Name dilemma - Iris, Ebba, Lula, Ines

[rosamundos]

We're having a girl soon and her older brother is called Otto. I can't decide!

First name options:
Iris - more normal / traditional in UK
Ebba - not common in UK, in Sweden it's top 10

Middle name options:
Lula (a diminutive of Louise, her granny)
Ines (after a Scottish great granny)

I've got Scandi heritage/last name, and I'd like something that sounds a little more unusual... where we live Iris is top 20 which puts me off. On mumsnet all posts seem to be negative about Ebba

Thoughts?

Ebba is just very unfamiliar to anglophone ears. I like it- it’s an international name that isn’t as ubiquitous as Eva, Sophia etc.

Iris is lovely, Ines is different and would be quite striking on a woman or teenager which is nice.

I strongly dislike Lula- it just feels very nicknamey to me.

If you go with Ebba I'd avoid Lula as middle name. I personally am loving the sound of Lula so would go with Lula then Iris as middle name

I love Iris because that was my late grandmother's name.

Iris is beautiful
Lula - no! (It sounds like “gaga” or “loopy” imo)

Innes is the Scottish name. It's also a boy name.

Ines is not Scottish. It may be after a granny who was Scottish, but the name itself is not.

Ebba works well with your DS name, Iris is a bit overused, but nice enough.

Lula is awful I'm afraid.

I like Iris! I think Ebba kind of sounds like someone saying Emma with a cold. Sorry.

Yes Ines is fairly general 'European' name (Spanish, French, German, Scandi and Inez in English) but the Granny just happened to be from Scotland and called it!

I'm surprised by Lula not being more popular, I think of it as similar sounding to Luna and Lola which seem v popular.

All English people I spoke to thought Otto was bizarre when I had him, and then there were 3 at his (London) nursery which makes me less concerned about Ebba now.

I think Ebba is lovely.
It might be unheard of but won't be difficult to pronounce. It goes with Otto and I personally prefer to Lula (which I also like) and Iris (-which I dont)

Ebba Iris or Ebba Ines is nice

Also not keen on Lula. Maybe seems a bit nothingy.

Ebba sounds like someone with a blocked nose saying Emma

I think Innes and Otto sounds quite cute

I think Lula is a great name. Short for Tallulah maybe?

Lula is cutesy and silly and awful. Otto is a proper name, don't inflict a silly name on your daughter when her brother will have a real name.

I quite like Ebba, as it's actually your heritage.

No to Lula but OK as a nn for Louise.

Iris is nice but I wouldn't pick it. Just a bit too old lady smelling of lavender for me.

Ines - I like and would say is as EE-ness, but in French it in Ee-NESS.

Ebba is fine, just not a familiar name in the UK, and looks like a mistyped Emma. is it Eve in Swedish?

I would go with Ebba or Ines, probably Ebba.

Iris is soooo beautiful. Prefer it by a mile

ebba sounds like emma with a cold....!

iris is lovely, the rest not so much

Tallulah is a great name. You can shorten it to lula. And Tallulah Ines sounds ok together.

Iris is lovely, dislike Ebba, Ines is OK, Lula is awful, every other little girl seems to be Lila, Lola or Luna and now you're adding Lula to the mix. Just have Louise, far more classy.

On balance, Ebba.

I adore Iris but couldn't use it because of international issues - the English pronunciation and the German are too different and I dislike the latter. I wonder if you'd have the same issue. Ebba is simple and classy and also linked to your heritage (I find the 'Emma with a cold' comments a bit silly tbh).

Wasn't Lula the nickname of some South American politician or other? Have to say I'm not keen - it is rather nicknamey. And I don't like Ines much and think there are too many potential variations in pronunication.

Not Lula, it's a bit twee.

I like all the others though, especially Ebba. Ebba would be just perfect with Otto.

I do know Swedish siblings Ebba and Otto, the names go together nicely. But Ebba can get mistaken for Emma fairly often.

Embla is a similar sounding Scandi name you may like

Thanks all

@CatteStreet Good point on the politician - turns out it's a Brazilian president sent to prison!

We will face 'Ee-ris' issues with Iris, I'm not too fussed on that actually. We had considered Ida but 'Ee-da' pronunciation ruled this name out for me as I disliked it much more here.

@MikeUniformMike no Eve is Eve! Ebba is from an old English name which the Swedes seem to have jumped on.