Willa or Pearl

[ladycarlotta]

I'm 39 weeks and I think we have it boiled down to these two options for our baby girl. Which would you go for?

I'm aware they are both potentially quite trendy, with Willa being rarer in terms of use but more often mentioned in lists like these?

We also liked Ilse/Ilsa/Ailsa/Elsa but have issues with each of those options so I think we're just giving up on it.

I think Pearl is lovely and very underused

Willa Pearl Surname sounds like a great full name though

Ooh hard one! Both gorgeous but think Pearl is a classic name.

Love Willa. Hate Pearl.

I really don't like Willa. Pearl is OK.

Pearl is lovely.

I'm not at all keen on Willa, it's very harsh sounding to me.

Pearl was my beloved Grandmother’s name. It is now my baby niece’s middle name and my cat’s name! Needless to say Pearl is my favourite! I personally don’t like Willa at all. Sounds like a cockney trying to pronounce Willow! 🤣

Pearl. Willa is just so ugly. It’s more of a sound than a name.

I agree. Glad it's not just me. An old German name apparently. Maybe it sounds OK in Germany, but in the UK it sounds weird IMO.

I'm not cockney but I can't figure out how to say Willa in my accent without it sounding like I'm just lazily mangling Willow.

Oh dear I must be really out of touch on the trendy new names. Pearl sounds like my great granny and Willa...is that even a name? All I can think of is "Willo the Wisp" but I guess that's showing my age. If I had to pick one it would be Pearl but it brings up visions of a precocious child. Sorry 😬

I strongly dislike Willa.

Pearl isn't my thing, but it's OK.

Of your other choices, I love Ailsa.

Ailsa is my fave from your list.

Pearl will date terribly.
Willa is okay but Willow is so popular and Wlla could be mistaken for a poorly pronounced Willow.

Do you like ..
Marina
Polly
Margaret

Agree. Pearl is gorgeous

I love Pearl. Classic name.

Willa is ugly imo.

I adore Pearl. I dislike Willa. It reminds me of witches. Lol.

Pearl.

I don’t like Willa, it looks incomplete and doesn’t sound very nice. Willow is nice, although a lot more common.

Pearl is lovely.

Pearl, definitely! I love gemstone names and this one is coming back into fashion - it’s simple, pretty and underused.

Willa sounds too much like Willow or Willy in many accents, which puts me off.

Willa is awful. Don’t.

Pearl is ok but both sound a bit naff to me.

Sorry.

Ailsa is my fave. I don't like Willa. I'm in Scotland and can hear "willla go to the shop or no?" What willa do now? Etc. And pearl is not my bag either sorry. 🙈

She’ll get teased a lot of Willa too.

Willa Willy. Also it’s the end of the alphabet. That can get pretty annoying for a kid over the years. Trust me.

Alisa is better but reminds me of the character in neighbours.

Alizée is a French pop singer from a while back. More interesting and unique I would say. Wrote a smash hit in France called lolita it’s on YouTube.

A-leez-ay is how you pronounce it. You won’t find many in the U.K.

You could make a British version: Alize. No need to have the ‘ay’ at the end.

Willa is such a beautiful name.

Makes me think of the American author Willa Cather (autor of the novels "My Ántonia" and "O Pioneers!").

Pearl is a pretty name too.

Willa is lovely and like a pp reminds me of classic author Willa Cather. It has a really nice strong sound and meaning.

Ive never got the love for Pearl - I understand it’s now retro/hipster cool, but it just sounds like it belongs in an OAP group to me (though I guess she’ll fit right in with her peers at nursery like Olive, Mabel, Edith etc)

Willa just makes me think Willy, sorry. Pearl is nice.