Firstly, do you like the name? How do you pronounce it and how do others around you pronounce it? (Please include where you’re from because I know this differs in some countries/languages) [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think there are more ways to pronounce it? If so, which do you prefer? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think there is a pronunciation that is more correct?
Secondly, do you prefer [name_f]Viola[/name_f] or [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]/Vivian and - this is off track from [name_f]Viola[/name_f] - which spelling of [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]/Vivian do you prefer and are they pronounced the same?
Every time I’ve heard someone say it as a name, they’ve said vye-OHL-uh. The instrument is always vee-OHL-uh. I’m in southwestern US, but have heard this pronunciation from all over the US, as well as other predominantly English speaking countries.
Those are the only two ways I’ve heard and almost always vye-OHL-uh as a name. Maybe in different languages there’s be other ways to pronounce it?
Definitely vye-OHL-uh.
I 100% prefer Viola!
I prefer the Vivienne spelling. Vivian looks quite masculine to me, though I know most people don’t feel that way.
Yes, I pronounce them the same, though I know not everyone does.
I have a friend named [name_f]Viola[/name_f]. I say vye-o-la, but a mutual friend calls her vee-o-la. I think the latter might be more correct. I live in Northern [name_u]California[/name_u].
I do not like [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] which reminds me of julienne, as in carrots. I think [name_f]Viola[/name_f] is more beautiful on paper than in sound and [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] more beautiful in sound than on paper so I’d rather be named [name_u]Vivien[/name_u]. I would go by [name_f]Viv[/name_f] and [name_f]Vivie[/name_f]. I can’t think of nicknames for [name_f]Viola[/name_f] that I like.
All the [name_u]Vivien[/name_u] names are pronounced the same in my book.
I’m personally not a fan. It has a rather unfortunate meaning in Spanish that is my first association with the name. [name_f]My[/name_f] instinct is to pronounce it ‘vee-OH-la’ but I’ve heard ‘vye-OH-la’ too - I’m from the US.
I prefer [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f], and this spelling.
I knew an Italian girl called [name_f]Viola[/name_f], pronounced vee-O-la, or more specifically VYO-la, two syllables.
That said I always pronounce it VYE-oh-lah in my head, like [name_f]Violet[/name_f] but with a different ending
Viola seems to be pronounced vye- or vee- depending on the parents preference. I know Vye-ola [name_u]Davis[/name_u] says hers like that but I also know a very musical family that pronounces it Vee-.
Vivienne is my preferred spelling. It looks more complete and feminine. [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] is unisex and I would think the person was a boy with this spelling. It really depends on if you want a more feminine name or a more unisex name.
I’ve never met a [name_f]Viola[/name_f]. I live in the UK and it’s not a common name here. I pronounce it vye-OHL-a in my head (though I’m sure there are other pronunciations). I think this pronunciation sounds lovely and it reminds me of [name_f]Viola[/name_f] [name_u]Davis[/name_u]. Overall, I think it’s a pretty name, though the Spanish meaning is unfortunate.
I do prefer [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] to [name_f]Viola[/name_f] (I pronounce [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] and [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] the same).
I LOVE [name_f]Viola[/name_f]. I only know one [name_f]Viola[/name_f] who is in her 50s, I’d say.
I am inclined to say [name_f]Viola[/name_f] like VIE-uh-la, like [name_f]Violet[/name_f] with an -a. That’s the pronunciation I LIKE the most, but I also know it is likely to be the least intuitive. I accept and like the vie-OH-la pronunciation. I do not believe it should be pronounced like the instrument.
I vastly prefer [name_f]Viola[/name_f] to [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]. [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] is pronounced like my name with Vs instead of Ls… emphasis on the first syllable. [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] is either [name_f]Viv[/name_f]-ee-EN or viv-YENNE in my book. I prefer [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] to [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] but both are fine.
Viola is one of the very best names ever and is sorely underused. The issues are barriers to use, but I think it deserves to be used anyway.
I am a violist, so I always want to pronounce it vee-oh-la. I’ve heard someone say (when we used to have comments on the name pages😉) that vee-oh-la is the instrument and vye-oh-la is the name. I wouldn’t be surprised at either pronunciation which, in some ways is nice because they’re both lovely, and in other ways is cumbersome because either way could get mispronounced.
I definitely prefer [name_f]Viola[/name_f] (either pronunciation) to [name_u]Vivian[/name_u]/Vivienne. [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] and [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] feel very different to me, so it’s more of what you’re going for. [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] feels warm while [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] feels more fanciful. I could see [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] like [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] and [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] like [name_f]Evangeline[/name_f] if that makes any sense at all
I really like [name_f]Viola[/name_f]! It’s beautiful. I say vye-oh-luh, from Turkey but that’s my pronunciation in [name_f]English[/name_f], in Turkish it’s wee-oh-luh. I slightly prefer [name_u]Vivian[/name_u] over [name_f]Viola[/name_f], but definitely [name_f]Viola[/name_f] over [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]. I pronounce them differently, [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] as vee-vyehn.
Yep. I would otherwise like this name, but this supersedes everything else for me. If you have Spanish-speaking family or live in an area where Spanish is widely spoken, I wouldn’t use this one.
I agree with this. Vye-ola is the name. Vee-ola is the instrument. I think it’s a great name, for me it seems southern (though why I don’t know, I just hear someone with a nice southern accent in my head every time I see it)
[name_f]Vivienne[/name_f] (with this spelling) is one of my favorites so that gets my vote.
I love [name_f]Viola[/name_f] (pronounced Vy-oh-luh in my area of the USA). If you love [name_f]Vivienne[/name_f]/Vivian, I would be inclined toward the -ienne ending as it reads most feminine.
Vivian/Vivienne (along with [name_u]Evelyn[/name_u] and [name_f]Violet[/name_f]) seem to have jumped up the charts in my area. Knowing that, I’d love to see a child named [name_f]Viola[/name_f]. She has so many of the things I love in a name; not too popular but is accessible and familiar, and wearable at all ages and careers. She feels vintage but not stuffy, so lovely!
The pronunciation issue might worry me, though!