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

Aila or Alisa!

35 replies

Bes2328 · 27/02/2024 21:48

I can’t decide between Aila or Alisa for my DD2.

Which of these names do you think sounds better?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Alisaann · 24/11/2024 20:27

Hi , what name did you go with ? My name is Alisa and I’ve always had to pronounce my name my entire life none gets it right first time

eleventybillion · 28/02/2024 20:16

One of these is my name! I've never met another me but delighted that it's mostly liked.

I do get all sorts of pronunciations but that doesn't bother me in the slightest.

murasaki · 28/02/2024 12:37

Aurelia is beautiful. The others are fine, but could lead to pronunciation issues.

SD1978 · 28/02/2024 12:26

Your first option sounds like you're trying to uniquely spell Isla. It will still be pronounced Isla, so seems pointless. Alisa is a beautiful name!

BarnacleBeasley · 28/02/2024 12:24

If it was me I'd go with Isla but I'd be deliberately avoiding the same initials - it seems like a nice idea until they get older and both start getting mail addressed to Miss A Surname. I had a friend at school who had the same first initial as her sister and dad and it ended up being really annoying for all of them.

RuthW · 28/02/2024 12:20

I know someone calked Alisa.

She get called all sorts!

secondscreen · 28/02/2024 10:08

Don't call her Aila if you want people to say it like Isla. you're condemning her to a lifetime of "no, you say it like this....."

KirstenBlest · 28/02/2024 10:07

Aila as “eye-luh” - People will spell it Isla
Alisa as “A-lee-sah”

Ailsa is nicer than either of them.

LauderSyme · 28/02/2024 01:00

I think you made the right choices when you pared it down to the final two!

Both are lovely names but I definitely vote Alisa: it is stronger and has more character and goes better with Aria 🙂

sprigatito · 28/02/2024 00:17

Have you considered Aphra?

whoawhat · 28/02/2024 00:13

I like alisa a lot.

I just saw a tread on fb with the name Adelia which I think sounds beautiful and might be an option for you

DancingOnMoonbeams · 27/02/2024 23:50

Alisa is my favourite, especially in relation to your other DD's name.

amz4 · 27/02/2024 23:47

Alisa 😊

BrutusMcDogface · 27/02/2024 23:47

Alisa for sure. It’s pretty and unusual. Aila/Isla/ayla are so overused, in my opinion.

HeadacheEarthquake · 27/02/2024 23:46

I'm an opera performer also... alisa is the Italian form of the Scottish ailse in lucia di lammermoor. Very romantic, she is a good character, and a beauty, the handmaiden to lucia. Its a lovely name.

theduchessofspork · 27/02/2024 23:46

Bes2328 · 27/02/2024 23:41

Good point! The other spelling of Alisa is Elisa, but then with completely different connotation

Show quote history

Elisa is usually pronounced El-ee-suh though, it’s just a variant of Eliza, for countries that spell Elizabeth with an S.

I know Ailsa is a variant of Elizabeth, but I would stick with a convention spelling for that too.

theduchessofspork · 27/02/2024 23:43

I like Ailsa and it’s more unusual

Aila I have never seen but if it’s said the same as Isla I’d use that it it will be a PITA

Original poster
Bes2328 · 27/02/2024 23:41

Sashya · 27/02/2024 23:39

Aria and Alisa - work well together. Although I do think it'll be confusing to have same initials. And a bit weird to them when they realise. Like they aren't allowed to have individuality of different names.

Aria and Aila are way too close together in sound. Even more confusing. And easy to mix up.

Good point! The other spelling of Alisa is Elisa, but then with completely different connotation

OP posts:
Sashya · 27/02/2024 23:39

Aria and Alisa - work well together. Although I do think it'll be confusing to have same initials. And a bit weird to them when they realise. Like they aren't allowed to have individuality of different names.

Aria and Aila are way too close together in sound. Even more confusing. And easy to mix up.

Original poster
Bes2328 · 27/02/2024 23:38

dawnio1977 · 27/02/2024 23:31

We have an Alba. :)

Yes - Alba was also on my top 3!
A short & beautiful name with many meanings multiculturally. The name is already within the relatives so cant use it🥲.

Aila has nordic & gaelic roots too so i am drawn to it and like the spelling, but still undecided!

OP posts:
Original poster
Bes2328 · 27/02/2024 23:36

HeadacheEarthquake · 27/02/2024 23:28

Definitely alisa, aila is way too common now

Thank you!

OP posts:
dawnio1977 · 27/02/2024 23:31

We have an Alba. :)

HeadacheEarthquake · 27/02/2024 23:28

Definitely alisa, aila is way too common now

Bes2328 · 27/02/2024 23:27

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

crumpet · 27/02/2024 22:50

Unless you are living in an area where it’s a common name, most people would be likely to assume it’s pronounced Ey (to rhyme with Hey)-La rather than Isla.

Ailie is a pretty name, also pronounced Ey though which you may not want

Swipe left for the next trending thread