Mumsnet Talk

This name popped into my head the other day and I really love the sound of it. DH has vetoed it, though, so I thought I would post it on here so one of you lot can use it instead.

I knew a lovely Shola - friend of the children I used to nanny for so it will always have nice associations.

I had a Nigerian friend at school called Shola - was short for Obashola - so I like the name.

Lovely African name. Sigh- I really wish I wasn't so boringly English. Every other culture has cool names and I can't think of any good English ones for my baby due in 5 weeks.

Nick a name from another culture, ScummyMummy! English children don't necessarily need English names, do they?

I'm not so keen on this - makes me think 'shoal of fish'. Sheila/Shula/Shara names have never done it for me either.

So, um, as you were.

Lovely name.

I don't know, Mama... You're right of course that an English name per se isn't compulsory. But I think there would be something rather unusual about a white English person being named Kofi or Manju or Akash or Babatunde when there is no African or Indian connection at all. If there was a personal cultural connection within the family I would go for it.

Ha ha. I agree about Babatunde, etc. I guess I hadn't realised that Shola was quite so African. DH has discounted it on the basis that 'it sounds unfinished' but neither of us knew it was African.

I like it, makes me think of Shola Ama, the 90s singer though.

I'm not sure it's exclusively African. But I have met quite a few African Sholas. All lovely.

I'm Irish and I know a lovely girl in Ireland called Shola. It's unusual but it works really well as it's beautiful .

It sounds really nice, I think it could work on a non african person?
It reminds me mainly of the singer Shola Ama

my male relative's name, short for Adishola (Nigerian)

I know a little girl called Sula, which is Gaelic meaning seabird, I like that.

There is the Scottish Shona as well.