Proper noun

O! when mine eyes did see Olivia first / Methought she purg'd the air of pestilence.

I intended to call her after Aunt Grizel, but my wife who, during pregnancy, had been reading romances, insisted upon her being called Olivia . In less than another year we had another daughter, and now I was determined that Grizel should be her name; but a rich relation taking a fancy to stand godmother, the girl was, by her directions, called Sophia, so that we had two romantic names in the family, but I solemnly protest I had no hand in it.

'Olivia , that's a fine posh name for Castlebay,' he said approvingly. 'Ah, they're sick of these Davids and Clares and Gerrys, the dull old names,' Clare laughed. 'I hope they won't call her Olly,' David said. 'Make your own nickname then,' Gerry said. 'Livy?' Clare suggested. 'Liffey even?' Gerry said.

Proper noun

I am thy mortal foe, and it am I

That so hot loveth Emily the bright,

That I would die here present in her sight.

People will please their fancies, and every lady has her favourite names. I myself have several, and they are mostly short and simple. - - - Emily', in which all womanly sweetness seems bound up - perhaps this is the effect of association of ideas - I have known so many charming ' Emilys

This may have accounted for Emma's Christian name, for it had seemed to Beatrix unfair to call her daughter Emily , a name associated with her grandmother's servants rather than the author of The Wuthering Heights , so Emma had been chosen, perhaps with the hope that some of the qualities possessed by the heroine of the novel might be perpetuated.

Emily . Em-il-y, three syllables, like a knock on the door of destiny. Such an odd, old-fashioned name, compared to those Kylies and Traceys and Jades — names that reeked of Impulse and grease and stood out in gaudy neon colours — whilst hers was that muted, dusky pink, like bubblegum, like roses —