Leading on from my [name_f]Olympia[/name_f] vs. [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f] thread, I’m starting to wonder if [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f]’s closeness to xenophobia makes her unusable? It doesn’t bother me, but I don’t want that to be everyone’s first thought or for some to even think I’d actually named her xenophobia! So would it be a big issue? Or would it be okay once people get more familiar with it? Does it present an avenue for teasing? I really hope I’m overthinking a bit.
I don’t think of xenophobia when I see [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f]. I just think it’s a cool name from ancient history. Some people might bring up xenophobia but I think you could come up with an unpleasant sound-alike word for a lot of names.
If it really bothers you, how about [name_f]Zinovia[/name_f] instead? It’s the modern Greek and Russian form.
To be honest, xenophobia is always my first thought when I hear that name. I personally wouldn’t choose it for that reason, although I generally love "Z names.
I actually started off with [name_f]Zenovia[/name_f] on my list! I initially preferred her brightness and vibrant spring like feel, but somehow [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f] has a completely different, thoughtful, autumnal vibe, which I’ve completely fallen for. I can imagine having a [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f] more than [name_f]Zenovia[/name_f], but I do love both.
I don’t think of xenophobia at all when I hear or see [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f], but I tried it on my sister and she first thought I had said xenophobia and not [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f]! So the issue is definitely there, I’m afraid. [name_f]Zenovia[/name_f] would definitely eliminate the problem, but I understand why you prefer [name_f]Zenobia[/name_f].
