Alula?

[Teapig]

After much debate DH and I have found a girl's name we both like, Alula. According to our baby name book its Latin for 'winged one' or Arabic for 'the first'.

We like it a lot BUT I just Googled it and found that it's really similar to the name of Isla Fisher's baby, Elula apparently. I'd hate for people to think we were copying celebs.

So what do you think of Alula? Is it too out there? Too Isla Fisher? All thoughts welcome.

[IWantMyBabyNow]

I don't think it is too out there at all....very pretty in fact. And I would not have thought of Isla Fischer!

[PurpleStorm]

I had to google Isla Fisher to have any idea of she even was.

[katkoala]

I like, I'm having a blue one, but liked the name Nuala for a pink, kind of similar

[lucywiltshire]

Isla doesn't flaunt her kids like most celebs so not many people will know what her daughters are called, so not like naming your child Harper or any other Beckham name, or that of any other fame-hungry and attention seeking celeb parent. It is pretty, unusual and has a nice meaning so if you and DH love it then you shouldn't be put off.

[sparkle12mar08]

Have to say it looks completely made up to me, and I'd be forever thinking "did you miss the T off Talulah " Don't like it at all. Isla Fisher not on my radar however.

[Sashapineapple]

I agree with sparkle, it does sound like a made up name.. And a bit like a body part like areola, but I also like it.

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

I didn't know isla fishers daughter was called that - I doubt most people would tbh!

[Teapig]

Thanks all. I'm glad the Isla Fisher connection isn't obvious, I had no idea until I Googled Alula. Plus they've gone for Elula which isn't quite the same.

sparkle and sasha, I know what you mean about it sounding a bit made up and I guess one of my concerns is that people will think we just made up a crazy name. It's in my baby book so if we choose it maybe I'll just have to keep that to hand to show it's an unusual 'real' name

We also have Fionnuala (pronounced Fin-oo-lah) on our short list which sort of sounds the same but I'm worried about the spelling and pronunciation problems. Whereas Alula is pretty simple to say and spell.

Hhhmmm will give it more thought...

[sparkle12mar08]

It also reminds me of Aloha in hawaiian, also not a bad meaning in itself - peace, compassion, mercy, but more generally used as 'welcome' or 'hello'. And you wouldn't call a child 'Hello' would you? Talking of hawaiian, Talulah does the hula from Hawaii, anyone? Not good. Nuala is much nicer and I don't think you'd have to spend that much time correcting pronunciation tbh.

[nilbyname]

I like it, but saying it a couple of times I cannot get this out of my head...

A-loo-ya? Like, you need the loo yeah?

I think it has the potential to sound a bit silly, like Tinkiewinkie, or Lala.

However, names are very dear, so if you like it, than have it.

Did not know the IF connection.

[Teapig]

Crikey, I might have been pronouncing it wrong. nilby, I was thinking it was A-loo-la.

Damn, I thought this was a simple one to pronounce and I may have been saying it wrong myself!

[AlohaMama]

I would pronounce A-loo-la but would immediately think Talulah. Again, hardly know who IF is let alone her kids.

[nilbyname]

tea

Sorry, no the name is A-loo-la, but I kept saying it in my head and it sounds like a-loo-ya?. Just the way it ends up in my head.

In saying that both my children have "unusual" names that I am often repeating/spelling. They also have a complicated surname. I am probably going straight to hell.

[ellesabe]

I also would possibly mishear it as Tallulah.

[ErikNorseman]

Oh no, it's bad. Tallulah is naff but alula is worse. Fionnuala is really nice.

[VeryDullNameChange]

I'm normally hyper-judgy about names, but I rather like this one. Sounds a teeny bit made up, but it's very "name-shaped" IYSWIM.

Practice saying "It's Arabic actually, no, no family connection, we just really liked the sound of the name" twenty times, and if that hasn't put you off then go for it.

[Teapig]

Ha, ha, good advice very dull. I will also practice spelling it and surname 20 out times to see what we'd be saddling LO with.

nilby, our short list is all unusual so I probably be going to hell too! There are some lovely more popular names but they just don't float my boat.

Still torn between Alula and Fionnuala, I guess with the latter if she didn't like her name she'd have 3 or 4 different shortenings to choose from whereas with Alula the only option is Lula. This naming business is hard.

[Rhubarbgarden]

Does the hula.

No.

[HouseOfBears]

She could shorten it to Ally! Though I'm afraid I agree with the others who said they would think you said Talulah. It does sound a bit made up but I think it's one that might grow on me slowly!

[nooka]

Looks like a bit of Alleluia to me. I'd wonder a bit about the veracity of the baby name book. According to Wiki alula is a technical term for a bit of some birds' wing, also known as a 'bastard wing'. I'm not sure it is really a name.

I have an interesting/unusual name and am very happy with it, but it is recognizably a name. I don't think I'd like to be called Alula. Plus the main sound is 'loo' which might be very tease worthy in some circles.

[ErikNorseman]

I've never met an Alula by the way and I've spent a lot of time in an Arab country and met a lot of people. It doesn't sound Arabic.

[Follyfoot]

When I searched it, the first thing that came up was 'bastard wing'. The second was that it is one of the 'my little pony' range. The third was that its a company which gives you money for your gift cards. For those reasons, I'd not chose it

[MrsSchadenfreude]

You could give her the first name Beebop - "Beebop Alula, she's my baby..."

[nilbyname]

Beebop ! Brilliant

[Teapig]

Good to have everyone's thoughts so we can look at it from all angles. I did a straight Google search and found a lot of random things called Alula, the bird wing, a holiday cottage in Norfolk etc but when I googled it with 'baby names' it does come up. I agree it has it's down sides though. Thanks for your thoughts ladies.