Calliope

I don't get the hate here! The seventh guideline specifically says not to leave negative comments about foreign names just because they are foreign. So what if it sounds like "canteloupe" to some people? That doesn't change the fact that it is still a gorgeous name.

Pretty name. Also can have multiple nicknames. Callie is so far my favorite.

I love the pronunciation the nicknames, the meaning, and most things about this name. I have to use all my willpower not to name my kid this because I know how annoying it is when people can never get your name down. I wanna name my cat this, though.

Don't like any of the pronunciations.

This name is really weird.

Strange name.

Awful!

For years, I thought this was pronounced cah-lee-op. I love it much more now that I know the real pronunciation! It’s cute, and I like the nickname Callie.

I don't like this name at all.

In my opinion, this sounds kind of masculine. Not really my thing.

I was going to be named Calliope, but my mum liked the English pronunciation better (cal-eye-oh-pee) instead of the Greek version (Kah-li-oh-pee) which was what my family would've called me instead.

My name is Calliope. For starters she was the Greek Muse of Epic & Heroic poetry. Yes, it is a steam organ, but I think that's cool! I love music and I love having a name that's heavily associated with music! As for going by "Callie" I think it doesn't make sense. Call-eye-oh-pee. So I often go by Calli. (Call-eye) I love my name because it's so original. I've never met another Calliope in my life. I also love having a name that has history! It's a great conversation starter & I get at least one compliment on my name daily. It can be hard with teachers, professors, speakers, baristas, etc. But that's also fun! I make a joke out of it. Seeing who can butcher my name the most! All in all, I think this name is beautiful and has so much meaning.

When this name is pronounced cal-EYE-oh-pee it makes me want to rip my hair out. Yes, that is a perfectly acceptable English pronunciation but it is just so terrible to the Greek speaker's ear. Cal-ee-OH-pee is just so, so much prettier and is the actual original Greek pronunciation of the name.

I like this name but we used it for a dog in my family, we call her Callie, so I can't get the association out of my head, even though the name itself is pretty. We pronounce it cal-EYE-o-pee.

The name Calliope was actually given to 142 poor little girls born in the US in 2012. It sounds nice, but it's a little much to use on a real person.

This name reminds me of the word "karaoke" due to the way I would pronounce it ("kal-lee-o-pee").

This name is probably one of the weirdest names I have ever heard, it reminds me of cantaloupe.

Sorry, but it's all carousels and crazy circus music to me. I don't like it at all, even with the cute nickname Callie.

I would like this name so much more if it wasn't for the book Middlesex. It doesn't bother me that Calliope in the book is a hermaphrodite, it bothers me that she's such an awful character, and she makes a stupid decision in the end.

---

I'm going to digress now. The meaning and history behind this name is beautiful, but I would think some parents who name their daughter this would feel smug and brag about the meaning with every given opportunity.
I'm also not fond of the nickname "Callie", because it's a very common nickname for so many other obscure names like Calanthe, Calista, Calypso, etc (not that they're bad names). I prefer Lolly or Poppy.

I love the name Calliope--and Callie as a nickname--but it is hard to get the "Middlesex"* association out of my head.

---

*--In "Middlesex", protagonist Calliope has 5-Alpha-reductase deficiency, which means that she physically looked like a girl as a child, but was genetically male; so when puberty arose, her body changed into that of a young man, and Calliope developed "Cal", a male identity.

It is a little unpleasant to have "-pee" on the end of a name. But don't get me wrong, I like this name well enough - after all it is my name - but still, I'm not sure I'd like people to think of pee whenever they hear it.

---

I go by Callie.

Calliope makes me think of a very joyful girl. It sounds as if it has a bounce to it. Even though I love music, I wouldn't like an instrument to pop in someone's mind when they hear the name.

This is my daughter's name. We prefer to call her Callie because we think that it will be easier for her when she goes to school. I think this name is just beautiful!