Leela

[DamnitCharlie]

What do you think of Leela Imogen one syllable surname (a bit like Jones)? Originally liked Leila spelling but realised lots of people would pronounce it Layla so trying to keep it simple but I'm wondering if the phonetic spelling looks a but weird now.

Leela is a very common Indian name. And pronounced exactly as it is spelled. I know three little girls with that name actually and it’s not an ugly variation at all!
If you want to call her Lee-la then spell it like that.
If you want to call her Leila then spell it that way.

I don't think Leela is ugly at all!

I really really wouldn’t spell it Leila if you want Lee-la.

Leela is really the only way to spell it if you don't want it mispronounced. I think it looks a bit ugly but I don't think there's a way round it. Leila is lay-lah and Lila is Lie-lah.

I teach a Leala 💁🏻‍♀️

Lila is pronounced ‘Lie-la’ so that doesn’t work. I don’t like Leela but it makes sense - if you want a name pronounced like this then you should spell it like this.

Oh and I don’t think Leila is a good spelling either as obviously the pronunciation of Leila is ‘lay-luh’.

obviously the pronunciation of Leila is ‘lay-luh’.

Then why isn't the obvious pronunciation of Sheila, 'Shay-luh'?

Leala
Leighla
Leighlagh
Liila
Lealagh

I know a Leela, a Leila and a Leighlah

All pronounced Leela I meant to say!

Leighlah 😳

Please don't OP!!

I know a Leala.
Not a fan of the name, but then it's not my child.

Leala looks like it should be lee-ah-lah to me.
At the start of the thread I was a bit about Leela but the Futurama character is great and the name has fully grown on me in the last couple of minutes. I say go for it.

TheSandman - Sheila is pronounced Shay-la sometimes - particularly in South America

All the people saying Leila is definitely pronounced Lay-la...... it’s most definitely not!! I have lived with the name for 39 years and I’d say more than half people guess it as Lee-lah and the rest say Lay-la.

Phonetically in English it sounds out as Lee-la the same way Sheila is pronounced.

However I’m not saying it’s the right way as Lay-la is another way of pronouncing it.

I would pronounce Leila like Veil or vein, but I know there are other pronunciations. English is a language with many exceptions!

@Marcipex all these spellings! I don't know whether to laugh or cry!

I'm going to crawl into a hole and overthink it some more. I'm struggling with names so much, my partner and I had a lovely name picked out but one of our friends used it for their baby and we've not been able to agree on another name till Leila/Leela! This thread is showing me that there are lots of different opinions- I've got a few weeks left till D day to mull it over .

The fact is that loads of people have names that people can't pronounce, or is ambiguous.

If you call her Leila and pronounce it Leela then people will probably only have to be told once.

Was only joking.

Use the name you wanted in the first place. Friends move and change, but your favourite name is forever.
Just make sure you have a different middle name 🙂

@Marcipex leighlah is probably the best one

It’s a lovely name but please spell it Lila. As a PP noted, you only need to tell people how to pronounce it once.

Leela is a chain of really not very good Indian hotels!

Leela is the Whovian spelling.

I like it

But if it’s spelt Lila everyone will say Lie la. Lila is quite a popular name.

I agree Marciplex. I’m sure there are Lilas and Leilas who pronounce it Leela, but the easiest spelling for your little girl is Leela. Which is a pretty name!