AnnE-girl Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 With all the excitement over the royal baby name, I'm starting my list of possible baby names. I'm only 11 weeks tomorrow, but hey, names are fun. So far the girls names I like are Elinor (spelling from Sense and Sensibility) and Rilla. Is Rilla too unusual? I've never heard of it other than Rilla of Ingleside. I don't care for Marilla, just Rilla. Our last name starts with S, if that makes any difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I don't like Rilla. It makes me think of "gorilla" and I can imagine kids calling her "Rilla Gorilla." Elinor isn't a favorite, either. It sounds dowdy to me. Sorry. :blush: 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GinaPagnato Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I can get behind Elinor, but I'm with Cat on Rilla. "Rilla Gorilla"...<<shudder>> 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Or at her soccer games, you'll be yelling, "Go Rilla!" 42 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 When I think of Rilla - I think of it like a slang way of saying 'Really' in an Elvis voice, you have to use the Elvis voice. Like "I rilla,rilla like ice cream." :leaving: How about Retta or Willa? 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I love Rilla & Marilla. I really like gorillas & other primates too though so it's not much of an insult to me.Elinor is lovely as well. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I like Rilla but I see the potential pitfalls. Also, I prefer to give a name that is not usually considered a nickname so if you hate Marilla, I'd personally skip it. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I actually really like Rilla but I can see what others are saying about pitfalls. Rita? Mara? Lila? Those I like those and they have a bit of the same "feel" to me. I like Elinor, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Elinor Is ok to me. Rilla, OTOH is just asking for relentless teasing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Or at her soccer games, you'll be yelling, "Go Rilla!" When I think of Rilla - I think of it like a slang way of saying 'Really' in an Elvis voice, you have to use the Elvis voice. Like "I rilla,rilla like ice cream." :leaving: These made me laugh out loud! :laugh: My first thought wasn't either of these. I thought of living in TX and folks driving up to Amarilla. (Yes, I know it's Amarillo but that's how people say it.) Not nearly as funny as Elvis. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2bee Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I don't like Rilla. Sounds ridiculous as a persons name when I say it out loud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 No, not my style. I don't mind for names to be uncommon (I used two uncommon names), but I don't like it when they sound made-up, which Rilla sounds to me. I like Elinor, but only because I love the nickname Ellie. The "nor" part of Elinor sounds negative to me, so I would look more at Eliana if I wanted to use Ellie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildcat Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I don't like Rilla. It makes me think of "gorilla" and I can imagine kids calling her "Rilla Gorilla." Elinor isn't a favorite, either. It sounds dowdy to me. Sorry. :blush: Actually, when I saw it in the title, I thought of "vanilla" and then with your post, it became "Rilla the Vanilla Gorilla". I think there are way too many potential pitfalls with the name. Sorry, OP. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 My great aunt was called Rilla but her actual name was Amaryllis. My grandmother got Hazel. Not nearly as dashing, LOL. There was also Edith, Elsie and Mildred. Puts Rilla in a good light. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isabella Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I've always found the combination of letters difficult to roll off the tongue easily. I hated reading the name Marilla in Anne of Green Gables. I love Willa, though. :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnE-girl Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 Thanks for the brutal honesty 😄. It's one of those, "this might be crazy, but I like it" things that sometimes needs a reality check. As for Elinor, it was our girl name for DS, but now we have an Ellie on one side of cousins and an Ella on the other, so I'd use the full name. I think this baby is a girl because of how I've been feeling, and partly hoping it is because boy names are even harder. At least we still have lots of time. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 OMW you all have me laughing over "Rilla"! (Elvis!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I think you'll get a lot of people mishearing her name as Briella. ETA: That name is #346 on the Social Security baby list so it's more common than you'd imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clementine Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 OMW you all have me laughing over "Rilla"! (Elvis!) Lol! I never even thought of the "Go Rilla!" at a soccer game. You gals are good! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmseB Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I just had an Eleanor, and she is very cute and not at all dowdy. ;) Is it a short or long I in Rilla? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Thanks for the brutal honesty 😄. It's one of those, "this might be crazy, but I like it" things that sometimes needs a reality check. As for Elinor, it was our girl name for DS, but now we have an Ellie on one side of cousins and an Ella on the other, so I'd use the full name. I think this baby is a girl because of how I've been feeling, and partly hoping it is because boy names are even harder. At least we still have lots of time. In that case, I would steer clear of Elinor; I personally would not like them being so similar. What do you think of Evelyn? I love that name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athomeontheprairie Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Or at her soccer games, you'll be yelling, "Go Rilla!" Bwahaha! Too funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnE-girl Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 Quill, Evelyn is pretty in the abstract but it reminds me of a really obnoxious girl I knew growing up, unfortunately. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Anne is one of my all time favourite (literary) people, so I love Rilla. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I don't like Rilla. It makes me think of "gorilla" and I can imagine kids calling her "Rilla Gorilla." Sorry. :blush: Must agree. Then there will be "Rilla Gorilla Vanilla". (as noted up-thread) Uh oh. . . . "Rilla Godzilla". :ack2: P.S. I'm responding as an adult who endured hurtful rhyming names throughout early elementary school. Really crushing to the emerging self-confidence it was. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I like Marilla and I wouldn't care too much about teasing, mainly because if kids want to tease, they'll find a way. That said, I'm not too keen on Rilla, personally. But it's just a question of taste. As for Elinor, I think it's lovely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewe Mama Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I like Rilla and, until this thread, never thought of it as being a named to be tease-worthy. It is unique, but anyone who has read the Anne books would recognize it, and the gem of a character behind it. If you like it, that's what matters! You don't think William and Catherine went around worrying about Prince George being called "George of the Jungle" someday, do you? Choose what you like! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monstermama Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Eleanor's on my short list :laugh: I like Rilla. Not something I'd personally choose, but I think it's pretty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Turning serious, many people's reflex will be to ask what the full name is. "Rilla" sounds like a nickname. (which, in the novel, it was) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Anne is one of my all time favourite (literary) people, so I love Rilla. Agreed! I think it sounds very pretty. My girls' name choice was Laine, which DH vetoed, but I never had any girls so I didn't get to defend it to the bitter end. lol. I say if you love the name Rilla then go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I was just thinking about Marilla as a name since I am reading Anne again - I wouldn't use Rilla but if you like it, enjoy. I am also wondering why my second child did not get Anne as a middle name, seems so perfect now. Eleonora is also floating around right now. 20 more weeks, hopefully I will have some more names. And so glad now we are not having 7 when naming #4 is looking like a challenge just generating name ideas. Glad to know I am not alone on finding names. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I love it, because it makes me think of Anne of Green Gables. And it's unusual. Go for it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raptor_dad Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I think Rilla sounds like an overpriced Scandinavian vacuum cleaner. I like Elinor. I would use Tolkien's spelling Elanor, Elvish for sun-star. But, Elinor or Eleanor are also very nice. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 When I saw Rilla I wasn't sure if it was pronounced like the end of gorilla or a more Spanish pronounciation of Reeya with the double l sounding like y and the i sounding like long e. So there is also the mispronunciation aspect especially if living near a Hispanic population. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Yeah-- I thought it was Reeya too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I like it. And it seems especially appropriate for an Anne with an E. :) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I am not a fan of nicknames as stand-alone names. Then the poor kid always has to endure the question, "What's it short for?" Elinor I do like very much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 How about Diana? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 How about Diana? I guess the other twin's name, 'Anne' or 'Nan' is out... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 When I saw Rilla I wasn't sure if it was pronounced like the end of gorilla or a more Spanish pronounciation of Reeya with the double l sounding like y and the i sounding like long e. So there is also the mispronunciation aspect especially if living near a Hispanic population. I wondered the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 When I saw Rilla I wasn't sure if it was pronounced like the end of gorilla or a more Spanish pronounciation of Reeya with the double l sounding like y and the i sounding like long e. So there is also the mispronunciation aspect especially if living near a Hispanic population. Same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Rilla isn't really my style (on my girl list for all of the boys have been Katherine, Abigail, Elizabeth, Julia, Caroline, and Alice, with Joy as the middle), but I like it. Kids will find something to pick on, or not. Nobody calls my one son "Ben the big fat Hen" or something equally ridiculous. I'd go with a longer and more traditional middle name, like Rilla Elizabeth or Rilla Katherine or Rilla Josephine, and really give it a royal sounding feel. I like Elinor too, although I like the spelling Eleanor better. But I'm kind of a sucker for common spellings, having a very commonly misspelled name myself. And Nora or Nori or even Lainey or Lennie are cute nicknames if you want to avoid Ellie or Ella. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I'm a mega Anne fan, so that's why I immediately recognized it, and how it would be pronounced. I guess it depends...Do you live in PEI? :lol: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I have a Willa. If I saw a Rilla I would assume her parents were big Anne fans. I honestly think it is just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I think one ought to imagine future careers when choosing baby names, if it would sound ridiculous for a Supreme Court justice then it may not be a good choice. I think I would just do Marilla and use Rilla for a nickname. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
go_go_gadget Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I think one ought to imagine future careers when choosing baby names, if it would sound ridiculous for a Supreme Court justice then it may not be a good choice. And the dissenting opinion, from Justice Slartibartfast... Couldn't help it, sorry! I do agree, though, that it's best to give the whole name rather than just the diminutive. If you really prefer Rilla, OP, maybe it could be a middle name?Actually, I quite like Elinor Rilla. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I've always found the combination of letters difficult to roll off the tongue easily. I hated reading the name Marilla in Anne of Green Gables. I love Willa, though. :-) I love Willa. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Don't like it. Sorry! Lends itself to Rilla Gorilla or Rilla Godzilla. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 I am not a fan of nicknames as stand-alone names. Then the poor kid always has to endure the question, "What's it short for?" Elinor I do like very much! I agree! My name is Beth and that is my name. It is not short for Elizabeth and I had to go through that so many times growing up. I even had an adult argue with me who said it was impossible for me to be called Beth on my birth certificate. How do you argue with an adult when you are a child? I was intimidated but did keep telling her Elizabeth just was not my name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnE-girl Posted May 5, 2015 Author Share Posted May 5, 2015 I'm a mega Anne fan, so that's why I immediately recognized it, and how it would be pronounced. I guess it depends...Do you live in PEI? :lol: I wish! My dad took me there when I was a teenager since I loved the "Anne" books so much, but I haven't managed to get back there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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