Hello! We are expecting baby number three, our second girl, in about 3 weeks. We have narrowed it down to two names: [name_f]Isla[/name_f] and [name_f]Freya[/name_f].
Siblings: [name_m]Milo[/name_m] and [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f]
MN: Our kids each have family names for a middle and this little one will have [name_f]Jane[/name_f] for her great grandmother, grandmother, and aunt.
The dilemma:
[name_f]Isla[/name_f] has been on my girl list since 2011. However, I keep seeing it on multiple blogs about it being fast rising in 2017. When I noticed how popular it had become since first putting it on the list I suggested we spell it [name_f]Eila[/name_f], but my husband is not keen on it. I sort of liked that it gives all three of our kids a vowel, an L, a vowel. It also happens gives our girls the same initials EJM.
As for [name_f]Freya[/name_f], it is has also appeared on fast rising names lists though not as frequently. It has also been poo-poo’ed by everyone on my husband’s side of the family. That alone is not enough for us to cross it off the list but it does put a bit of a damper on the name. Between the two [name_f]Freya[/name_f] is a newly added name on our list. Also, [name_f]Isla[/name_f]/[name_f]Eila[/name_f] seems to flow better with the other two names. I’d say [name_f]Isla[/name_f] is where my husband is leaning.
Yes, [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] is far more popular but there was a lot more meaning behind her chosen name than just ‘we like the sound of it.’ Should I even care if DD’s name is the hit of 2017? Is it worth changing the spelling only to have everyone else assume its spelled ‘[name_f]Isla[/name_f]’.
We have a [name_f]Freya[/name_f] and everyone we know comments on how they’ve never heard it before and asks how we heard of it. But, everyone seems to love it!! Funny how you are getting the opposite. We sometimes have people pronouncing it “free-ah” but that is the only issue we have come across. I love her name and have absolutely no name regret!
If you’ve loved [name_f]Isla[/name_f] for years, then I think that should matter more than the fact that it’s becoming more popular. I would recommend keeping the spelling the way it is, just to make it easier. I also don’t think you should pay too much attention to any negative opinions about [name_f]Freya[/name_f]. It’s a lovely name, and it’s not like relatives are going to say mean things about her name (I hope!) if/when she’s actually named that. If [name_f]Isla[/name_f] flows better and your husband also is leaning towards that name, I’d say to go with it, and ignore the increased popularity. Besides, it’s not like it’s in the top 10 or anything.
This is just my opinion, but I do agree that [name_f]Isla[/name_f] is becoming way too popular
So no, I wouldnt use it
[name_f]Eila[/name_f] is not just a different spelling, it’s a name on its own, so if you really like the [name_f]Isla[/name_f] sounds I would go for [name_f]Eila[/name_f]
Plus I would probably pronounce [name_f]Isla[/name_f] the wrong way if I wasnt familiar with it, whereas [name_f]Eila[/name_f] I wouldnt
Now about [name_f]Freya[/name_f]-
I’ve always believed that others (your wife/husband excluded) do not get to have a saying on what YOU are going to name YOUR baby you gave birth to/went through thte hard process of adopting etct and are going to be taking care of for so many years! If you like [name_f]Freya[/name_f] -which, by the way, I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u]- then you should 100% go for it
I don’t think popularity should put you off any name if you really love it, but I do want to point out how similar [name_m]Milo[/name_m] and [name_f]Isla[/name_f] sound. I also think the [name_f]Eila[/name_f] spelling would be really confusing – I would not guess it sounded anything like [name_f]Isla[/name_f], to be honest – and wouldn’t help the name seem less popular.
I… don’t know. (sorry I’m probably not helping!) On one hand, I love [name_f]Isla[/name_f] and want to tell you to go for it BUT… the popularity is rising fast and it’s really close to your son’s name, in terms of sound. [name_f]Freya[/name_f], I’d probably mispronounce it, but I think it’s the least confusing and goes well with your other kids’ names. [name_f]Freya[/name_f] is my choice.
I love [name_f]Isla[/name_f] and it sounds like you do too. I absolutely think you should use it and I would stick with the [name_f]Isla[/name_f] spelling. It’s beautiful and I think it goes well with [name_m]Milo[/name_m]. I know it seems popular but I’ve never met or heard of anyone named [name_f]Isla[/name_f] other than [name_f]Isla[/name_f] [name_m]Fisher[/name_m]. I say go for it!
Could it be that neither is the one? I like [name_f]Isla[/name_f] perfectly well but has lost any novelty in recent years. I prefer [name_f]Freya[/name_f] with her siblings but don’t adore it with [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. I think either name is lovely but wonder if you might find something else that really strikes a chord?
I’m a fan of [name_f]Isla[/name_f]. Everyone likes the idea of being unique, but picking a name that’s on the rise comes with lots of positives. Familiar names are less likely to be misspelt or mispronounced. During those awkward years they ensure that you still somewhat fit in with your age cohort. Perhaps most importantly they’re tried and tested. It’s easy to find out their pitfalls and learn (from many rather than a few) about how they’re perceived out in the real world.
All that said, the choice is yours. Choose the name you love with the spelling you love. Both your options are great. You just have to decide which one you like more.
For you, I think I prefer [name_f]Isla[/name_f]. Yes it’s becoming more popular, but I don’t really think that’s as much of an issue as you think it is. If you’ve loved the name for that long I suggest you go ahead adn use it. I would not recommend changing the spelling however, as that will only lead to years of confusion and correction. [name_f]Isla[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] is a sweet combinaton that works well with [name_m]Milo[/name_m] and [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] as well, I think it’s a better style match than [name_f]Freya[/name_f].
I like the name [name_f]Isla[/name_f] but prefer [name_f]Freya[/name_f] for your family. Aside from it’s super popularity, [name_f]Isla[/name_f] has the same long i sound and i+l combination as [name_m]Milo[/name_m]. The name [name_f]Freya[/name_f] would give each child’s name a different sound, and [name_f]Freya[/name_f] [name_f]Jane[/name_f] sounds beautiful.
Both are lovely names, and both are currently very popular where I live so I suspect there won’t actually be a huge popularity/familiarity gap between the two names in the US in say 10 years time. [name_f]Isla[/name_f] may have the headstart now, but there’s no guarantee that [name_f]Freya[/name_f] won’t catch it up or even overtake it in 5 years so I would honestly just go with what you love best. [name_m]Reading[/name_m] your post, it sounds to me like that is [name_f]Isla[/name_f]/[name_f]Eila[/name_f].
A few more suggestions, just in case: [name_f]Priya[/name_f], [name_f]Flora[/name_f]/[name_f]Florence[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Sadie[/name_f], [name_f]Imogen[/name_f], [name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]…