Mumsnet Talk

...pn eye-oh-nah?

I love it. I think you'd have to be Scottish though - or at least some Scottish ancestry.

Love it, used to look after a beautiful little girl called Iona when I was a nursery nurse and have loved it ever since. So pretty

Ok, but you have to check it doesn't run into your last name (even if your last name isn't a noun but sounds as if it could be one):

Iona Bentley (see what I mean?)
Iona Mole (adrian's next child)
Iona Biggun (Prob not)

Iona Richardson - fine.

It's not the sort of name I'd normally go for but it caught my eye today and DH and I really like it. I have no scottish ancestry but he does on his side

Hadn't thought of that RancerDoo! Luckily ours would be ok

Love, love, love it. Strong yet feminine.

i really like Iona. i have one in my family, and always think what a beautiful name it is.

Love it but had to discount it due to our surname, think 'Iona Chair'

Love it.
Go on holiday to Iona, have a lovely time and then you'll have connections with it!

Being Welsh, I would pronounce it Yona - the Scottish pronunciation sounds really weird to me, though I do like it. But unless you live in Wales then this would not be an issue for you!

Beautiful name - classic, strong, elegant and that rare thing when it comes to names: timeless. You'd never know how old an Iona is.

I don't think you need a Scottish connection for Iona any more than you would for Isla or Isobel.

Go for it.

Is it not an island off GB somewhere? I don't like place-names as names IYSWIM, it would be like calling a child Guernsey or Shetland or Achill. If it wasn't an actual place, it would be very pretty - not a very helpful comment I know!

Really beautiful

I have one! I love love love it, mine is feisty, strong willed and beautiful, (think Merida in Brave) and her name suits her perfectly. Its a fab name.

Go for it!

It's gorgeous. But then I am an Iona.

I love it

I like it a lot but I prefer Io and Ione.

Scottish Island? I like it as a name.

Its gorgeous. For some reason, it makes me think of the sunrise. I also like Iola (eye-oh-la) and Isla/Ayla.

It's gorgeous, timeless and classic.

But teaching one with a noun surname did put me off rather think - 'Iona Ball' <it was actually slightly worse than that but I can't name it and get sacked...>

I've just added it to my list, very pretty!

It is a Scttish Island, in the Inner Hebredies off the west coast of Scotland. It is beautiful, and is important in the history of early Christianity in Britain.

I love it too, though the 'Iona's I know also pronounce it Yona so that would be my initial expectation

Pretty