What to do about Willa

Girl Names
1

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] Berries! This post may be a lot, but I’m trying to renew some inspiration to help me and my husband have some fresh name conversations. It will still be some weeks before we find out gender but we are really struggling on girls names. My husband doesn’t necessarily seem to have a style (but does not typically go for unique or unusual). I love many of names but I’ve noticed that if it does not hold a ton of personal meaning or isn’t related to family somehow, I can’t picture it on my child or goes so far to the bottom of the list it seems pointless.

Anyway onto the names. So for my entire life I’ve wanted to name my son after father and grandfather, [name_m]William[/name_m] and call him [name_m]Will[/name_m]. Our last name is a two syllable outdoorsy name starting with W. The alliteration didn’t bother me (I don’t mind a comic book sounding vibe). But now when I try think about using it for a little girl by naming her [name_f]Willa[/name_f], I’m not so sure [name_f]Willa[/name_f] W**ds isn’t too much.

In addition to feedback on the first and last name combo, I am hoping for some middle name suggestions as well. Family names I’m trying to use for inspiration include: [name_m]Lawson[/name_m], [name_f]Laura[/name_f], [name_u]Lee[/name_u], [name_f]Teresa[/name_f], [name_f]Valarie[/name_f], [name_f]Freida[/name_f], [name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_u]Maurice[/name_u], and Itlee. [name_m]Feel[/name_m] free to suggest combinations for first and middle with these listed or with brand new names that can honor one of these.

Thank you all for your help at this stage in our naming process!

2

I don’t think [name_f]Willa[/name_f] W00ds is too much at all! [name_f]Willow[/name_f] W00ds on the other hand, would be a different story. [name_f]Willa[/name_f] is a standalone name in its own right, and I don’t think it’s too “wordy”. As for middles, I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_f]Mae[/name_f]. I think it is such a charming and adorable combo that brings a lot of vibrancy to the name! To honor [name_f]Teresa[/name_f], how about [name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_f]Tess[/name_f]? [name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] flows just fine, but I find [name_f]Margaret[/name_f] to be too old of a name to pair with the young, airy [name_f]Willa[/name_f]. So maybe [name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_f]Margot[/name_f] instead.

[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps!

3

Have you thought of [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f]? It’s long and spelling may be tricky, although I find how it’s pronounced a lot easier and much prettier. It honors [name_m]Will[/name_m]/[name_m]William[/name_m] and is long enough to sound great with your last name. You can also call your baby [name_f]Willa[/name_f] for short, as well as [name_f]Winnie[/name_f], [name_f]Minnie[/name_f] or [name_f]Mina[/name_f] if those appeal to you. I’ve seen this name spelt [name_f]Willamina[/name_f] or [name_f]Willemina[/name_f] as well, but I don’t know about those…

[name_f]Laura[/name_f] could really be rejuvenated by calling baby [name_f]Laurel[/name_f], [name_f]Aurelia[/name_f] or [name_f]Aurea[/name_f].

I would tweak the spelling of [name_f]Valarie[/name_f] to [name_f]Valerie[/name_f] and [name_f]Freida[/name_f] to [name_f]Frida[/name_f], which also gives the name a more artsy and less frumpy vibe, if that makes sense.

[name_f]Mae[/name_f] is very much in vogue right now so maybe [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] would appeal to you.

[name_f]Teresa[/name_f] is lovely and could potentially shorten to [name_u]Reese[/name_u], [name_f]Tess[/name_f] or [name_f]Tessa[/name_f].

[name_f]Margaret[/name_f] has a huge amount of options in term of nicknames and different variations, among my favorites are [name_f]Margot[/name_f]/[name_f]Margo[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Greta[/name_f] and [name_f]Meg[/name_f]. Stemming from [name_f]Maggie[/name_f], maybe you’d like [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]?

I also love the name [name_f]Marie[/name_f] and it would be refreshing to see it used as a first name rather than as just a middle name, where it’s so commonly used.

4

I think [name_f]Willa[/name_f] works fine with your surname. If you are trying to “tone down” the outdoorsy vibe, I think using [name_f]Marie[/name_f] in the middle would do that, and with a shorter middle she could easily write out her full name often, as on resumes, etc. if she chose. My favorite middle name options for you:

[name_f]Marie[/name_f]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]
[name_f]Maren[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Mae[/name_f]/[name_f]May[/name_f]
[name_f]Tess[/name_f]
[name_f]Terese[/name_f]

5

I think [name_f]Willa[/name_f] W00ds is too much, sorry.
I love the suggestion of [name_f]Wilhelmina[/name_f] W00ds, it’s a great way to get to nickname [name_f]Willa[/name_f]. You could also use [name_f]Vasilia[/name_f] (foreign variation), [name_f]Liana[/name_f] (sounds like [name_m]WilLIAM[/name_m]), [name_f]Wilma[/name_f], [name_f]Wilfreda[/name_f], [name_f]Williamina[/name_f], [name_u]Willoughby[/name_u] and [name_f]Willodean[/name_f]
[name_m]Lawson[/name_m]: [name_u]Addison[/name_u], [name_u]Madison[/name_u]
[name_f]Laura[/name_f]: [name_f]Lara[/name_f], [name_f]Clara[/name_f], [name_f]Maura[/name_f], [name_f]Nora[/name_f], [name_f]Cora[/name_f], [name_f]Lorna[/name_f], [name_f]Elora[/name_f], [name_f]Eliora[/name_f], [name_f]Lola[/name_f], [name_f]Lyra[/name_f], [name_u]Bay[/name_u] (since it means [name_u]Bay[/name_u] [name_f]Laurel[/name_f])
[name_u]Lee[/name_u]: Any name starting with a lee- sound, [name_f]Lily[/name_f], [name_f]Lillian[/name_f], [name_f]Liv[/name_f], [name_f]Livia[/name_f], [name_f]Linnea[/name_f] etc
[name_f]Teresa[/name_f] - [name_f]Marisa[/name_f], [name_f]Tessa[/name_f], [name_f]Tess[/name_f], [name_f]Therese[/name_f], [name_f]Tera[/name_f], Harvest (since that’s what it means) and [name_f]Anona[/name_f] (also means harvest)
[name_f]Valarie[/name_f] - [name_u]Valentine[/name_u], [name_f]Valentina[/name_f], [name_f]Valeria[/name_f], [name_u]Ari[/name_u], [name_f]Valley[/name_f], [name_f]Valentia[/name_f], [name_f]Vallia[/name_f] + names with similar meanings like [name_u]Eloise[/name_u], [name_f]Audra[/name_f]/[name_f]Audrey[/name_f] and [name_f]Bridget[/name_f]
[name_f]Freida[/name_f] -[name_f]Frederica[/name_f], [name_f]Ida[/name_f], [name_u]Vida[/name_u], [name_f]Freesia[/name_f], [name_f]Francine[/name_f], [name_f]Frances[/name_f], [name_f]Frida[/name_f], [name_f]Fritzie[/name_f]
[name_f]Mae[/name_f], [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]: [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f], [name_f]Mabel[/name_f], [name_f]Miriam[/name_f], [name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_f]Marina[/name_f], [name_f]Maren[/name_f], [name_f]Marcella[/name_f], [name_f]Mariana[/name_f], [name_f]Pearl[/name_f], [name_f]Daisy[/name_f], [name_f]Maisie[/name_f], [name_f]Mamie[/name_f], [name_f]May[/name_f], [name_f]Margot[/name_f], [name_u]Marlowe[/name_u], [name_u]Marley[/name_u]
[name_u]Maurice[/name_u]: [name_u]Reece[/name_u], [name_f]Amaris[/name_f], [name_f]Aris[/name_f]

6

Is it [name_f]Willa[/name_f] W1ld$? That is a bit hard to say for me unfortunately with the two L sounds.

With W1ld$ I would like…

[name_f]Frieda[/name_f]
[name_f]Greta[/name_f] (for [name_f]Margaret[/name_f])
[name_f]Laurel[/name_f]
[name_f]Mae[/name_f]
[name_f]Margot[/name_f] (for [name_f]Margaret[/name_f])
[name_f]Marie[/name_f]
[name_f]Tessa[/name_f]

[name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_f]Tess[/name_f]
[name_f]Willa[/name_f] [name_f]Pearl[/name_f] (for [name_f]Margaret[/name_f])

7

Thank you all for your comments.
The last name is W00d$ (not W1ld$).
I do love [name_f]Willamina[/name_f] and it was one of the first things I suggested before we were even pregnant and DH shot it down immediately and thinks it’s crazy I even liked it (total bummer). I also love [name_f]Laurel[/name_f], unfortunately my husband has a hard time saying it for some reason (gets stuck like the word rural). So I obviously can’t pick a name that he can’t consistently pronounce lol