Not expecting, just collecting (and thinning out the herd a bit!).
I have [name_f]Orla[/name_f], [name_f]Arla[/name_f] and [name_f]Isla[/name_f] all on my list, and as much as I’d love to keep all three, I know that realistically, one day I will have to choose, because they’re all very similar in sound, lol.
Here’s the rundown:
[name_f]Orla[/name_f] has been on and off of my list for years - probably for the last 10 or so? Definitely since my teens, anyways. To my understanding, [name_f]Orla[/name_f] is an anglicization of [name_f]Orlaith[/name_f], which means “golden princess” in Irish Gaelic. For me, the meaning is lovely, because my childhood nickname from my beloved grandmother was “princess”. [name_f]My[/name_f] biggest hesitation is that [name_f]Orla[/name_f] can have the last two letters rearranged to spell “oral” - clearly not an issue in some areas (as it’s in the top 100 in [name_f]England[/name_f] and [name_f]Scotland[/name_f]) though, but I worry that in [name_f]Canada[/name_f], it could be bad?
Hyphenations: [name_f]Orla[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Orla[/name_f]-[name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Orla[/name_f]-[name_u]Rae[/name_u]
[name_f]Arla[/name_f] is a relatively new one for me, but I simply adore it. It’s a Swedish name meaning “early” and for me, is similar enough to [name_f]Aria[/name_f], [name_f]Isla[/name_f], etc. without blending in to the crowd too much, imo. I don’t know that I love it more than [name_f]Orla[/name_f], but I think I could if I let it? Also, not really a negative, but there is a brand of cheese here called [name_f]Arla[/name_f].
Hyphenations: [name_f]Arla[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Arla[/name_f]-[name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Arla[/name_f]-[name_u]Rae[/name_u]
[name_f]Isla[/name_f] is one I’ve also liked for a long time, I love that it’s a Scottish place name, but it’s also a bit popular where I am? I did a work placement for college in a daycare centre that had two Islas in the same class, and I think I might know of one or two more, but all will be considerably older than my children (as I’m not expecting or TTC at the moment). [name_f]My[/name_f] biggest drawback is I’ve heard [name_f]Isla[/name_f] pronounced as “iss-la”, which I don’t like, and S/O’s cousin, who we see maybe 3-4 times a year, has an [name_f]Ayla[/name_f] (ay as in “play” + la).
Hyphenations: [name_f]Isla[/name_f]-[name_f]Rose[/name_f], [name_f]Isla[/name_f]-[name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Isla[/name_f]-[name_u]Rae[/name_u]
Which would you choose and why?
Thank you!!