See the results of this poll: Olivia or Livia
Respondents: 63 (This poll is closed)
- Olivia : 35 (56%)
- Livia: 28 (44%)
I chose [name]Olivia[/name]. I like that it’s more complete than [name]Livia[/name]- which could be used as a nickname. That’s one of my biggest pet peeves, nicknames as full names. So [name]Olivia[/name] gets my vote.
[name]Livia[/name] just feels incomplete
I know [name]Livia[/name] has her own history, and I think it’s beautiful, and for me personally [name]Livia[/name] has much more family meaning.
Nonetheless, I voted [name]Olivia[/name]. With that name being so hugely popular right now, I think people would forever perceive [name]Livia[/name] as [name]Olivia[/name], and it would just be a headache. If they were even somewhat better matched for popularity, I might pick [name]Livia[/name]. But I do find [name]Olivia[/name] very pretty, and think [name]Livia[/name] works as a nn fine for it too.
While I appreciate that [name]Livia[/name]'s more obscure, and a legitimate name in its own right (and actually has more history than [name]Olivia[/name]!), I am a huge sucker for the fact that [name]William[/name] [name]Shakespeare[/name] himself came up with [name]Olivia[/name] (what a legacy!), and I love the allusions to peace and literature. Plus, Twelfth [name]Night[/name] is my favorite [name]Shakespeare[/name] play. So. 
It easily wins for me. I love it, and I love that with [name]Olivia[/name] I can use the nn [name]Olive[/name], as well as [name]Liv/name and [name]Via[/name].
I prefer [name]Livia[/name], as it sounds better in Spanish. However, [name]Olivia[/name] would save your daughter a lifetime of "no, it’s just [name]Livia[/name], [name]Olivia[/name] without the O. [name]Olivia[/name] is still perfectly lovely.
I really love the name [name]Olivia[/name]. For some reason, [name]Livia[/name] sounds incomplete to me too!
I personally like [name]Livia[/name] better and I know that they are totally seperate names, but for an actual baby in this day and age [name]Livia[/name] would not work at all. It would be perceived as a trendy take on [name]Olivia[/name] and would always be misspelled/mispronounced. The only real downfall of [name]Olivia[/name] is popularity, and [name]Livia[/name] can still be used as a nickname.
[name]Livia[/name] seems incomplete to me as well.
I voted for [name]Livia[/name]. Honestly [name]Olivia[/name] irritates me; there’s something about hacking off that “O” that does wonders for the name. In the real world I’m afraid she’d constantly be mistaken for [name]Olivia[/name] though.
Definitely [name]Olivia[/name]. You always have the option of shortening it as a nickname. [name]Olivia[/name] is gorgeous and seems more complete. [name]Livia[/name] is cute, but your child will have more options with [name]Olivia[/name].
[name]Livia[/name]- NN [name]Vivi[/name]. (Less common)
Another vote for [name]Olivia[/name]. The reason is simple: more nicknames. There are [name]Ollie[/name], [name]Olive[/name], [name]Liv[/name], [name]Livia[/name], and [name]Via[/name].
Completely Agree With southernmaple.
I prefer the Italian [name]Livia[/name] myself. It’s a legitimate name so it doesn’t look incomplete to me. [name]Olivia[/name] is pretty but so overused. [name]Livia[/name] would probably be the only one in her class with the name. I couldn’t say that about [name]Olivia[/name].
I voted [name]Olivia[/name]. It leaves the door open for you to use the name [name]Livia[/name] anyway, and then you can choose which fits once you see her. Also, it minimizes the need to constantly explain, “no, NOT [name]Olivia[/name]… just [name]Livia[/name].”
I voted for [name]Livia[/name], but I like plain [name]Liv[/name] best of all