Help- baby over due fretting about name choice

[Primrose16]

So we are having a surprise so need both girl and boy names. Boy sorted. Girl we were going for Ayda Florence. I like 4 letter first names, longer middle name. We already have a Isla Primrose. Robbie Williams wife has thrown me as she pronounces it Ey-da. I wanted it to be pronounced Aya. How would you pronounce it please- is there a right and wrong. Quick help I’m 40+4

I didn’t hear the Ada / Isla being similar until now 😩

Ada and Isla aren’t too similar. It’s just that people are likely to mispronounce it as “Eye-dah”, which would be too similar.

I think you’re overly focused on a 4-letter name. Ada is a lovely, long-established name, not too short at all (hey, if it was good enough for Ada Lovelace...)

If you must respell it, Aida or Adah might be more likely get the pronunciation you’re after. But I personally think Ada is the nicest by miles.

Ada is far far less similar to Isla than Ayda though! Isla and Ayda practically rhyme.

What about Adah?

Not something I'd go for personally but it solves your 4 letter and pronunciation issue.

Either way both Ada and Ayda are way too similar to Isla.

Currently sat with pen and paper trying to think of a new name now.

Lola
Neve
Thea
Rose
Wren
Nora

I would see Ayda as Ay-da with Ay to rhyme with hay

Vada? I’ve seen it suggested on here before and it’s had lots of positive comments

If you like the whole two syllables and ending in A thing there are a ton of options that aren't so similar to Isla.

Freya, Mia, Rosa, Sarah, Thea, Emma, Frida, Aoife, Greta, Anna, Mina, etc etc

Good luck. But if you love Ayda but want it to be pronounced as Ada, then I'd say just call her Ada. It's a gorgeous name and there's no need to ruin it with a faddy "unique" spelling.

People will pronounce it how you tell them to pronounce it

Err no they don't. They will pronounce it how they want. Loads of people get my name wrong and I've corrected them many tomes.
Same with my dd name. It's not anything hard or difficult yet I've heard about fifty different pronunciations.

Aria/Arya
Alba
Alma
Orla
Thea
Zara
Luna

I agree that people will pronounce how they think. My uncle still calls Isla Is-lar 🤦🏼‍♀️
I do always check with people if unsure but I know not everyone does.
Thank you all for your help Ada / Ayda has gone now. Can’t deal with the confusion. Ha ha

For what it's worth, I think Ayda/Ada and Isla sound beautiful together. Assuming you go with the Ada pronunciation rather that the "eye-da" one, I don't think they're too similar at all, and as PP have said, people will pronounce names how you tell them too. Hope you find a name you both love though, and congratulations!

Why the angst over four letters? Just use Ada and you remove all pronunciation issues and your child won’t spend her life correcting people and having to explain that her name is Ada with an extra letter became her parents like four letter names

I also thought Ayda was pronounced like Ada until I heard Robbie William’s wife’s pronounciation.
Love the suggestion of Vada but you have to feel happy with whatever you choose and not panic choose - good luck!

Can’t you just spell it Ada or Adah?

I would pronounce Ayda the same as Ada. I much prefer Ada spelling myself. Isla and Ayda are similar sounds, but perfectly doable if that's what you love.

If you want Ayda then sometimes you'll have to correct the pronunciation but that's not a big deal. (I have a very common name spelt the usual way and I still have to correct pronunciation quite often.) I think it's fine to stick with Ayda as you had planned.

It’s not just OP and her H who would have to correct pronunciation, after age 4/5 this would fall to their DD. When there was a conventional spelling available.

I think Isla and Ayda (pronouced Ada) sound cute together, I'd say go for it. As for pronunciation, I would pronounce it Ada too. People will say it however you want them to!

Update. I had a boy (unplanned home birth) he was late but eager. So all the stressing about a girls name was not necessary- ah well. Our little boy is called Seth

I love this update. Congrats on your new baby boy!

Congratulations, OP! Seth is a great name.

Congratulations Op!!!

Seth is a lovely name.

For you,

Thank you 😊