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Baby names

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

Original poster

Aoife or Orla

90 replies

Baby2Sep22 · 23/09/2022 14:41

not long to go and we need to decide between

Aoife Lily
or
Orla ... (please suggest middle names)

Lily is a family name but I don’t think it goes with Orla and their are no other family names we would want to use.

Oh should add - living in the UK!

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DramaAlpaca · 24/09/2022 00:57

I love both names.

Unfortunately, in most of the UK you'd be between a rock and a hard place in that people will be able to spell Orla but not pronounce it correctly (aw-luh isn't nice) and pronounce Aoife tolerably well but not spell it.

(Spoken as an English person living in Ireland who struggles to get the 'r' sound right as I don't have a rhotic accent)

ChocolateSpreadOnToast · 23/09/2022 23:15

I like Orla, but every other Orla will be Orla Rose as it’s really overused as a middle name (along with Grace/May).

Original poster
Baby2Sep22 · 23/09/2022 22:12

Thank you everyone. Really not a fan of Oona.

I’m so undecided still - might have to see what she looks like!

I think Orla is becoming more popular but we still don’t know any young ones near us. I love Aoife but just worry she’ll find it tricky as she grows up!

OP posts:
Sparklythings1 · 23/09/2022 22:03

Aoife 😊 Orla is nice too but is used a lot now

Sluj · 23/09/2022 22:03

LadyEloise1 · 23/09/2022 19:18

I can never understand the difficulty with Irish names people have in the UK.
It's a multicultural society and there are far more difficult names from other cultures/ethnicities being used in the UK.

It's just different accents and ease of pronouncing various sounds. We hear a lot on MN of English people supposedly ""strangling" the pronunciation of Irish names but you should hear how some of my Irish friends living in England pronounce some English names. Especially if there is a TH in it like my son's name. Do I care? No, it adds a bit of charm to it.

Luredbyapomegranate · 23/09/2022 22:01

Orla probably because while it’s popular, Aoife sounds very like all the Eve/Eva names that have been done to death.

You wouldn’t consider Oona? I like it better than either Orla and Aoife and it’s much less common

Sunnyshoeshine · 23/09/2022 21:02

Love both of them. Aoife was going to be DD's name but we went for Erin instead as the Irish link in DH's family is via grandparents so felt a bit far back to use Aoife.

I've got Orla or Maeve earmarked for baby #2 if they turn out to be another girl.

Of the two, if Aoife works with surnames and circumstances, I'd go for it :)

caitlinrose · 23/09/2022 20:55

Aoife Lily is very pretty! Only problem is that there will be many Eves and Evas which are similar.

Orla is a bit old fashioned and even though I love the meaning it reminds me too much of Derry Girls. The Orla on the show was likable but kind of odd as well.

I don't know if this is true but I remember reading a few years back that "orla" means something quite unfortunate in Irish and it needs to be spelt Órla in order to be a name and not an Irish word with a bad meaning. I don't speak Irish but I would google this and if it is true I would use Órla instead.

SkyeBlue28 · 23/09/2022 20:37

I think the name Aoife Lily is beautiful

667TheNeighbourOfTheBeast · 23/09/2022 20:35

MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake · 23/09/2022 20:06

Kate and William have a dog called Orla?!

Next I'll learn that William has Come Out Ye Black and Tans as his ring tone.

😃
do you think Kate liked the name but wasn’t allowed to use it for her daughter as it was considered too Irish ?!

Ehneh · 23/09/2022 20:31

SirChenjins · 23/09/2022 20:18

Named after the glen and loch - a beautiful area, we had lots of family walks up there. Not to be confused with Lock Mooick.

Oh, nice

J0y · 23/09/2022 20:27

I prefer orla.
Aoife is just so over used. It's like the new Mary.

AliceMcK · 23/09/2022 20:24

Love both and I don’t think there will be an issue with pronunciation once you’ve correctly pronounced it for people.

I have always loved Orla, I’d go Orla Rose, Orla Mairead, Orla Imelda ( might be too much “A”), I always liked it with my Irish maiden name but wouldn’t go well with my married name. I also like Orla Jane even if it’s a very plain name.

SirChenjins · 23/09/2022 20:18

Named after the glen and loch - a beautiful area, we had lots of family walks up there. Not to be confused with Lock Mooick.

Ehneh · 23/09/2022 20:08

the late Queen who has just recently passed*

Ehneh · 23/09/2022 20:07

MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake · 23/09/2022 20:06

Kate and William have a dog called Orla?!

Next I'll learn that William has Come Out Ye Black and Tans as his ring tone.

Lol 😂
The Queen has a corgi named Muick.. pronounced "Mick"

MissHavishamsMouldyOldCake · 23/09/2022 20:06

Kate and William have a dog called Orla?!

Next I'll learn that William has Come Out Ye Black and Tans as his ring tone.

Underthehills · 23/09/2022 19:55

I wanted to call DD Órla (Irish blood in UK) until I read this. Without the fada it’s Orla which means vomit and who uses the fada in the UK? www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/cso-what-a-difference-a-fada-makes-1.3445785

I also love Aiofe but DH (English) vetoed it as he couldn’t pronounce it 🙄

667TheNeighbourOfTheBeast · 23/09/2022 19:47

My daughter is named Orla and we live in England, most people pronounce it fine.

CultClassic · 23/09/2022 19:25

Yes, clearly some people really hate having a name that other people fine hard to spell/ read. I have an Irish name and have lived in lots of countries outside Ireland. Never bothered me. I love having a name connected to my heritage. I don’t usually correct people on pronunciation unless it’s going to be an ongoing interaction. The only thing I do find annoying is - why don’t people just ask how to pronounce it if they don’t know? That’s what I do when I come across a name I can’t pronounce. I also often ask people (e.g. receptionists) if I can write down my name for them, because they often get in a muddle if I just call it out.

LadyEloise1 · 23/09/2022 19:18

I can never understand the difficulty with Irish names people have in the UK.
It's a multicultural society and there are far more difficult names from other cultures/ethnicities being used in the UK.

Minikievs · 23/09/2022 19:01

I love Aiofe but I think Orla is easier in England

Orla Rose?

ChorltonCreamery · 23/09/2022 17:51

@FartOutLoudDay my niece is Órla Caoimhe! Cousin’s daughter is Órla Róisin.

Sluj · 23/09/2022 17:45

Does anyone remember the Vicar of Dibley episode where she was introduced to a lady called Aoife and she compared it to "heifer" as she didn't like her? That's all I think of when I see that name unfortunately

Sboncen · 23/09/2022 17:40

@FartOutLoudDay , but my name isn't tricky. It's phonetic. It's not even unusual, just not much used these days.
It isn't Lois but it is something equally straightforward, probably more so.