Friend offended I couldn't pronounce baby name...

[Hippiemomlife]

So my friend just had a baby girl and named her Isla. I personally have never heard the name or met anyone with that name, so I had NO idea how it should be pronounced. At first glance I automatically would think "is" like ("is this good?") and "lah". Now that I know it is pronounced "eye-lah" I get it and I think it's a nice name. Well when I asked my friend how to pronounce it she freaked out and was like "it's not THAT difficult to pronounce. Isla, like "island"?"...
I am quite an intelligent woman and I read and write very often, so I probably should have known how to say it correctly, but everyone has odd names nowadays and I honestly have just never heard of it! Is it quite popular in North America? I live in Europe but my friend lives in Canada, so maybe that's why I have never heard of it?
Oh well, I hope she gets used to people always pronouncing her daughter's name wrong!

 

[MindUtopia]

Actually, my daughter has a cousin named Isla and the first time I saw it, I pronounced it 'Is-la' as well. I'm American by birth, but live in the UK and they are Irish, so I assumed it was an Irish name actually. I don't know anyone named Isla back in the U.S. Everyone else in the family (all British and Irish) seemed to know how to pronounce it, so it was just me. But I think realistically, anyone who has a name that isn't phonetic is going to be running into loads of people who can't pronounce it, and they can't get offended. Probably it's happened to her a few times already, which is why she's a bit touchy about it.

 

[Hippiemomlife]

Actually, my daughter has a cousin named Isla and the first time I saw it, I pronounced it 'Is-la' as well. I'm American by birth, but live in the UK and they are Irish, so I assumed it was an Irish name actually. I don't know anyone named Isla back in the U.S. Everyone else in the family (all British and Irish) seemed to know how to pronounce it, so it was just me. But I think realistically, anyone who has a name that isn't phonetic is going to be running into loads of people who can't pronounce it, and they can't get offended. Probably it's happened to her a few times already, which is why she's a bit touchy about it.

I'm Canadian by birth, but living in Austria so it's not a name you hear at all. And back in Canada I never heard it growing up either. Apparently there is a celebrity named Isla Fischer or something, and I suppose I am not up on all the celebrity gossip lol. But yeah, makes sense she would be a bit touchy. I'll try an pronounce it right from now on!

 

[_Meep_]

I believe it's in the top ten names for the UK at the moment.

Nearly called my daughter Isla but decided not to as it was too popular!

We called her ***** (see signature) instead, which is pronounced the same, just with an 'n'. People are, of course, forever reading it as Ny-ella! Hey ho, not the end of the world.

 

[hanni]

I've never had any clue how to pronounce it either! I thought it was what that character from frozen was called. Or is that elsa? Either way she really needs to let it go! You'll not be the first or the last to get it wrong.

 

[DCS]

I agree she has probably had a few people sy it wrong which is why she was upset. My DD is called Mila pronounced mee-lah but she is forever being called my-lah, or miller or smiley. Doesn't bother me now except when I correct people but they still say it wrong. I have a friend who keeps calling her my-lah, and then wonders why DD doesn't respond. But generally doesn't bug me.

 

[HoneyBee144]

I've heard the name before, it seems to be getting quite popular in the UK. I didn't know how to pronounce it when I first saw it and still sometimes slip up . If I had a daughter called Isla I wouldn't be surprised if people said it wrong, its not an obvious pronunciation.

 

[bdb84]

My aunt's name is Isla, but it's pronounced differently than what has become common. Instead of "Eye-lah", her's is pronounced "All-uh". Because I've grown up around her, I automatically pronounce that name differently.

 

[Googiepie]

I had no idea how to pronounce it either. My daughter's name is Yasmina and lots of people don't know how to pronounce it. It doesn't really bother as I chose that I knew would be a little difficult for people to know how to pronounce. My toddlers name is Mia and people sometimes call her Mya. Meh. There's always gonna be someone who is not sure how to pronounce someone's name.

 

[staralfur]

I'm in Canada and I've heard of a few Islas at the playground and stuff, and I have a friend whose daughter is named Isla as well, so I would say it's fairly common here. I know that my friend gets a lot of people mispronouncing her name and that it gets frustrating but I don't think it's necessary to freak out at someone for not pronouncing it right. People always mispronounce my name and I totally get it, it IS annoying, but just because someone may be the 200th person to say your name wrong doesn't mean you get to lash out at them. Pretty rude!

 

[MumToEva]

I think it's a scottish name, though I may be wrong on that.

Your friend is being silly - if you pick a name that not everyone knows then you have to expect some people to get it wrong.

I like it personally - i considered it for DD, but knew that friends / family wouldn't know how to pronounce it, and I'd get fed up telling people you pronounce is like "Island", so decided against it.

 

[TTC First]

I am in Canada and I can say I have never heard or seen that name. I also thought it was pronounced they way you thought also.

Don't worry, she will just have to spend the rest of her life repeating the correct pronunciation to others.

 

[Sarah lo]

If she's going to get touchy about people pronouncing her daughter's name incorrectly, why give her a name that's hard to pronounce?

My DH really liked the name Isla when I was pregnant with DD but I said no because I didn't want her to spend her whole life correcting people and spelling it out.

 

[Larkspur]

Isla was my grandmother's name, and is my niece's name. It's becoming extremely popular. It's top 10 in my country, although for most of my life nobody my age had heard of it but me.

I gave my daughter an unusual name and most people get it wrong first try, which I know shouldn't annoy me but still sometimes does when it's the 10th I've had to repeat it in a day. I guess it's irritating when I've just said it clearly and people repeat something totally different in a tone that sounds like I called her Pinkyponk or Bumface instead of a name that's very common in some parts of the world.

Maybe your friend is just feeling a bit worn down because she expected more people to know the name. She shouldn't have snapped, but I wouldn't take it too personally.

 

[shinona]

Isla is a Scottish name and comes from the Scottish island of Islay (which is pronounced the same as Isla and NOT eye-lay).
Sounds like your pal overreacted a bit! It is a very common name in the UK just now although I knew no Islas growing up.

 

[MrsPear]

People often ask how to pronounce Joni. It's really nothing to get cross at people for! Xx

 

[StaceyKor]

I am from scotland and only knew of 1 Isla growing up. Its a lot more common nowadays. However, I dont see any point in your friend getting upset about pronunciation. LOADS of people pronounce my DD1s name wrong. Its Emilia and most people call her Amelia - even when I say Em-ilia like Emily....they still say aw Amelia, arghhhhh lol xx

 

[emyandpotato]

Don't worry, it's top 10 here and the first time I saw it- on here actually!- I pronounced it as is-lah, just like you.

 

[SarahBear]

I'm familiar with and know how to pronounce that name because of this website. With that name choice, she better get used to mispronunciations and questions!

 

[Bella1185]

As others have said - if she's going to get easily offended if people mispronounce her kids name, then why didn't she name her something that isn't confusing!? Or is at least phonetically clear?

Truth be told, everyone does such unusual things with names these days - even simple ones get mixed up. My friends daughter is named Sarah, and you wouldn't believe how many people try to pronounce it "say-RAH"