Ariola

[DC555]

I met a woman whose baby was called Ariola the other day. Is it just me or is this a bit too similar to the name for part of a nipple…?

The more I think about it the more I wonder if I misheard. Anyone come across one before?

Quick Google tells you that's it's an Albanian female name meaning golden eagle.

opened this thread assuming it was a leg-pull because yes, to English-speaking ears it sounds exactly like areola.

@Calliopespa this!!

The thing is, if you forget about nipples it sounds pretty nice, it's just I can't forget about nipples when hearing it

It does, probably not a great choice for a child who will attend a state school in the UK.

I am a bit disappointed at the replies to this thread.

The fact that it reminds people of nipples is on them and the British obsession with boobs and sexualising them.

As someone mentioned upthread, it has a beautiful meaningful name in another language.

If you cant read or hear the word “Ariola” and not think of boobs, that is a you problem I think.

@WonderingWanda I cant even comprehend making decisions for my DC based on state school etc. That is madness to me.

Agreed, its the first thing I thought too

Honestly, given it’s basically the same sound, but spelt differently, it’s a tough name to give to a UK based child.

life is hard enough without everyone thinking you’re named after a bit of anatomy.

I really dont understand the thinking of the PPs honestly but am clearly in the minority!

I’m intrigued that you view ‘likelihood of teasing a child because her foreign name recalls the term for the area around a nipple’ as some kind of distinguishing feature of the state and private educational sectors.

If you cant read or hear the word “Ariola” and not think of boobs, that is a you problem I think.

Umm... I'm not sure that's fair.

What do you think of if I say labia?

ETA...and the inevitable answer to that is not a you problem.

There's one source online (a 'submitted post') saying it means golden eagle in Albanian but I can't verify that. Looks like ari does mean gold but eagle/golden eagle is a totally different word?

But googling just the name it clearly is used in Albania.

Nope, that’s exactly what id first think too!

But I guess it’s used in other countries and if you’re not primarily English speaking you won’t think the same thing?

I met an Amorous once. The mum told me she had made the name up.

If you cant read or hear the word “Ariola” and not think of boobs, that is a you problem I think.

Not really. It reads and sounds exactly like the word we only ever hear used to refer to part of a boob. What else do you expect people to think of.

It’s like telling someone you want to name your child Tiger and expecting them not to think of a tiger.

It is a beautiful name, but only in languages where it doesn’t mean of a nipple.

I don’t think it will be an issue in primary school nor tbh secondary school, I’m not sure areola is a word most kids are familiar with!!

I agree it does sound pretty but nipples are all I can think of. Nothing to do with sexualising boobs as I think only became aware of that word when I was breastfeeding!! Unfortunately words from other languages sound like our words which can be a problem or it can not be. I taught a Chinese girl called Quinn pronounced chin. Obviously the first time I heard it I thought it sounded like chin. Obviously inevitable, but not particularly embarrassing, whereas areola potentially is I guess.

@HelpMeUnpickThis thank you for the telling off. Bi am not obsessed with boobs and I don't over sexualise them but the vast majority of teenagers do and secondary schools are fairly brutal places. Have you spent much time in UK secondary schools? I've been teaching in them for the past 25 years and I thought very carefully about what I called my children and their initials because why make their lives harder than they need to be.

Aye, this. Insane reply.

Labia for a name?
Probably is somewhere.

Albania is actually named after the eagle, its national bird. The local name for the country is Shqipëria, derived from shqiponjë (“eagle”). Google tells me that the golden eagle is shqiponjë e malit.

I think hearing Ariola and thinking Areola is understandable to be fair- they are phonetically identical in an English accent. I think If I moved permanently to another country I’d try to avoid calling my child something that was phonetically the same as a body part in said country.

I automatically thought of nipples!!! Poor kid.

Ah now come on - people are going to hear the word, not read it, on first meeting.

If the word boob was a beautiful name in another language, would you defend the parent who chose to bestow it on a child who would grow up in an English speaking country?

Just to add, the woman I met with a baby called Ariola was English. Possible the baby’s father isn’t, it was a brief meeting at a baby class so we didn’t discuss much. And this was in a normal English town.

Poor woman must have no family or friends at all because there’s no way no one acted surprised or mentioned nipples when she first announced the name. It’s pretty if you don’t know what it means and I like Ari as a nickname but it’s just not a name, it’s a body part. Are you absolutely sure she didn’t say Ariana? Or even Ariella?