Children’s names too pretentious?

[Anonymous]

Claire?

[Anonymous]

That person isn't your friend if they would say that about your baby name choices.

I do agree that Genevieve and Vivienne are a little too similar. They kind of seem like gimicky twin names to me. I think a lot of people make this calculation. I love the name Julian for a boy, but it's really close to my daughter's name, so I wouldn't use it.

Also, I wouldn't say these names are off-limits pretentious, but having two girls named Genevieve and Vivienne definitely marks you as a certain kind of person. If I met someone whose girls were named that, I would make a lot of assumptions about them right away. Actually, I guess the assumption I would make IS that you are pretentious.

[Anonymous]

I think these are lovely names! I have an adult cousin named Vivienne and am glad to see it coming back a bit.

I think its WAY less pretentious/strivery to give your children nice, longer, formal-sounding given names than it is to randomly select other people's surnames as given names (Hadley, Addison, etc).

But then again I am torn between Priscilla and Gloria as my baby's middle name so I like fancy names!!

[Anonymous]

Your daughters' names are lovely and not pretentious.

Your acquaintance was very rude. (Is it possible she didn't quite know the meaning of pretentious?"

I agree that Vivienne is too close to Genevieve. Just tossing out some other possibilities: Claire, Nina, Vanessa, Marissa, Lucy, Emilia/Amelia

[Anonymous]

Cecily
Penelope
Margarette
Evette
Nathalie
Nadine

[Anonymous]

I love all 3 names

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think these are lovely names! I have an adult cousin named Vivienne and am glad to see it coming back a bit.

I think its WAY less pretentious/strivery to give your children nice, longer, formal-sounding given names than it is to randomly select other people's surnames as given names (Hadley, Addison, etc).

But then again I am torn between Priscilla and Gloria as my baby's middle name so I like fancy names!!

I don’t get the “use a last name as a first name” trend, unless it’s a family name.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone who tells an acquaintance that their kids’ names are pretentious is 100% an a**hole.

They’re lovely names. And for most of your kids’ lives, they will present to the world as individuals, not as a set of three. Don’t give that ridiculous b*tchy comment one more thought.

What’s Genevieve’s nickname? I can see the previous poster’s point about it being too close to Vivienne. But that is the only thing I think you need to worry about.

Lol, that is a great point - we call her Viv. Could get confusing but I really do just love the name.

This should be a dealbreaker. I hadn’t thought about the Viv nn until you mentioned it - Gen is the first possibility that comes to mind.

While I think Genevieve and Vivienne are fine as sisters, it doesn’t work with the nickname you chose. Can you imagine saying “Viv and Vivienne, time to go home!” at the playground? At school? At home? It sounds ridiculous.

Plus, you kind of guarantee that Vivienne would never be able to use a nickname. Viv is taken. Vivi sounds the same as Viv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think anyone who tells an acquaintance that their kids’ names are pretentious is 100% an a**hole.

They’re lovely names. And for most of your kids’ lives, they will present to the world as individuals, not as a set of three. Don’t give that ridiculous b*tchy comment one more thought.

What’s Genevieve’s nickname? I can see the previous poster’s point about it being too close to Vivienne. But that is the only thing I think you need to worry about.

Lol, that is a great point - we call her Viv. Could get confusing but I really do just love the name.

You call your daughter Genevieve Viv and want to name the new baby Vivienne? Or are you saying you would call Vivienne Viv?

I like the names and don’t think they’re pretentious but Genevieve nn Viv and Vivienne would be a no.

Think about saying “Viv and Vivienne!”

No, no, no and No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not pretentious. Genevieve is just really harsh sounding. Vivienne and Sophia are not.

Genevieve is one of my ALL time favorite names. I love it. I also love Vivienne and Sophie. And Genevieve and Vivienne are not that close. G sound, V sound.

I would definitely go with Vivienne to round out the names.

[Anonymous]

Maybe your friend doesn’t know what the word “pretentious” actually means and she was trying to tell you that you can’t name sisters Genevieve and Vivienne It’s like having a James and a Jaime. Or a John and Juan. Well, not exactly same correlation, but still. You can’t do it.

They aren’t pretentious names though. Pretentious is like Thatcher Carrington Arbuckle IV, but call him Shrimpy as he picked that up at Deerfield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not to be a jerk but your names are way too trendy and overused to be considered pretentious.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think these are lovely names! I have an adult cousin named Vivienne and am glad to see it coming back a bit.

I think its WAY less pretentious/strivery to give your children nice, longer, formal-sounding given names than it is to randomly select other people's surnames as given names (Hadley, Addison, etc).

But then again I am torn between Priscilla and Gloria as my baby's middle name so I like fancy names!!

I don’t get the “use a last name as a first name” trend, unless it’s a family name.

Exactly, a family name no matter the origin is great. Random waspy sounding names that you pick bc you think it sounds classy is super pretentious and lame (There are SO many: Grayson/Greyson, Hudson, Landon, Easton, Colton, Sawyer, Parker, Jameson; Harper, Madison, Riley, Addison, Everly, Emerson, Hadley, etc)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not pretentious. Genevieve is just really harsh sounding. Vivienne and Sophia are not.

Genevieve is one of my ALL time favorite names. I love it. I also love Vivienne and Sophie. And Genevieve and Vivienne are not that close. G sound, V sound.

I would definitely go with Vivienne to round out the names.

Did you miss t Th he part where Genevieve’s nickname is Viv? She would have Viv and Vivienne! You don’t think that’s a little nuts?

[Anonymous]

Arlette

Or

Janelle?