Active discussions

Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

What do you think of Willow and Willa

64 replies

Lilonetwo · 25/03/2018 20:40

What do you think of Willow or Willa (for a girl)

I've always thought Willoe was a bit too hippy. But I've come across the name Willa which I also quite like.

Is Willow/ Willa too 'trying hard to be different'?

I'd like a name that's not too common but not too 'out there's or try hard. If you don't like these names, what else would you suggest.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
MiaowTheCat · 27/03/2018 16:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

strawberrypenguin · 26/03/2018 21:49

Willow is lovely.

littlepill · 26/03/2018 21:45

I don’t like either name... not sure why. Willow just sounds all wrong to me; I don’t like the shape my mouth makes when I say it. Willa just sounds like Willy or willed. Unpleasant.

joystir59 · 26/03/2018 21:42

Willow is an awful name.

joystir59 · 26/03/2018 21:41

How about Willow and Hazel? Grin
How about Willow and Sycamore?

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 26/03/2018 20:30

I'm amazed at so many people not knowing/disliking Willa! I thought the children's book 'Tell Me Something Happy Before I go to Bed' was so sweet and the Willa in that is an appealing little character.

Anyway, I do like Willa much more than Willow, OP. It's slightly ethereal (I think of Will o' the wisp), unusual but not 'out there' and pleasant on the ear.

Willow is okay, but this - Willow is a bit... flaccid, for want of a better word probably is close to how I feel about it. A bit 'drink of warm water' as my aunt would say! Grin

fifipop185 · 26/03/2018 20:23

I know of 3 willows in our area, it's increasingly popular here and I like it.

viques · 26/03/2018 20:23

As you were, I thought it was twins!

Addictedtohavingbabies · 26/03/2018 20:21

I like Willow but not Willa.

viques · 26/03/2018 20:21

How about Willow and Hazel?

MikeUniformMike · 26/03/2018 20:19

Willow is nice but Willa isn't.
Billie short for Belinda or Wilhelmina is nice.

WillowB · 26/03/2018 20:19

Makes me think of the 80s film.
I also had a cat called willow.
For me it's the sort of name that should only be used for pets along with max, oscar etc.
There's a little girl in DS's class called willow though and she's lovely

What do you think of Willow and Willa
daisypond · 26/03/2018 20:01

I prefer Willa to Willow - because Willa Cather is such a great writer. But I would worry about the Willa/Willy thing. I'm not keen on Willow really - always feels like a cat's name to me. I also think Wilhelmina would be good with lots of other shortenings.

starkid · 26/03/2018 16:59

I like Willow, and also the mentioned Wilhelmina (if can pull it off, it's pretty cool and has lots of nickname options) :)
Willa doesn't sound like a name to me.

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 26/03/2018 15:34

❤️ Willow.

HeartySoup · 26/03/2018 11:40

Willow is lovely and quite popular. It’s definitely not too try hard or out-there as there are a lot of little Willows.

Willa on the other hand is awful. Yes, it may be less popular but the fact is it’s one letter off ‘willy’. Don’t do it.

MammieBear · 26/03/2018 10:15

Willa is the better on for me, but I like old names it's originally short for Wilhelmina.

SuperBeagle · 26/03/2018 09:35

Willow is okay, but I don't like Willa.

Don't like Wilhelmina, but I went to school with one and she was called Billie for short. Billie is awesome.

NoSwsForYou · 26/03/2018 08:48

I don’t really like willow but love Willa! I’ve loved it for ages but couldn’t have used it due to surname if DS had been DD. Too much like fresh prince Grin

Original poster
Lilonetwo · 26/03/2018 08:45

kaytee oh I think I probably will too. It's just the term someone else earlier used and so it kind of stuck in my head. I should have thought of a better phraseBlush

OP posts:
Newtothismumthing · 26/03/2018 08:05

Much prefer Willa. Willow is a little hippy but sweet! Willa is much more popular in the states.

joystir59 · 26/03/2018 08:03

Willow is wishy washy even for a pet

joystir59 · 26/03/2018 08:02

Both bloody awful imo. Isn't Willow a film character? Whilst Willa sounds like the name of a white trailer trash character out of a Flannery O'Connor story.

kaytee87 · 26/03/2018 08:00

I quite like Willow, don't think it's 'council estate' (you'll get flamed for that btw)
Don't like Willa, looks unfinished and think she'll be called willy by children.

Other suggestions Felicity, Rosalie, Heather

SorenLorensonsInvisibleFriend · 26/03/2018 07:53

@ShovingLeopard and @TroysMammy, I thought of sticky, messy Willa Jean too!

Willow is a nice name. Makes me think of Buffy, but that's my favourite show :)