Can I use these names?

[Katielovesteatime]

My surname is Allaway. Can I use names that end in ‘l’ or ‘a’? I love the name Mabel - love it - but it can’t work with my surname, can it? Mabel Allaway just doesn’t flow… or can I get away with it? ‘A’ names are similarly awkward. Rosa Allaway, for example - does it flow really badly? I’m seriously considering double-barreling the surname to add mine in first so I can use the names I like, but then I’d have to change all the other kids names too and that would be a pain in the arse 😂

My daughters middle name will be Marianne but I don’t suppose that makes a difference since they’re rarely used.

I think the two names flow into each other, sounds like one name when you say it, sorry.

And yeah no one will say the middle name day to day so not sure it matters.

I don't think those names flow well, either, unfortunately. And your right that the middle name is irrelevant. What other kind of names do you like?

I think Rosa flows ok, it’s just the el ending of Mabel that doesn’t work well unfortunately.

The double l is quite hard work; the name ending in A I think sounds much nicer.

Mabel is better than Rosa, but it’s a bit garbled yes.

How about May or Rose ?

May/Mabel Marianne is also a bit of a mouthful so perhaps Rose of those two.

I agree with you OP, they just don't work with your surname.

Mabel just becomes a tongue twister 'elala'

Rosa or anything ending with an A just doesn't flow at all 'sa-al'. It sounds like you're stuttering in between the names.

Thanks for the thoughts! As well as Mabel and Rosa, I like:

• Martha
• Esther
• Edith

All fab names!

Honestly op, just choose the name you love.
Don't over think it

I think any of yoir original or alternative names work. Some people just have a surname that nothing will work with so just own it and choose the name you love. No one ever says the middle name apart form form filling and christenings, we didn’t even say full name getting married.

All lovely! Martha and Esther are particularly nice and sound good with you surname.

Agree with the above. I think Edith works best from your list

Would also suggest Nancy xx

Edith and Esther both go lovely with your middle name and surname!

Martha same as Rosa with the 'A' ending. It would be a no for me

Esther Allaway sounds lovely!

It's also my daughter's name so I am biased but it gets lots of compliments.

Esther or Edith work perfectly but I don’t think the names ending in -a do, sorry. Mabel is OK but I think the other consonant sounds are better.

Always think Mabel and Edith come from the same group of names from our grandma's time now on the way back. So l would go go with Edith. Its a beautiful name and Edith Allaway is perfect. Think it's the l at end of Mabel that is too close to all the other ls

Edith is fabulous! Edith Mariannt - lovely.

Esther isn't really to my taste.

Martha reminds me of hens for some reason, and you'd have the A of Martha and the A of Alloway running up against each other.

With names ending in A, you're going to get some people inserting an R sound between the As - Marthur Alloway.

I don't see a problem with Mabel. With Rosa, you'd have to decide whether you could put up with people who don't like to use a linking R leaving a big unnatural sounding pause between the two names. I always think it sounds like hiccups!

A-A sounds clunky and L-A runs together but I love Edith Allaway. We have an A surname too so I feel your pain!

Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m really glad that some of the names on my list sound alright. I’m also fond of the advice to just choose a name i love and not worry about it!

Mabel Allaway doesn't seem any different to Michael Allen or similar. I think just choose the name you love.

If you love Mabel, then I would go for it! I think the two names together sound fine and people will tend to leave a gap, so it won’t sound like Mabelalloway! Most of the time she won’t be being called by her surname anyway, she’ll just be Mabel