Ariola

It's a pretty unfortunate name to have in the UK but there is a French football player of Filipino descent called Alphonse Areola so it wouldn't surprise me if Ariola is a real name from another culture (I don't know which - Wikipedia lists some Americans with Ariola as a surname but none with it as first name).

Fingurs! 😆

Yes it is quite literally precisely how language functions.

Nipples.

@WonderingWanda

I wasn't telling you off?

I am not a teacher but I do have children and 1 in secondary and no I did not choose my children's names based on their future secondary cohort that I had no idea of when they were born. I chose my children's names for cultural and familial reasons. Then I encouraged them to be proud of their names and heritage and the meanings behind their names.

I did all this while not being a secondary school teacher. Just a mum who has a different view. My children seem fine so far.

I did not mean any offence @Blueberry911 and @RightOnTheEdge

I was just suggesting my personal opinion which is that not everyone will immediately jump to the nipple connection.

@DC555 could you try "Aliona" or "Arelia"?

If only it didn't mean that. Other names which would be nice if not for their meaning.

Labia
Malaria
Roseola

But it's not very rude to call people narrow minded?

BarnOwlFlying said that most and the majority of people would equate the name with nipples not that everyone would, and the replies to this thread has shown that they are probably right.

It's not narrow minded for people to hear the name and immediately think of the body part with the exact same sounding name.
It's like someone saying their baby's name is Fingurs and saying it's narrow minded to think of fingers.

I’m not sure you do manage to avoid making passive aggressive insults, actually. Accusing people of lacking in cultural curiosity when discussing a name that phonetically sounds identical to a word closely (and solely) associated with nipples, is so passive aggressive it is almost funny.

@Blueberry911

Wow you are very rude.

I dont consider myself more cultured than anyone else. I just have a different opinion. Luckily, I can state it without making passive aggressive insults.

When you say it outloud, it literally means the same as a part of your nipple in England in English. I don't know what you can't comprehend about that, being so cultured and all.

There is nothing narrow minded about being reminded of the actual.meaning of a word when you hear it. That is how language works ! You hear a word and your brain searches for the most obvious meaning for it.
And in these days where people call their kids all sorts of weird and wacky names why would you assume it was a foreign name anyway. You would just assume it was a parent who fancied one of those Yoonique type names surely. !

I’ll admit my mind went to football first 😆
Put it down to international break withdrawal symptoms 😡

@BarnOwlFlying I really want to challenge you on this. It is NOT the first thing I would think of actually. I have a "forrin" name in a different language that is hugely meaningful and when I hear different names I am curious about that - what does it mean, where is it from etc?

If you see a name like Ariola and all you can think of is nipples then honestly that's you. If you had more cultural curiosity you would maybe think "oh I wonder where that is from, I wonder what that means" etc

I accept that is just me as someone with a "forrin" name as everyone else doesn't seem to see how narrow minded it is to equate "Ariola" with boobs.

If only we lived in a lovely world where nobody was ever teased for their name.

It's not just primary school you have to consider. Secondary school kids who come across the word will definitely tease someone with that name. Unfortunately, being old enough to know better doesn't stop teenagers from taking the piss out of each other.

Then you have to consider the embarrassment the name will cause the child into adulthood. Nobody wants to give their child a name they're too embarrassed to introduce themselves as as an adult.

People aren't at primary school forever. Names don't suddenly become less embarrassing because you're not a young child anymore. If anything, young children are the most accepting of outrageous names (through lack of life experience or being too young to know what a word means). It's as you get older names become more embarrassing/tease worthy.

He makes a tit of himself quite regularly too... 😂 Fans often refer to him as 'Nipple'.

Obviously he can't help his surname (the Bournemouth manager has a similar surname too - Iraola) but as a first name, no no no!!!

I get it's from a different culture and has a lovely sound to it but I fear the child won't have a great time at school.

Probably similar to calling your kid Dick or Fanny.

But it’s the first thing most will think of! Majority of people will think the child has been named after a nipple no matter what the name means in another language.

There are several girls called Laiba at DD's school. I've never seen it as similar to labia. Different vowel sound. Different number of syllables. I think it looks more similar written than it actually sounds when you say it IYSWIM.

Ariola on the other hand sounds exactly like areola and would be a really cruel name to give a kid.

whilst i am respectful of culture, i am going to have to say this name could invite teasing because of how close it sounds to a body part, so it may be best to rethink this one OP

I actually do know a laiba
It's an Arabic name but my mind does always go to labia unfortunately! 😅

Which is why here on MN we don't approve of yoonique names. It's a form of child protection really ...

I've also thought it with Aurora - but I admit that is shading into "me problem" territory.

It's not just school though. I mean first dates, job interviews ... the lot.