Hi Swistle,
My husband Ryan and I are expecting our first child, a baby girl, in late June 2016. We got married August 29th, 2015 and apparently got pregnant just a few short weeks later!
Our last name is Ofsthun (off-stune), so I love the idea of having a name that starts and ends with a vowel, to flow into our last name that starts with an O. I was really hoping at some point to find a super cute name that starts with an O (I like alliteration), but the only contender is Olivia – which we do like, but due to it’s upcoming popularity… probably won’t go with. I also have some on the list that only end with a vowel… (apparently I also like names that start with M’s or H’s among the majority that start with a vowel.)
Here is a list of contenders I compiled over the past few weeks, and then Ryan went through on my iPhone and “thumbed” them up or down based on what he likes. Isla was an early front-runner… but it’s currently at #5 popularity on Nameberry and I don’t want to name our daughter a name that a ton of girls in her school, class, sports team, etc. are also going to have. Granted it helps we already have a unique/uncommon last name… I still would like to be somewhat original on the first name. I also have been favoring Harper… but Ryan only knows men that are named Harper… so he associates that as a boys name and doesn’t like it (we aren’t trying to go gender neutral either).
Anyway.. would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions to help out with this process!
Aria 👍🏼
Aurora 👎🏼
Alina 👍🏼
Ayla / Aila / Aylah 👍🏼
Eleanor / elinor / Ellanor / Ellanoir 👎🏼
Ella 👍🏼
Elsa 👎🏼
Eliana 👍🏼
Ellery 👎🏼
Emery 👎🏼
Everly 👎🏼
Eliora 👎🏼
Embry 👎🏼
Elora 👎🏼
Isla / Eila 👍🏼
Isadora (Izzy) 👎🏼
Olivia 👍🏼
Oakley 👎🏼
Elizabeth-Izzy 👎🏼
Cosette or Cozette 👎🏼
Delilah 👎🏼
Maya 👍🏼👍🏼
Jaelyn 👍🏼
Rue 👎🏼
Blaise 👎🏼
Harper 👎🏼
Hadley 👍🏼
Harlow 👎🏼
Willow 👎🏼
Nora 👎🏼
Mazie 👍🏼
Mackenzie 👍🏼
Makenna. 👍🏼
Micaela/Micayla/Mikayla 👍🏼Thank you! Let me know if you have any questions.
In case the thumbs-up/down symbols won’t come through for some readers, I’m going to make two lists:
Thumbs up:
Aria
Alina
Ayla / Aila / Aylah
Ella
Eliana
Isla / Eila
Olivia
Maya
Jaelyn
Hadley
Mazie
Mackenzie
Makenna
Micaela / Micayla / Mikayla
Thumbs down:
Aurora
Eleanor / Elinor / Ellanor / Ellanoir
Elsa
Ellery
Emery
Everly
Eliora
Embry
Elora
Isadora (Izzy)
Oakley
Elizabeth (Izzy)
Cosette or Cozette
Delilah
Rue
Blaise
Harper
Harlow
Willow
Nora
I notice that on the thumbs-down list we have most of the -or- and -ar- and long-O sounds. On the thumbs-up list we have most of the -ay- and -na and -la and M- and long-A and -ak-/-ik- sounds.
I believe the Nameberry site ranks names by interest/searches, not by usage. A name can excite a lot of interest and attention without that resulting in a high level of usage. Case in point: I saw articles last year saying that Katniss was one of the most popular girl names of 2014. Well. I mean, maybe it was one of the most popular SEARCHES, but it was used for only 38 new baby girls that year. Compare that to Emma, the actual most popular name of 2014, which was used for over 20,000 new baby girls. This is why for name popularity, my favorite site is the Social Security Administration, which shows only actual usage.
The Social Security Administration shows the name Isla IS gaining in popularity (though nowhere near #5):
(image from SSA.gov)
There were 2,122 new baby girls named Isla in 2014. However, there were 19,674 new baby girls named Olivia; 9,564 named Harper; 6,271 named Maya/Mya. The usage of Makenna and Mackenzie and Makayla is harder to figure out: there are so many spellings of each. Just to give an idea, here are the numbers only the spellings used for at least 500 baby girls in 2014:
Makayla 2,559
Mikayla 1,026
Michaela 654
Mikaela 530
Mackenzie 4,122
Mckenzie 2,303
Makenzie 1,766
Mckenna 1,388
Makenna 1,138
Another issue is that Makayla/Mackenzie/Mckenna peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s: their popularity appears lower now, but there are so many Makaylas, Mackenzies, and McKennas already in the schools.
I seem to have gotten distracted by the data base, in my effort to throw support behind the name Isla. One reason is that almost all of the names on the thumbs-up list are either quite popular, or are getting there, or were recently there. It looks to me as if in general your husband prefers popular names. Without looking up the popularity for all the spellings, my guess is that Alina is the most uncommon name on the list, and I do think that would be a very nice option. Alina Ofsthun. I thought of suggesting Olina/Olena, but that spelling is making me think of product names.
Melina is pretty—sort of a combination of the Makayla/Mackenzie/Makenna group and the Alina/Eliana group. Melina Ofsthun.
Or Annika. Annika Ofsthun.
Or Nadia. Nadia Ofsthun.
I wonder if you would like the name Oriana. I went to school with a girl named Oriana, pronounced or-ree-AH-nuh. Oriana Ofsthun.
I wonder if your husband would like Juniper better than Harper. It has the sweet nickname Junie, and the U sound would be nicely alliterative with your surname.
Name update!
We ended up going with Isla as it was always the front runner and Swistlers confirmed my thoughts. Went from Martha to June for the middle name though since she was born in June and to honor my great grandmother who was named June. And it has a great ring to it Isla (eye-la) June Ofsthun (off-stune).
How do you feel about Olive instead of Olivia?
Another O name I love is Oona. Oona Ofsthun. Ophelia would also be a daring, literary choice and has a/ia ending of many of your choices. Opal and Olympia are also nice, but a little out-there.
From the thumbs up list, I like Maya, Isla and Ayla. Especially Ayla. So underused yet pretty and has a great meaning and namesake from the Clan of Cave Bears. I love that it has all the trendy sounds without actually being trendy.
Another name I thought for you is Lyra. It’s basically Harper in meaning, but mimics the sound of many of your other choices. Also the name of an awesome heroine in the His Dark Materials series.
You didn’t mention middle names. I would use that spot as an opportunity to use some names your hubby thumbs down. Harper would be nice there with some of your choices. Elizabeth is a beautiful and traditional middle name option. And this may be an unpopular opinion, but I kinda like Ryan as a middle name for a girl! So if you don’t mind it, that might be another opportunity for compromise and/or leverage.
Thanks for the reply! I like your suggestion of Lyra! I’ll put that on the table. And that you also like Ayla…
I have an Oona! Was just going to throw that name in the mix. It wears well. Everyone of every generation seems to have known an Oona-but only ever ONE.
Ophelia is so pretty!
I just came to suggest Oona! Such a lovely name.
From your thumbs up list I Love the name Hadley!!! So adorable. My favorite. I also like Mazie and Jaelyn. Hadley is similar to Harper but not as popular.
I think Isla is perfect for you two since you already love it. It is definitely not too popular. Like Swistle often says, even IF a name is popular now, it’s not like it was in the 1980s. The actual amount of kids named popular names do not encounter nearly as many of each other as a few decades ago. It is funny just how many people name their kid something like Harper, only to discover there’s two in their pre-k, and no Emmas, Sophias, or Isabellas. Anyway.
I love Isla for you because I consider it a very unique name but still approachable. I also love Swistle’s suggestion of Juniper–super cute.
My husband and I are also considering “E” names and he recently threw out Elena which seems similar to your list. Also, a friend recently married an Elise and that name is sort of uncommon but so beautiful!
I think your list of names, and all the suggestions are lovely.
Too add another, I will share my daughter’s middle name, Aldea. It is pretty, and very unusual as a first name (though we named her after her great grandmother). I think Aldea Ofsthun sounds great! :) But maybe it’s too fusty?
Anu
Annika
Octavia
Oksanna
Olivianne
Olivianna
Olympia
One more Anise.
What about Anya?
That’s cute also!!
Isla is beautiful and fairly rare. I’d like to suggest the similar Orla which starts with an “O”.
Orla is great! I was thinking Orly! I know of a little girl named Orly, and it is such a charming name.
Around here there are a couple early elem girls named Aleah. I noticed because my sister’s name is Leah. It’s pronounced Uh-Leah. I think it sounds good with your last name and preferences.
That’s pretty! Might have to add that to the list too!
I’m going to vote for Isla too!
Some other suggestions:
Adler
Audra
Audrey
Audrina
Amelia
Avalee
Maisie spelling versus Mazie
Mila (Mee-la)
Milena or Malina
Miranda
Btw the Nameberry rankings are just a list of searches on Nameberry, not the general Internet. I’m sure Nameberry is a popular site (at least for name nerds) but their rankings are no way reflective of actual naming trends. It’s an interesting list for sure, but stick with the social security list for real popularity.
Oriana is a fantastic suggestion!
You might also like:
Ariana
Alethea
Elodie
Elena
Ida
Idina
Ondina
Una
Mira
Miranda
Alina stood out to me on your list as well. If you like Alina, I wonder about Elena.
I also know an Amina, and an Elia. If he doesn’t like Elinor or Nora, I wonder if he’d feel differently about Honora (an O sound and an H look, both your favorites!) or Lenora?
Isla does seem quite perfect for you, though.
Also! Junia. It’s an old name, also has Junie/June as a nickname, ends in a vowel, is adorable.
Anysia is another unusual old name.
I love Isla for you and agree that Nameberry isn’t the best source to determine how poplar a name is. I suggest the Social Security Baby Name website for that.
I also like the suggestion of Olive for you. Other O names that I like are Ophelia, Odette, Opal & Orla. None of these are currently very popular. I think Ophelia would fit well with the vintage/flowy/feminine style that is currently popular-but it would still stand out. Opal would also fit well with vintage names, though it’s less flowery sounding.
I’ll also suggest Viola, Margo, Chloe, Zoe, Eloise & Fiona
I might put some serious consideration into Ophelia. That came to me the other day too, so nice to hear someone else bring it up as well.
Someone beat me to suggesting Orla – I agree it could meet a lot of your criteria. There’s also Olenna which is, admittedly, a Game of Thrones name.
If you both like Isla though, you should go with it! It’s much less popular than your other front runners, but you really never know who else is going to share your tastes anyway, so you should just pick your favorite!
My favorite alternative O names to Olivia are: Olive, Ophelia, Odelia, Ottilie, and Ottilia.
Otherwise, I do like Isla with your last name. I’d consider it trendy, but the good news is that now everyone is familiar with it as far as spelling and pronunciation. I do know a baby Ayla (pronounced the same), Isla, and Lila, so the sound is definitely popular. But it’s not very currently that common and you both love it, so I’d enthusiastically tell you to go for it!
I second both Oona and Honora.
I suggest Odessa as another option. But I really think you should go with Isla. It’s not as common as you think and, if I’ve learned anything from reading this blog, it’s that should shouldn’t sacrifice a name you love for the potential of it being popular (because as much as the SSD and such are helpful, they can’t really predict anyway and there’s a bigger chance you’ll regret not using what you loved). I use a pseudonym here, but my actual name was number 1 the year after I was born (in a time when there wasn’t the variety of use there is now) and there was rarely another girl with that name in my classes as I was growing up (I can think of two of the top of my head). But it depends on so many things (the community in which you live, for one). So go with your gut and choose a name you both love because, even if it feels popular later, you can still enjoy calling your little girl that name.
Like the first commenter, I was thinking Olive, too, as a less common variant of Olivia. From the thumbs up list I like Ella & Olivia best. How about Ursula? Did the Little Mermaid spoil this name or not? Other than that association, I really like it.
What about Ondine?
I was going to recommend Ariana, Ida, and Anya as well!
What about Amy/Aimee? Irene? Ilene/Eileen? Imogene? Andrea? Andrena? Adrienne?
Or my husband’s favorite, Andromeda?
I like Isla, Maya and Aria best from your list for you. Harper is much more popular than Isla (#11 vs #150). I wouldn’t rule Isla out for popularity. What about Amaya or Myla?
Oceanna.
Odessa.
Octavia.
Olympia.
(I love the O names.)
Amanda? Oya? Ella? Emma? Emily? Alice?
I love Maya! It sounds like Isla and doesn’t seem to as popular!
I adore the name Isla and don’t know personally know anyone of any age with that name. The other name that came to mind immediately is India. It wasn’t even in the top 1000 names in 2014. It begins and ends with a vowel and I think it sounds very good with the surname.
I love Indie as a nickname for India!
Olive
Otilie or Otillia – nn Tilly
Otelia – nn Tia or Thea
Odelia
Ophelia or Ofelia
Orelia
Orla
Octavia
Ada – I LOVE ADA!
Augusta or Augustine
Antonia
I happen to love Isadora! What about Isolde?
If you go with a non-vowel letter, what about Fiona?
Good luck and keep us posted!
Oh. Can’t believe I forgot to say Emilia. Love it. To me it is more interesting and feminine than Amelia spelling.
Have you considered Ovila? I recently discovered it in an old French Canadian neighbourhood I moved to. I think it’s beautiful and fresher than Olivia. Alita might work for you too!
Actually I just searched the meaning and it is a very old French Canadian male name-oops! I still think it’s pretty and rare enough that people would assume it was a girl’s name!
The very first name I thought of when I read your letter was Octavia. So beautiful and underused with similar sounds to the names you like.
Odessa (from a suggestion above) is lovely.
From your list, Hadley is amazing. Hadley.\
I also like Swistle’s suggestion of Juniper. That’s my daughter’s name, so I am a bit biased, but it is totally spunky and fun.
I adore Maya. It’s classic, multicultural, and has more substance and staying power than some of the other names you’ve mentioned (despite its similarly “trendy” sound).
ESME!!!! Esme.
some of our friends just named their daughter Esme! Too close, too soon.
Isla is such a lovely name. Liking Alina and Maya from your list too.
A few more for you:
Amara
Amaya
Adair (love this one!)
Ainsley/Ainslie
Aubrey
Ailsa
Blair
Ellison
Eliza
Eloise
Estella
Lianna
Ilana
Ingrid
Ianthe
Ione
McKinley
All the best!
Annelise or Mariella?
Also coming to suggest Olympia as an Olivia alternative. Beautiful and unique!
Iona is lovely and one step ahead of Fiona.
You have lots of Eleanor variants, but not Eleanora, which suits more of your criteria.
Orla and Honora were also brilliant suggestions.
How about Ombre?
Aaliyah is quite trendy in Australia right now. It seems to fit both of your styles.
Alina (in various spellings) seems on-trend to me now. I have 3 friends who do not know each other, and have all named their daughter some form of that name in the past 3 years. One lives in Maine, one in Virginia, and one in Kansas. It’s very pretty, but it’s one I feel will become much more popular than many of the other names on your list; especially Isla!
Nothing new; more votes for
Isla
My favorite O name is Opal because it is my mother’s name. I have only known one other Opal and she was born in the 1940’s like my mother. I did notice that at least on the list Swistle posted, your husband gave Maya two thumbs up so maybe there is your answer? It’s on your list of approved names and seems to be the one he likes the most. Just a thought.
We have narrowed it down to 3 choices.
Isla
Mazie or Maisie (I can’t decide which spelling! I liket he Z because my maiden name start with Z, but I think the latter spelling is adorable. Also like these both have ie, because I am Chelsie)
Ophelia
Middle Name: Martha (my Grandma’s name)
Isla Martha Ofsthun
Mazie Martha Ofsthun
Opehlia Martha Ofsthun (this I don’t think works as well as the other two…)
Ryan and I both really like Ophelia… but maybe that’s on the table for our second child if we have other girl and can play with a middle name more that would sound better with that.
So I think it really is coming down to:
Isla Martha Ofsthun (Chelsie leaning towards this)
Mazie Martha Ofsthun (Ryan leaning towards this)
But we’d be happy with both.
So appreciate everyone’s comments and suggestions! It has been fun to be posted to Swistle!
Isla is my favorite! It’s gorgeous (the monogram too), but you can’t go wrong with either.
When it comes to the Mazie/Maisie, you can always try the Starbuck’s test of saying the name and seeing how they spell it. Popularity wise, for babies born in 2014, Maisie was more popular with 431 babies, the Maisy spelling with 179, and Mazie in third with 126.
Isla June “Off-stune.” I love it! You’re right – it has a lovely ring to it. Congratulations!
So happy you chose Isla, I just love that name! And she is a total cutie! Congratulations!