local way. It's a nice name; good meaning, short and sweet.
Two of those Zoes spell it Zoë. That's the only spelling variation I've ever come across.
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I like Zoe. My SO loves Zoe and wants to use it. I think the 'y' in Zoey is superfluous and same goes for the 'e' in Zoie. Zoi is a legitimate Greek spelling.I think overuse has ruined it more than the alternate spellings, but to be honest, I've only ever known one Zoe and she's 25. I may use it as a middle name.
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I'd use it! Zoe was one of my very first favorite names thanks to Sesame Street. I'll always love it in a way, even if it's just nostalgia. I don't mind the popularity of names so that's a non-issue to me but I understand the concern. Of course, I've never met a Zoe either.I find the alternatives Zoey and Zoie a bit annoying as they don't look right to me.
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I think it is nice and unique, as I have only met one Zoe who spelled it Zoe. I think there was two Zoey's I have known, if I can remember right. Zoey looks kind of ugly to me.
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I love the name Zoe. It was my german shepherds name. I prefer Zoe to all alternative spellings, but Zoey’s better than Zoie.
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I’ve never known a Zoe, but I’ve known two Zoeys. One was a girl I went to school with. It still felt a bit like a “weird girl” name then, and she suited it very well as she was very weird. Doesn’t give me that vibe anymore. The other Zoey is my cousins four year old daughter, I like the name quite a bit on her, although I’m really not a fan of the y spelling and much prefer just Zoe.
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I think Zoe is okay. Not a name I'd use myself, but nothing wrong with it. It's has kind of a cutesy sound, but I think the fact that it has history behind it makes it seem less cutesy. I prefer the classic Zoe spelling, but Zoey isn't awful. Much better than Zoie or Zooey or Zowie. I know several Zoes. I had a friend in college for a brief time named Zoe, and that's the only one I've known that's an adult (she'd be in her mid-20s now). I work in schools, and when I worked in an upper middle class school, there were a LOT of girls named Zoe. It wasn't quite as popular as Emma or Madison or Ella, but I had both a Zoe and a Zoey in my class.
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I love the name Zoe, but only with the Zoe spelling. I have a cousin in her 20's with this name. Hate any other spelling, just not right to me.
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I used to love Zoe, but yeah, popularity is a turnoff so I've forgotten about it lately too. spelling Zoey is acceptable.
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It doesn’t leave an impression either way. It IS a name I’d avoid because of the popularity. The alternate spellings are terrible, imho.
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Yes, I like Zoe. I know two. My friend in high school was named Zowie.
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I’ve met adults with the name and I’m familiar with its origin, but I still can’t shake the feeling that it’s too childish. It sounds like her parents forgot that their child would actually grow up and spend most of her life as an adult. I think that’s because it sounds like baby babble itself.
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