Still undecided...

[watercolourart12]

We went back to the drawing board yesterday to see if we could find any similar names to Ariella, as a backup option in case we go off Ariella...
we found a Hebrew name, Eliana, what do you think of this name?
Do you prefer Eliana or Ariella? I still prefer Ariella because I think it looks prettier and sounds stronger... What are your thoughts?

Thank you for all your comments so far, really helpful!

I actually like them all! I probably like Ariella best in fact, but they are all lovely choices.

@KatnissK Thank you!! :) I am so overwhelmed though by how many people have disliked Ariella on mumsnet... It is really putting me off the name :( So hard to choose between Ariella, Eliana and Alina... they all sound similar but bring up very different responses from everyone.

Eliana is gorgeous.

Ariella is awful for the simple reason that it is FAR too close to Areola. Why call your child after the nipple area?!

I have also met an Aniella, if you’re looking for similar to Ariella - it is the Italian word for angel

The Italian word for Angel is Angelo.

Aniella is a small lamb.

@NameChange84 I’m not so sure about Aniella... Is it pronounced like Daniella? Not keen on the little lamb meaning...

@Helpthefrizz Do you think many children/ adults will think of areolas as soon as the name Ariella comes up? I have been hopeful that the nipple thing won’t be such an issue.

Yes I think Areola would spring to mind the majority of the time in adults and once children start anatomy the teasing could get quite bad.

I’m not recommending the name Aniella, another poster did and said it meant angel, which it doesn’t, it means lamb.

But yes it’s pronounced like Daniella.

You have an aaaaawful lot of threads, OP!

I know a lovely Eliana. She's Italian - I dont think of it as Hebrew but as the Roman name Aeliana, an early saint.

I personally find names in -ella too frilly. But that's my taste, not yours! You'll never find something everyone agrees on.

@NameChange84 Thanks for clarifying! :)

@ILoveStickers I do have a few! I have just been quite anxious about this decision and I guess I really love the name and am finding it difficult just going for it when the whole world seems to be against it, I feel like I might regret not going for it though. Eliana is a beautiful alternative but my heart is set on Ariella, I don’t know why I can’t get it out of my mind despite all the comments. I am also worried that I might be making a bad choice if everyone seems to associate with areolas. I’m gutted to be honest! :(

A lot of relatives and family friends seem to have a major dislike for this name as well which doesn’t help... I am hoping that people will begin to love it though once they meet our daughter and that the areola association will fade away? It might be wishful thinking though... Maybe I’m being overly optimistic about a name that is just awful to everyone else’s ears except mine.

I think you need to stop talking to people (IRL and online) about the name, tbh!

Never discuss names with family, that's the golden rule.

Well Areola is hardly going to stop being a word, that’s the problem.

To me it’s like calling a child any other inappropriate word and only changing one word/sound;

Panis/Penis

Naple/Nipple

Vajona/Vagina

Tostes/Testes

Can you see where people are coming from?

@ILoveStickers I agree, I shouldn’t have told them! Most of them are saying that it doesn’t fit with our culture & have also mentioned the Areola connection...

@Helpthefrizz Yes I do see it, I am concerned at how much of an instant association it brings about so I am probably going to rule it out... I don’t think people will be able to look past it and it will start to bother me after a while... I will just have to accept defeat with this one.

I think areola/Ariella is just too close. Children won't think of it because most of them don't know that word, but adults will.

And when she gets older and learns that word she might wonder why you've named her after that!

If Eliana isn't right what about Mariella?

Or Ariana.

@NuffSaidSam I just feel like Mariella is a bit frumpy compared to Ariella, and Ariana sounds slightly harsher. I love the Aria & Ella combination in Ariella, I just think it sounds so beautiful & melodic. I am concerned about the Areola association but I don’t know if I should let one little word ruin a beautiful name. I am sure there are many well known names out there that rhyme with something weird, but they are well known so people don’t go down that thought process with them...

I have also seen quite a few people named Ariella, after searching the name on google... I am in two minds but I would like to believe that it’s an amazing name. If the Areola association didn’t exist, I don’t think I would even hesitate with this name. I feel like it would be a shame to discard this name because of one word = Areola...

I also like Alina, but nowhere near as much as Ariella...

You seem determined to inflict the name (and passively, any resulting teasing or name calling) on your child, despite the advice everyone has given you. So just go ahead use it, it doesn’t seem to make a difference what any of us on your multiple threads have advised.

@NameChange84 I just don’t want to make a decision based on fear of other people’s teasing or judgement. It’s more about what makes us happy as opposed to what keeps people happy. Teasing can happen towards anything like your personality, wearing glasses, or any other choice you make in life. It’s a annoying to constantly live according to what is “normal” and “appropriate” for other people. I don’t know, I just feel strongly about making a decision to choose a name based on the name itself rather than discarding a perfectly lovely name out of fear of being teased about areolas. It seems silly to me.

For someone who doesn't want to make a decision based on what other people think you are asking for a lot of opinions!

You obviously love the name, go with it.

Most people will be polite enough to keep their comments about areolas to themselves/behind your back anyway.

It’s not you who would be made unhappy though is it?

It’s your daughter who will have to live with the name.

But as long as you are happy.

I prefer Eliana.

How about Lilliana?