[name]Hi[/name] Berries! Our baby girl has been baking for 23 weeks and I finally (finally!) got DH to sit down with me and discuss names. I gave him a long list of about 150 names, some pulled from lists I’ve been making for years, many gathered with your help (Nameberry - Welcome to the Nameberry Forums). He picked a handful that “I don’t hate”: [name]Hazel[/name], [name]Aria[/name], [name]Eleora[/name], [name]Ivy[/name], [name]June[/name], [name]Zia[/name], and then settled on his favorite: “[name]Violet[/name]. I like it. Let’s name her [name]Violet[/name]. Done.”
I love [name]Violet[/name]. Especially paired with my favorite middle: [name]Violet[/name] [name]Sofia[/name]. We wanted to name after my grandfathers [name]Bernie[/name] and [name]Sol[/name] (and we will in the baby’s Hebrew name). Because the Hebrew letter for B (bet) is the same as V (vet), we decided that if we couldn’t find a B name, a V name would be fine. The only problem? Our last name is Katz. And the name [name]Violet[/name] Katz sounds so much like “purple cats” or, worse “violent cats” that I just don’t know if I can do it. When I originally thought of [name]Violet[/name], I wrote a post about these concerns and got mixed reactions (Nameberry - Welcome to the Nameberry Forums).
So now I think that the best way to solve the problem is to switch over to [name]Viola[/name]. It keeps the V and most of the name, while ridding the violent or purple cats sound. I think that [name]Viola[/name] is more elegant and [name]Violet[/name] is cuter. [name]Both[/name] age well, though I think that [name]Viola[/name] might need a cute little kid (dare I say spunky?) nickname. My other concern is that I can’t use [name]Sofia[/name] as a middle ([name]Viola[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] seems a bit much, no?). So I need a new middle name that either starts with an S or means “peace” to go with her middle Hebrew name that does both.
Any ideas for [name]Viola[/name] nicknames and/or middle names? Am I crazy about [name]Violet[/name]? DH thinks my concerns are nuts. [name]Do[/name] you like the name [name]Viola[/name] Katz? Thanks so much!!
Additional question: [name]How[/name] do you pronounce [name]Viola[/name]? (Like [name]Violet[/name]–Viol-uh–or like the musical instrument–Veeola) And on which syllable do you place an emphasis? Thanks so much, Berries, for all of your help!!
I say V-eye-oh-la (not like the instrument). [name]Viola[/name] [name]Simone[/name], [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sage[/name], [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sidonie[/name], [name]Viola[/name] [name]Suzanne[/name] work well as combinations. Another suggestion is to use [name]Vivian[/name] and you could keep [name]Sofia[/name] as the mn.
I really dislike [name]Viola[/name] due to its similarity to the conjugated Spanish word for rape. That’s just something I can’t get out of my head when I hear it.
But [name]Violet[/name] Katz isn’t ideal either…
I like davisellu’s suggestion of [name]Vivian[/name]. [name]Vera[/name] would be pretty, too.
I think concerns with both [name]Violet[/name] and [name]Viola[/name] aren’t too important. [name]Don[/name]'t over think it. I pronounce [name]Viola[/name] like [name]Violet[/name], viol-uh, and I think you stress the [name]Vi[/name] part, at least, that’s how my friend does it. [name]Violet[/name] is going to be wildly popular soon, and it pretty much already is. I wouldn’t be surprised if their were more than one [name]Violet[/name] in her class. I’m leaning towards [name]Viola[/name], but they’d probably be mistaken as a [name]Violet[/name] a lot and there’s nothing wrong with [name]Violet[/name] except it’s popularity.
[name]Vivian[/name]'s too mid-century for us, I think.
I [name]LOVE[/name] [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sage[/name], but I can’t get DH to come around–he really doesn’t like [name]Sage[/name]. [name]Simone[/name]'s a possibility. I also love [name]Serena[/name], but I think that [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] actually flows better that [name]Viola[/name] [name]Serena[/name].
I love [name]Viola[/name] so much more than [name]Violet[/name] but [name]Violet[/name] is nice too. I say it [name]Vi[/name]-oh-lah (like [name]Violet[/name]) but I do think the Vee-oh-la pronunciation is lovely. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sofia[/name]. What’s wrong with it? Is it just that they both in A? Personally, I don’t see a problem with it. It sounds musical and beautiful.
As for nicknames, [name]Vi[/name] and [name]Vivi[/name] are nice.
But, if you really have a problem with it, here are other S names meaning peace:
Popularity is not a concern for us. As long as she’s out of the top 50, I’m happy. And DH has no interest either way. I’ve never met a [name]Violet[/name] before, and the only [name]Viola[/name] I’ve ever met is 90.
No, I don’t think it rhymes too much. It’s certainly not the worst rhyming name I’ve ever heard. And I think some rhymes come our musical and lovely rather than tacky, and I think this falls in the first category. [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] sounds lyrical and musical and rolls off my tongue when I say it. It’s beautiful to me and flows together beautifully. You should keep it considering you love it so much.
I personally prefer [name]Viola[/name]. Mainly because of the very reason you said—to me [name]Violet[/name] sounds too much like violent.
I pronounce it like the instrument, and I think most people will.
What about just [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sophie[/name]? I don’t think [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sophia[/name] sounds bad at all.
This thread actually made me think of Violin–do you think that’s completely unusable?
[name]Violet[/name] irritates me, so my vote goes to [name]Viola[/name]. It’s like every other girl is named [name]Violet[/name], or someone’s sister is named [name]Violet[/name] etc. Too much. The name has lost as it’s quality to me, plus it’s way too close to Violent for my liking.
I say it Vee-ola. I like [name]Viola[/name] with the surname.
See I was saying Vee-ola also, until my husband corrected me. And it seems like you guys are half and half. Hm. He still loves [name]Violet[/name] a lot more than [name]Viola[/name] though. Can we get away with [name]Violet[/name] Katz? I hate arguing about this!!!
I usually prefer [name]Violet[/name] to [name]Viola[/name], but I would have the same concerns that you do about the last name. [name]Viola[/name] Katz sounds fabulous. And with the simplicity of your last name, I think you can totally get away with [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sofia[/name].
[name]Viola[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] Katz - gorgeous and sophisticated. Beautiful on a girl or woman. Lots of nickname possibilities for a little girl if you want, but I don’t think you need it. [name]Vivi[/name]? [name]Lola[/name]?
I pronounce the name Veeola - I personally think this is a prettier pronunciation and I like the musical association). V-eye-o-la sounds more like “vile” to me. I would have thought most people would pronounce it Veeola but given the responses above, maybe I’m wrong about that. [name]How[/name] do you pronounce it? People will follow your suit, at least while she is a child and in your care!
If you love [name]Violet[/name], I think it would be okay, even with the last name. I hear you though, and I also have leaned away from [name]Violet[/name] personally because it is so close to Violent.
She makes a lot of great points that I agree with completely. I say go with [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sofia[/name]- it’s lyrical and absolutely stunning.
I count 3 for Vee-ola and 3 for V-eye-ola, not including my undecided vote. [name]How[/name] is it pronounced in Twelfth [name]Night[/name]? Anyone know? [name]Viola[/name] [name]Sofia[/name] is a pretty name! You’re right, @gourmista! I’m feeling better about [name]Viola[/name] now (and it kinda matches in style the names he laughed off my list like [name]Eloisa[/name] and [name]Eleanora[/name]). I just have to decide on a pronunciation and bring DH over from team [name]Violet[/name]. He likes [name]Viola[/name] but he thinks that [name]Violet[/name] is perfect and that I’m insane for thinking up these weird and negative connotations. No one else has a stubborn partner that thinks name nerding is a nuisance, right? This should be the worst of my problems.
I’ve always liked [name]Lola[/name] as a nickname, and [name]Via[/name] (Vee-uh) or Vie (as in French for life). Neither of us like [name]Viv[/name] or [name]Vivi[/name] because it reminds us of [name]Vivian[/name], a name that for some reason rubs us both the wrong way.
I don’t think [name]Violet[/name] is a big concern. I like [name]Violet[/name] and [name]Viola[/name] but i am just going to suggest my Grandma’s name that I love, Veora (Vee-oh-rah).
I didn’t even think of violent cats until you pointed it out.
IF a kids did it might haunt her though.
My suggestion: [name]Violette[/name]
But I do love [name]Violet[/name], but just ran it by DD and she said probably better to steer away from any descriptive name with a last name that could be heard as a noun.
