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Baby names

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Original poster

Olalla

28 replies

bumblebee2233 · 21/10/2020 07:30

I recently heard a song by Blanco White and fell in love with the name Olalla.

But my worry is that no one will know how to pronounce it and will be forever correcting people.

If you've never heard it, how would you imagine it's pronounced just from the way it's spelt?

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FizzingWhizzbee123 · 22/10/2020 23:09

That’s a lot of L’s!

Never heard it, if I had to guess, I’d have said Oh-la-la

WooMaWang · 22/10/2020 12:09

I agree that no one will think to pronounce Olalla as anything other than oh la la in the uk. So changing the spelling would help there.

BUT I also find threads where people complain that perfectly lovely Gaelic names are not ok unless anglicised. So I’m loathe to do that to a Spanish name.

MimiDaisy11 · 22/10/2020 10:12

I think it would be beneficial to change the spelling. Even as someone with reasonable Spanish at first I read it as Oh-la-la because I was thinking of it in terms of English pronunciation.

BritInAus · 21/10/2020 23:50

It makes me think of something like a tanning moisturiser or feminine wash... specifically, the Aldi rip-off version of a popular branded version of one of these. Sorry!

Enko · 21/10/2020 23:31

Olaya or Oliah is ok but I thought "Oh la la" too for the Olalla spelling

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 21/10/2020 23:25

I think spelling it Olyah or Oliah would probably be most likely to give you the pronunciation you want (although you then could get "Ol - yah " I suppose.)

I thought I'd heard of most names (etymology is my thing!) but I'd never heard of this one. I have heard of Eulalia, of which Olalla is apparently a spanish variant. I think unless you live in a spanish speaking country you might find people struggle with the pronunciation.

GiGi18 · 21/10/2020 23:09

Alaia is similar?

Firebird83 · 21/10/2020 21:49

Oh-lye-ah

I would pronounce Ollia like Ollie-ah.

1940s · 21/10/2020 20:38

Olaia

BumpLoading · 21/10/2020 20:36

The spelling of Ollia is pretty and wouldn't be mis pronounced

Painsnail · 21/10/2020 19:24

I went to school with an Ollia, same pronunciation

VenusClapTrap · 21/10/2020 18:14

Eulalia? She was a saint I believe.

markzuckerbergsgreytshirt · 21/10/2020 18:14

I'd pronounce it twoouttaten

MikeUniformMike · 21/10/2020 18:13

Olaya looks like she's named after face cream

Costacoffeeplease · 21/10/2020 18:11

Spanish pronunciation I guess

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 21/10/2020 18:06

How are we getting Oliar from Olalla. Confused

Original poster
bumblebee2233 · 21/10/2020 07:42

Read somewhere it can also be spelt Olaya....

OP posts:
TildaTurnip · 21/10/2020 07:39

Oh the ll = y. I can see that but I’d have guessed oa-la-la (with a short ‘a’).

Original poster
bumblebee2233 · 21/10/2020 07:39

Thanks all I completely see your points!

Annoying as the name is pronounced so lovely, wonder if there is an alternative spelling...

OP posts:
cosymama2020 · 21/10/2020 07:38

It made me sing, ‘oh na na, what’s my name’. The Rihanna song! The correct pronunciation sounds pretty though.

KatyaZamolodchikova · 21/10/2020 07:37

I think I’d say it Ohh-lar-lah. I am from Yorkshire though so flat vowels.

Original poster
bumblebee2233 · 21/10/2020 07:36

Haha 😂
It's pronounced O-liar

m.youtube.com/watch?v=sPeplPZvWmI

Now that's made me think of all the are you lying jokes!

OP posts:
pooopypants · 21/10/2020 07:36

Oo-la-la-la, I love you baby. Song lyrics.

Please don't.

Nonamesavail · 21/10/2020 07:35

Oh-la-la

PuppyMonkey · 21/10/2020 07:34

I don’t know how it’s supposed to be pronounced but I can tell you everyone WILL say Ooh La La.

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