Zeola or Zaola

[Roseg990]

I came up with the name zeola or zaola from the name zola.
Opinions please!
Zeola pronunced zee-oh-lah
Zaola pronounced zay-oh-lah
Maybe with an h on the end so zeolah

What do you think?

Zeola sounds like a disease

I don't think lulu would work as a diminutive. But nickname sure. Nickname can be anything you like. They tend to develop naturally though.

Anyway good luck with your name hunt!

Lula even.

Do you like Lula as a first name?

I think Zola is unusual enough that I would just go with that. It's also easier to spell. I'm not sure if some said their name was zee-oh-lah
or zay-oh-lah that I would know it was spelt the way you've written it. And vice versa if I saw the names Zeola or Zaola written down I'm not sure I'd know they were pronounced that way. Whereas Zola is clearer both ways.

Prefer Zaola. I think its lovely but fear her name might become Zaola Z.A.O.L.A

I really like Zelda which seems similar to me.

Zola or similar Zelda are lovely vintage/retro style names, which are already pretty rare (12 and 32 babies respectively last year) or there is similar pretty Xenia/Zenia if you want 3 syllables (also 11/12 babies last year).

Of your two choices Zaola looks nicer (possibly because it looks closer to better known Paola) .Like pp Zeola reminds me of areola, sorry.

I think if you want the Lulu/Lula nn you need to go for something with the "lu" sound though - Lucia, Lucilla, Louisa, Tallulah etc.

Zeola starts me off singing Lola ..........lololololola, looks like a woman but walks like a man.

It’s my age. Sorry.

What about Zora(h)? Like Zora Neale Hurston. Zola is also good.

I feel like both of those are prettier and easier to pronounce than Zeola/Zaola. Zaola is particularly difficult -- I'm wouldn't know whether to say it "zowla" or "zayola". And Zeola would bring to mind ebola.

It's not a made up name. Does no one else remember Zola Budd the South African runner in the 80s?

Showing my age....

Emily.

Ses Zola is a name (see up thread) but that's not the name the OP is asking about. Zaola or Zeola. Pronounced differently. Zola is lovely.

Zena
Xavi

No-way-ola(h).

Zola is nice.

Zaola

I wouldn't have guessed Zay-oh-la from Zaola, I would have said zah-oh-la or Zow-la. But Zeola does look like areola. Zola is better. There are also nicer names that would more intuitively give you the nns Lula or Zeze - like Zelda or Tallulah.

But...why? Are you a Chelsea fan? Or an avid reader of French naturalism? I'm sorry it's a no from me. Just use Zola.

What about Zillah on Zinniah if you're after 'z' namers?

Izola is another existing similar name.