Older names...

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

My grandparents are from a little town in Arkansas. We have visited several times in the last few years for family functions. When my great aunt passed away I took some time to explore the local cemetary (I love cemetaries). Aside from the unusual headstones (people had made their own with bricks) and the underground fire that had been burning for fifty years, one name in particular stood out to me. Evil L. _____. I thought, who the hell names their daughter Evil? Well, on the next trip I asked my grandma about her. Apparently her name was Evil Lee ____. No one pronounced it E-Vill. It was ehvel and everyone called her ehvelee (kind of like Emily with a v instead of an m, it was apparently a version of Evelyn). I thought it was strange at first, but it has grown on me. I didn't like the spelling, though. Since its pronounced like reveille (the sunrise bugle call) I changed it to Eveille. I'm not sure I'd ever use it on a real person, but I think it sounds pretty and its certainly unique.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[lneef.livejournal.com]

I think it's bad. It's derived from "evil" (different pronunciation or not, not a good association), it's unpronounceable, unspellable, and no one's ever heard of it. I don't think it sounds pretty. I will, however, not deny that it is unique.

If you want to honor the family name, I'd give her an E. Lee name. Elizabeth Lee or something of the sort.

[requiem-morrow.livejournal.com]

She wasn't a relative of mine. Its just a name I found interesting. It wasn't derived from Evil, it was derived from Evelyn. Maybe her folks just couldn't spell? Apparently no one ever gave her crap about her name, and not because they thought she was evil:) As the majority of the community was/is Church of Christ, I doubt the family was paying tribute to satan or anything.

[bornto-fly.livejournal.com]

I think if I were to use it, I'd spell it Evelie, but I don't know. I kind of like it, but that's not really something I'd use. It's cute, though, and it's different without being too out there. Plus, it has the nickname Eve, or Evie, which I do like.

[ugottafriend.livejournal.com]

Awful. That's all I can say. Just awful.

[politicking.livejournal.com]

i do not like the spelling, but the name isn't completely awful.

[littlehounddog.livejournal.com]

I think it's a really pretty name when pronounced like Emily with a "v".

[littlehounddog.livejournal.com]

And if you think about it, it's really like the name "Nevil" for a boy... it has the word "evil" in it but not the pronounciation.

[in_excelsis_dea.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty. I'm not a huge an of Emily, but I do like the change with the v. I don't think I'd ever use it, but I do like it. And I like the story behind it.

[laura-anne.livejournal.com]

I like the spelling Eveli myself, I think it's a pretty sound.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I like your spelling, but I guess here (Europe) it'd be pronounced very differently, because it looks French.