isla or iona?

[mcflumpy]

Title says it all really. Is Isla becoming too popular?....

I love Iona! Would have used it myself had it not been so similar to my own name - just add F!

Both lovely.

both fine and who cares about popularity, it just means its a nice name

Isla but both nice. Also like Leona and Leoni.

If you're doing islands, then it should be Islay surely?

Isla makes me think of Isla Fisher from Home & Away. Iona is a bit awkard to say I think. On balance I prefer Isla.

Yep, I like Isla

Iona very popular round here (in Scotland) and not at all awkward to say. Many of them get "Noni" as a nn, which I think is rather cute.

Love them both. I liked Isla for our dd1 but dh said it reminded him too much of Isla St Clair.

Isla can be after the island (Islay) - but there is also a River Isla in Perthshire.

Both are lovely, assuming your surname is not a noun, in which case only Isla works.

My cousin is Iona and she is a lovely person to fit a lovely name. It's not awkward to pronounce at all and people seem to love saying her name with a breezy intonation.

I know one Isla and 3 Ionas (all under 5) so not sure what is more popular at the mo (am in the SE though the babies I know with these names are all over the UK)

Isla

Iona makes me think of physicas

I don't know any of either name (East Anglia).
Isla will get mispronounced frequently.
We own Isla bikes and had to ask how to say it.

love both and although the island is spelt Islay I would always spell the girls name Isla.
Can't see how Isla would be hard to pronounce as it's just like the first part of Island and Iona well surely that's obvious too ?

I prefer Isla - and think most people have heard the name and would know how to pronounce it (Isla Fisher, Isla St Clair... if you go back that far, showing my age!)

I like them both but I think you have to be careful with Iona depending on your surname (eg Carr)

Iona is lovely.

hf - I know a Fiona who has a dd called Iona

These were always my top two girls names with Iona first, and Isla second but at the last minute we dropped them both.

Iona went because our surname is a place name and we figured the full name ( e.g. 'I own Edinburgh' - our surname is not Edinburgh but you get the idea....) might sound silly and give the potential for a bit of teasing.

Isla then fell by the wayside because we discovered it is mega popular round here - there are two cute little Isla's in DD's gym class of 15.

I love the name we gave DD in the end but I still love Iona as a name.

thanks everyone, good to have some objective opions. Wouldn't use Islay, we're aware that's how the island is spelled (and have been there- it's beautiful) but we personally don't make the connection of the island name and child's name.

gk&ppp that's funny, had never considered iona in that context. We'd be safe with our surname should we opt for Iona.

in all honesty, we're not worried about the pronunciation as think both names are common usage enough to not warrant too many questions.

definitely old enough to remember isla st claire!

both lovely

gosh i hardly ever say that on baby names threads

I love Iona and will deffo consider for a future girl of ours. Much prefer it to Isla. I am Scottish though...not sure how recognisable to people not familiar with it?

I like Isla - we know one girl aged under 5 - in Scotland.

For Iona, I share the "I own a" concern - but not just for surnames - it's open to "I own a car/horse/house/whatever else" - it seems a bit open to bullying?

Maybe others who know some Ionas can comment on whether nn or teasing have been a problem.