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Baby names

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Original poster

Arabella or Mila?

45 replies

jennythebest · 06/07/2017 16:45

What does everyone think of Arabella? Our other final option is Mila (mee la). Which do you prefer?

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Pinkandgreenandblue · 16/07/2017 23:29

I love Arabella, and find it less frilly than say Annabella or Isabella

halcyondays · 13/07/2017 14:17

Arabella or Sasha

PopcornBits · 13/07/2017 14:13

Just go for Poppy. Can't go wrong with that.

Kittymum03 · 07/07/2017 14:05

This reply has been deleted

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grufallosfriend · 07/07/2017 13:27

Sasha is a boys name in many countries, short for Alexander.

Enidblyton1 · 07/07/2017 12:17

Love Sasha!
I quite like Arabella, and it's fairly unusual.
I like Mila, though agree pronounciation can be varied. We know a Camilla who is known as Mila (pronounced Mill- a)

LottieDoubtie · 07/07/2017 12:11

Sasha is pretty OP!

Amee1992x · 07/07/2017 12:04

Mila, pronounced me-la.

Original poster
jennythebest · 07/07/2017 12:02

oceana sounds a bit celeb, maybe as a middle name.

Another name i am considering is Sasha? Opinions?

OP posts:
LottieDoubtie · 07/07/2017 11:40

Oceana is the name of a chain of nightclubs so I wouldn't.

OP how about- Eleanor, Lucinda (Lucy), Martha, Charlotte, Felicity, Alexandra?

summerbaby2017 · 07/07/2017 11:33

Whilst we are discussing names....Can I ask peoples views on our wildcard name "Oceana"?! Do you think we would get ridiculed? Maybe it's too much for anfirst name (unless you are a celeb or something) but could get away with it as a middle name even?

summerbaby2017 · 07/07/2017 11:15

I love the name Arabella is was my top choice for our daughter but husband had a bad association with it so got ruled out. So thought of Amabella or Mirabella as an alternative but he doesn't like those either! What are your thoughts? Our friends called their daughter milla to start with but then came across too many pronouciation issues so quickly changed the name!

Decaffstilltastesweird · 07/07/2017 11:12

Arianna? Annie is so much nicer than another bloody Bella. Could also be arrie (as could arabella).

Similar to Mila, maybe Leah? Matilda?

Original poster
jennythebest · 07/07/2017 11:00

hmmmmm, does anyone have any other name suggestions if i like these ?Grin

OP posts:
SnowWhite33 · 07/07/2017 10:50

Mila is short for Camilla or Milena (ful name of Mila Kunis), or Milenica (full name of Milla Jovovic). I never understand why people in th UK pronounce it 'Meela' when it is very clearly 'Mih-la'.
Its on my list as nn for dd2( full name would be Camilla) so ive done quite some research for possible pronunciation issues

GoldenWorld · 07/07/2017 10:42

I don't think it is anymore, Arabella is in the top 100 now and getting more popular. I know a couple of young Arabellas from 'normal' backgrounds, one has a young, working class mum. I guess it does still have the posh connotations but as it's getting more popular I think that stereotype will start to go.

Mila has also shot up in popularity. It's a nice name but it's celebrity trendy which would put me off.

LottieDoubtie · 07/07/2017 10:05

Grin I love that I might have just outed your Arabella decaff

I once looked up the stats for girls called Arabella, I had 4 of them in one year group at work and only 13 were born in the UK in the year in question. It's definitely a name that is largely confined to a particular subset of the population. Which is fine and lovely if you are one of them but worth being aware of if you're not! Grin. As I said earlier though I think it is a lovely name.

Claire188 · 07/07/2017 09:50

I like Mila more. Smile

Original poster
jennythebest · 07/07/2017 09:46

hmm i never thought of Arabella as a really "posh" name before but thinking about it, it is very frilly...Also good point about there being enough Bellas!

OP posts:
Decaffstilltastesweird · 07/07/2017 08:30

Tbf though, my only aristocratic friend smoked roll ups too... it was the accent though, the aristocratic friend had a telling accent. Arabella did a convincingly ordinary accent, but that could mean nothing. You'be go me thinking now lottie!

Decaffstilltastesweird · 07/07/2017 08:24

That's probably true lottie! I haven't seen her since uni. Maybe she's currently residing in Mayfair, with her daughter Arraminta, sans nose ring Grin? If only they knew what she was like at uni! Smoked roll ups and everything Shock. We had our fair share of what my tutor called 'trustifarians' at uni, so maybe she was one of those, incognito.

LottieDoubtie · 07/07/2017 08:18

I had a friend like that at uni decaff although she wasn't actually called Arabella she was called similar

Met her again just after graduation at her parents house in London. Let's just say she's hidden her wealth bloody well at uni!

Decaffstilltastesweird · 07/07/2017 07:37

In fairness, I knew a non-spoilt, non-rich, cool Arabella with a nose ring and loads of black curly hair at uni. But I always thought "that's not your name" when I said it! She really didn't suit it. She was too cool for it!

LottieDoubtie · 07/07/2017 06:43

I love Arabella, and IME there are other nicknames than Bella that are equally likely.

That said I wouldn't actually use the name- unless I was definitely the sort of person that has SO much money I only really mix with people who think arabella is a totally normal name. Which I'm not!

MrsGB2225 · 07/07/2017 06:24

Arabella

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