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Baby names

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

Original poster

Manuela

35 replies

CornerShopping · 10/06/2020 14:58

What are your thoughts on this name?
It's one of my favourites but for some reason I just can't bring myself to use it now that I'm based in the UK. It's a very normal name in Spanish speaking countries, one of which I'm originally from and it's to honour a very close family member.

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Blursula · 12/06/2020 06:58

Absolutely fine in the UK. Fawlty Towers is so old no kids are going to tease based on that! However if you don’t like the nicknames it may be worth reconsidering as it will inevitably get shortened.

Buttercup54321 · 11/06/2020 23:30

Too masculine in uk

TheCanterburyWhales · 11/06/2020 22:40

In Italy it's a bit middle aged. I've only ever met one and she's named after her grandmother. It's shortened to Manu here (both for girls and boys who would be Emanuele)

Progress2019 · 11/06/2020 21:52

I like it, but I’m a Man U fan and my daughter is Ella. I missed a trick there...

MikeUniformMike · 11/06/2020 18:16

I used to live next door to one and she was lovely. She said it as Manwella.

Notredamn · 11/06/2020 13:05

I know some Emanuelles, one uses Em for short, or Elle.

thethe · 11/06/2020 12:24

I think it is a lovely name and can't think of any reason why the name would not work in the UK. She does not have to have a nickname.

midwestsummer · 11/06/2020 12:08

I know a Brazilian one, a friend of dc's.
It is an easy enough name to pronounce.

I could imagine people using Ella as a nn.

daisypond · 11/06/2020 11:23

I think it’s fine. I quite like it. I think it’s fine in the U.K.

ILoveStickers · 11/06/2020 11:10

I think it's nice - unusual but no big issues pronouncing it. Fits in with a wider trend of -elle and -ella names too, so it won't sound out of place.

romdowa · 11/06/2020 11:00

I went to school with a girl called manuella, she was Spanish and nobody had any issues pronouncing it and that was in Ireland.

Enko · 11/06/2020 10:04

I think its lovely and would think beautiful name if any friends told me this was their babys name

CoalCraft · 11/06/2020 09:29

Personally I think it works fine in English. Will she have a Spanish surname? If so it will seem even more "fitting" iyswim

I do think that shortening to Man or Manny is inevitable though as she goes through school. It's not really possible to prevent unless she herself chooses to be fierce about it.

(I have a name with a common nn that I do not like, and have always avoided being called it by saying "you can call me anything but [that NN]". I like other common-but-not-as-common nicknames.)

1940s · 11/06/2020 09:14

At a push you could attempt to steer nicknames towards Melly/ Mel or Ella but school kids find the path of least resistance for nicknames so I'm sure you'd end up with Manny / Manu

GeorgiaWeLoveYou · 10/06/2020 22:27

I quite like it OP but I agree with you that the potential nickname of 'Man' or 'Manny' is offputting.

Tillygetsit · 10/06/2020 21:58

My great aunt's German Shepherd whrn I was a kid!

DramaAlpaca · 10/06/2020 18:13

I quite like it.

Grufallosfriends · 10/06/2020 16:20

I love Manuela. Pronounced Man oo eh la.

MermaidApocalypse · 10/06/2020 16:06

Go for it, she'll make it cool and her own.

Lockdownlover · 10/06/2020 15:17

@CornerShopping If you love the name, then use it. If your heart tells you she’s a Manuela then that is what she is. When she’s little, you will have control over nicknames and can correct people if they shorten it. When she’s a teenager, it’ll be different. If there’s a way she likes to shorten it, then I’m sure you’ll like it too. My DH’s cousin named their daughter Margaret after their nan. She’s 4 now and even though it raised a few eyebrows at the time as people said it sounded like an old lady name (and not the fashionable type), I couldn’t imagine her being called anything else. It doesn’t get shortened to anything and that’s just her name and it suits her.

1940s · 10/06/2020 15:16

I wouldn't go for it if you really dislike the nn options... even if you and your family and friends stick to the full name, inevitably it will be shortened at school

BeMorePacific · 10/06/2020 15:13

I really like it. But imagine it would be shortened to a name you wouldn’t like. So that is something for you to consider xx

Original poster
CornerShopping · 10/06/2020 15:11

I hadn't really considered it as a middle name as I actually quite like it so thought it would be a lovely first name. I guess in this situation it might be better off as a middle name.

One of the things I'm not a big fan of are the nn, Manny or Manu, even Ella but I know the name is quite a mouthful so not sure people would actually say the full version every single time or eventually go for a nn.

OP posts:
1940s · 10/06/2020 15:08

I know a lovely Brazilian Manuela and I love it. She goes by 'Manu' or even 'manny' as a nn and I think it's pretty cool

MrsOrMiss · 10/06/2020 15:07

My neighbour is called Manuella, she's in her 30's and lovely. Her 'heritage' is British as far back as she knows. Her parents just loved the name so called her Manuella. Her sister is called Sarah, but there's no Jewish connection either.

I really don't understand the 'can't use that name unless you're of that culture' brigade.

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