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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Alula?

34 replies

Teapig · 12/02/2013 21:38

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.

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Original poster
Teapig · 14/02/2013 20:31

nilby, yeah I thought of the Amityville connection too but I figure every name will have some kind of connection unless so I'm not too worried.

sasha I really like Lula as a nickname but I think it might be a bit too cutesy for when she gets older. I'm a lover of Amity too, apparently it means friendship and harmony which is sweet.

Thanks for the encouragement lucy. I think I just need to give our LO the unusual name we love and not worry about it.

Everyone's comments have helped me realise the name that feels right (Fionnuala Amity Rose), bring on the mispellings and horror film connections Grin Thanks guys!

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nilbyname · 14/02/2013 20:00

amityville super scary film!

Aphra...Aphie for short?

Atalune....Luna for short?

Sashapineapple · 14/02/2013 19:51

Why don't you just go with Lula or Lulu if you love the short L oo names. Also LOVE Amity as a first name.

lucywiltshire · 14/02/2013 19:40

Ditto everyone else who loves it. Good for you for choosing something other than the usual names. It's a lovely name.

Wishiwasanheiress · 14/02/2013 15:52

She will be call allelujah most of her life... Sounds ok but either Hawaiian or made up.... Unsure which.

On here tho I have heard A LOT worse so go for it? Our opinion not worth much if u and family like it! :)

Frikadellen · 14/02/2013 15:49

both Alula and Fionnuala but I meant in response to Fionnuala

Frikadellen · 14/02/2013 15:48

its pretty i like it

AlohaMama · 14/02/2013 15:31

Lovely names. I say go for it. And then you can relax!

Original poster
Teapig · 14/02/2013 15:27

After much debate DH and have decided not call our LO anything that sounds too like Alleluia, a-loo-ya or Hola. We have probably saved LO from a life time of teasing, or have we?

We have a new combo that we both like and we finally might have cracked it:
Fionnuala Amity Rose

What do you think? I know Fionnula (Fin-oo-lah) isn't everyone's cup of tea and will saddle LO with spelling it out for the rest of her life but she can always use nns, Fin, Nula, Fi or my favourite Lula. Also if she really hates it she could go by Amity or Ami or as a last resort the more classic Rose.

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Original poster
Teapig · 14/02/2013 07:58

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.

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nilbyname · 14/02/2013 07:26

Beebop ! Brilliant

MrsSchadenfreude · 14/02/2013 07:05

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

Grin
Follyfoot · 14/02/2013 06:53

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

ErikNorseman · 14/02/2013 06:47

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.

nooka · 14/02/2013 03:35

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.

HouseOfBears · 13/02/2013 22:57

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!

Rhubarbgarden · 13/02/2013 22:32

Does the hula.

No.

Original poster
Teapig · 13/02/2013 21:55

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.

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VeryDullNameChange · 13/02/2013 21:15

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.

ErikNorseman · 13/02/2013 21:11

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

ellesabe · 13/02/2013 19:44

I also would possibly mishear it as Tallulah.

nilbyname · 13/02/2013 19:23

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.

AlohaMama · 13/02/2013 17:58

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

Original poster
Teapig · 13/02/2013 15:49

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!

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nilbyname · 13/02/2013 08:21

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.