Do you like this name.....

[jasminetealeaves]

Thinking of naming our baby Alma, love the way it sounds, soft and calm. Also love it's meaning in other languages. Thoughts please...

Oh really @TheYearOfSmallThings 5 Almas under 5! That's quite a lot. I really want to avoid a popular name.
Why do you find it difficult to pronounce?
@Enko is your cousin's granddaughter in the UK?

Right now yes but won't be next year they are Danish.

Ha! I just googled the Jeffrey Archer prostitute and she was Monica Coghlan not Alma so no association there! I didn’t say it was wishy washy tho! Still not sure about it tho!!!

Definitely due a resurgence. Love it.

It's ok

I like it

I'm now worried it'll get popular and there'll be lots of Almas!?

Not sure if it will become super popular in the UK. I think it’s too niche here. It has been an established European name (Alma Mahler, Danish politicians etc). London has many Scandi/French/etc parents, bringing the name with them. But who knows!

I'm now worried it'll get popular and there'll be lots of Almas!?

Not at all - I only notice them because of my cousin's DD. Some of the ones I've met had European parents (as indeed does my cousin's DD). The only time I've seen two in one place was in the balance bike class at the Olympic Velodrome, randomly.

I don't know why I find it hard to pronounce - I think I say AL(uh)ma in an effort not to swallow the L and say Awma.

Hahaha @TheYearOfSmallThings I totally get what you mean about the pronunciation actually!

Well fair play to you, because I did not explain that well

@TheYearOfSmallThings I thought you explained it brilliantly!

Aww it's really lovely. Definitely not popular in the UK. You can always check the ons stats if you're concerned about picking too popular a name xx

Makes me think of the Crimean War & the Fairie Queene.

I don't find it either lovely or awful, so wouldn't have a strong reaction either way!

Beautiful name. I like it

The name became popular after the Battle in the Crimean War so has definite Victorian associations. Similar to Verdun during and after WWI.
To me it’s a rather wish’s washy stuck in the mouth sound. I guess it sounds very different pronounced in Danish etc.
Not objectionable, though and you could do worse — all a matter of taste and association

@GetTheGoodLookingGuy

Makes me think of Alma Pudden from the St Clare's books...

Same isn’t it strange how you get these associations! There’s nothing wrong with it, but that’s the only Alma I ‘know’!

Quite common here in Spain, where it means "soul." I think it's lovely, it's definitely on my list.

I'm not keen personally, but I agree it is soft and calm sounding

No, sorry. To me it sounds fat and dumpy, I don't know why!

Also Al as a nickname. No thanks.

Is it ahlma or arlma?

Absolutely awful! Frumpy and ugly. Poor kid

However I seem to like names that MN hate and vice versa.

Me too @GetTheGoodLookingGuy and @quietpersonattheback! Nothing wrong with the name but it screams overweight to me stupidly as a result it’s not a well known enough reference to worry the OP I guess but such a weird brain quirk..

Barlow?

Was she even a Barlow or maybe a Baldwin?

Leathery skin and lashings of black eyeliner flood my memory when I hear that name!