Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Iris or Nuala

30 replies

Giantbabybump24 · 13/09/2018 23:41

I quite like the names Iris and Nuala (pronounced noola, unless I’m mistaken)

Will have an older brother called Orrin. What do people think sounds better?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
LipstickHandbagCoffee · 13/09/2018 23:47

Nuala by a country mile and Goes with orrin

1moonshine2 · 13/09/2018 23:49

Nuala definitely, Nuala and Orrin are both of Irish origin whereas i do believe Iris is originally of Greek.

dinosaurkisses · 13/09/2018 23:51

Nuala is seen as very old fashioned in Ireland if that matters to you- it’s the equivalent of like Doreen or Mavis.

DramaAlpaca · 13/09/2018 23:54

Yup, Nuala is such a granny name in Ireland. You might as well call her Doris.

Iris is much nicer.

popsanddolls · 13/09/2018 23:54

Iris it's beautiful

Original poster
Giantbabybump24 · 13/09/2018 23:56

Thanks, not really that fussed on both names being Irish- just coincidence that they both are!

OP posts:
Calphurnia · 13/09/2018 23:56

Depends on what accent is local to you.

I love Iris, but no go due to MiL's accent

Original poster
Giantbabybump24 · 13/09/2018 23:57

Interesting that nuala is a bit of a granny name- just like the sound of it but imagine she’ll have a lifetime of explaining how to pronounce it!

OP posts:
SpacePenguin · 14/09/2018 00:05

Nuala, definitely. Gorgeous name. I know youngish Nualas (30s, 40s), but absolutely no granny's with that name. Love the name and it would be on my girls name list in a heartbeat. Due a comeback, imo.

You could try Noor or Nora if you wanted something sort of similar but with a more direct phonic spelling.

moredoll · 14/09/2018 01:19

Iris

WerewolfNumber1 · 14/09/2018 02:08

Nuala goes well with Orrin, plus it’s v cool.

junebirthdaygirl · 14/09/2018 02:19

Nuala is fabulous and not common so yes to that.
Love lris too but Nuala is better with your boy. I wouldn't worry about it being oldfashioned as l have heard it mentioned a few times recently so not too out there. Youngest one l know is 27.

TheDowagerCuntess · 14/09/2018 02:19

Could I interest you in Fionnuala? Pn (unless I'm much mistaken) Fin-oola.

Fion (Fin) is a nice nickname.

Sophronia · 14/09/2018 02:24

Nuala

Courtney555 · 14/09/2018 02:45

Iris is beautiful.

The other one, I've never heard of, I pronounced in my head as "Noo-wah-la" which sounds suspiciously like koala, or something from The Lion King.

I think Nuala, DD would spend her life going "it's NOO-LA"

Iris, is just Iris, and truly lovely.

OkPedro · 14/09/2018 02:54

Its pronounced New La Courtney

There is no "Wah" sound in there so it
sounds nothing like koala..

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 14/09/2018 10:08

No,no wah in nuala
Quite straightforward it’s Noo-la
No wah, no new

Courtney555 · 14/09/2018 10:13

I see that from the thread. But people won't have this thread... That's what I mean, she'll spend half her life correcting mispronounciation (which I'm sure I've just misspelled 🤔😅)

pineappple · 14/09/2018 10:15

Nuala

NonaGrey · 14/09/2018 10:17

Nuala is a pretty well known Irish name in my opinion. I don’t live in Ireland and I’ve known several.

Telling people how to pronounce your name really isn’t that big a deal.

Iris is also lovely though OP.

Rarfy · 14/09/2018 10:19

I thought new ahh la as well and the lion king weirdly.

But pronounced Noola it's lovely. Love Iris too and wouldn't mind it for my own but worry about isis.

Greenglassteacup · 14/09/2018 10:31

Wtf worry about Isis?!!!!

Rarfy · 14/09/2018 10:41

Yes, kids used anything to give an awful nickname.

wildewillow · 14/09/2018 10:59

Iris is a flower/Greek goddess of the rainbow. Isis (once a lovely - now rendered unusable - name of an Egyptian goddess) is a name given by the media to a terrorist organisation.
No child is going to ever associate the two together and if they did it's not a nn that would ever stick, adults would stop that right away.

Both Iris and Nuala are lovely. Iris would be my pick.

RavenWings · 14/09/2018 11:05

Nuala is awful. It's like naming your kid Shirley or Carol these days - totally out of style. It's not like Iris, Betty etc which are granny chic.