What are your thoughts on Iona...

[KatyAnn28]

...pn eye-oh-nah?

[Hassled]

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

[beautyguru]

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

[RancerDoo]

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.

[KatyAnn28]

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

[KatyAnn28]

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

[Slainte]

Love, love, love it. Strong yet feminine.

[baskingseals]

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

[MrsSpencerReid]

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

[BikeRunSki]

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

[SurreyWithAFringeOnTop]

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!

[SomersetONeil]

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.

[StepfordWannabe]

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!

[ConfusedandBemused]

Really beautiful

[tudorrose]

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!

[pictish]

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

[LittlemissChristmas]

I love it

[persephoneplum]

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

[EugenesAxe]

Scottish Island? I like it as a name.

[MolotovCocktail]

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

[Felicitywascold]

It's gorgeous, timeless and classic.

But teaching one with a noun surname did put me off rather think - 'Iona Ball'

[hjtunny]

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

[BikeRunSki]

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.

[phlebas]

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

[Rhubarbgarden]

Pretty

[WeaselSoup]

I absolutely love it! It is definitely one of my favourite names.

Sorry for the hijack OP, but while we're on the subject of the name, do y'all think it would work with my surname, which is Pugh? Does Iona Pugh work?