Views on girl names

[Cherchezlaspice]

Could I please have your thoughts on these names for a girl?

We’re not having a middle name and the last name will be double barrelled (west African and British last names, both short).

• Izuka
• Medua
• Vida
• Zikora
• Ibari
• Murphy
• Isa

Isn’t interesting that the meanings of the names haven’t been discussed yet?

That could help you narrow it down, OP. Additionally you could consider the cadence of how these names sound when said as a whole with your surname.

I wouldn’t name her Murphy as a first name but you could have it as the last middle name before your surname to keep your options open. It is unfortunate that there are still connotations in England about some Irish surnames relating to them being perceived as unintelligent, dating back to manual workers, sitcoms from the 1970s. Ridiculous and unfounded of course. Think about whether teachers will have a confined outlook. I would go for a more striking, interesting Irish name from his family history.

Izuka reminds me of a bean a little but I do like it.

Vida is snappy and strong but if someone can’t pronounce the letter ‘V’ this may be said as “Wida’. I think it’s too close to “Rida”, as in getting rid of something and then there’s the word, ‘invidious’, which it does remind me of.

I love Ibari.

Isa doesn’t sound African, more like a nickname for a longer name.

And I’m afraid I don’t like Chioma, recommended by someone else sounds too much like a eye or other bodily disorder. Glaucoma, lipoma, etc.

My vote is for Ibari, it manages to be easy to pronounce, and has strong and affectionate imagery.

What cool names!

Izuka = awesome

Medua = reminds me of Medusa/Medea, who have bad associations in English

Vida = Bit too “Living La Vida Loca”

Zikora = Awesome

Ibari = Awesome

Murphy = This is a beer

Isa = Pretty, but people will mispell it as Isla which is so over-used now

I don’t think I’d be able to resist calling her Izuka. She sounds like an attractive fun lady who’s a great dancer but can be terrifying if you get on the wrong side of her.

Vida is lovely, like them all apart from Murphy...

I LOVE this! 😂

I like Isa

Isa doesn’t sound African, more like a nickname for a longer name.

You're fluent in all 2,000 African languages, then? How immensely talented you must be. 😂

I really like west African names, especially the Nigerian names which practically tell the child’s birth story.

I don’t get these sorts of statements. West African names vary widely. Nigerian names vary widely (there’s circa 500 languages there alone, with extremely different naming conventions).

@RishisProudMum Are you kidding me? That’s some reach. Nobody’s claiming that.

I’ve gone out of my way to give the OP a detailed answer, giving my opinion on what I think the GENERAL PUBLIC are likely to conclude.

Attended multi cultural schools, mixed with people of African heritage, etc, etc., and I am often surprised at attitudes, outside of London.

Forgive me but it is a fact that UK people will associate particular sounds with African names, whilst other sounds, such as those with the name Isa are already prevalent as the prefix of European first names that are already popular. No points for concluding such Isa-prefix names will dominate people’s connotations because it’s a fact that African names are in the minority. What’s mostly used is what people think of first. If it were the reverse, we would know far better and be saturated with more awareness.

Additionally, if there was an African person with that name already in the public eye, then this would not so much be the case. People extrapolate quickly when reading or hearing a name. That’s human nature.

It’s a pity that there is so little representation and coverage on British TV and radio to educate the general public further.

You’re welcome to tell us more about African names without becoming defensive and jumping to a conclusion. What other established African names are there that are similar to European names? Genuinely, I’m curious.

Oh, I see! Saying a name ‘doesn’t sound African’ wasn’t you being ignorant, you were demonstrating the ignorance of the ‘general public’ (despite you not mentioning that once in your original comment and that not being what you were asked). And I’m ‘jumping to a conclusion’ and ‘reaching’ for assuming you meant what you’d said.

Totally checks out. 😂

Not being defensive, just laughing at you. And I have no interest in providing you with education for which I’m not being paid. Your curiosity isn’t my problem. If you’re genuinely trying to learn, perhaps stop saying ‘African’ (it’s a continent, not a monolithic culture) and say ‘Igbo’ or ‘Hausa’. You’ve literally been told the relevant tribes! That’s all you’re getting for me. 😂

Sorry, did not mean to offend you, I have mostly worked with people of Yoruba heritage, I should have made that clear.

All good! I agree, Yoruba names are lovely and can tell fabulous stories.

Vida. Although, livin' la vida loca...
Please, not Murphy.
I quite like Isa but my keyboard wants to make it ISA, like the savings. What about Iris?

Vida is lovely

Love Vida and Isa. Although my phone immediately changed it to ISA which could be annoying

Oh well, I have shown some curiosity and it has been met with hostility.

I have said out of those names, I love the name Ibari however I eel neutral about Isa because it sounds more distinctly European as a prefix and that is what the public will think it’s an abbreviation of when they initially hear it said.

No problem with that but I think the OP understandably wants a name that is pleasing to UK ears BUT also would like it to be an interesting African name.

Isa is a short name that sounds like a nickname of longer, more popular European female names, so blah to most people.

@RishisProudMum do you not think you have pretty high expectations for the general UK public to have an interest or an awareness in thousands of African names in various languages?!!

The majority of people in England have enough difficulty pronouncing many Irish names, and a good few Welsh ones!! This is the reality. It isn’t an ideal world.

It’s a case of positive encouragement in these matters, I think.

You could look at it this way, if I was on an African naming forum, and I suggested a list of British names on there and a fellow African poster appeared to say that one of my British names was already a much used African pre-fix to a name that was bland as a three letter name, I would be pleased to know that, it would help the OP form an opinion. I would be proud of my British heritage (as the African OP poster is) and would like to think I would be choosing a moniker that is British, and not an already commonly used African pre-fix/nickname.

Next thing, an irate Brit appears to say that honestly, rthe African poster commenting on the British OP, really should be more ware of the origins of the hundreds of Celtic, French and Anglo Saxon names!

However the general public in that African country’s forum have little concept of any of that because, just as in the UK, the majority of the pubic eye figures were African and there was little information about these Irish, Scots and Welsh names and cultures.

I would think that person had unrealistic expectations of the general public and slightly off their rocker.

Brevity is a skill you might wish to cultivate. I highly doubt anyone is going to read all of that. I certainly won’t. 😂

They’re all lovely, and interesting. Apart from Murphy. It’s not a girls name to my ear. Not even a human name!

@RedBookYellowBook Nobody is expecting you to speak multiple (or any) African languages. However, you aren’t really in a position to say ‘Isa doesn’t sound African’ unless you’re au fait with ALL African names. Which is impossible. So, it’s a quite an odd and ignorant statement. What do African names sound like?!

Please note, you didn’t say ‘I don’t think most people will realise Isa is African’ or anything like that (which would be fine). Just that it didn’t sound African.

So, thank you for your contributions to this thread, but I don’t really want any more.

It was worth it for 'pubic eye figures'.

Not even a human name! The responses to Murphy are so funny.

Anyway, thank you. 😊

Iris is lovely, but I think we’ve made our choice! 😊

What have you decided @Cherchezlaspice ??

Oh, I’m not telling! 😂