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[Opinions] Louisa
Does anyone get why this isn't more common? It fits in so well with current trends and is similar to names like Ava and Olivia.I understand that Louise isn't as attractive but I thought it would make a small comeback and that Louisa would make a huge comeback. I guess not. It's not even in the top 1000.Luisa or Louisa?
Louise or Louisa,Luisa?Do you pronounce it more like loo-EE-za or loo-EE-sa?Do you know any?
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I have no idea why Louisa isn't more common. It is a lovely name and truly a classic.I honestly had no idea that the name wasn't in the top 1000. How is that?!I like both Luisa and Louisa. I would probably have to go with Louisa though, it looks "rounder" than Luisa.Between Louise and Louisa, I will always choose Louisa. Louise is pretty but it's just not a name I would use.I pronounce the name loo-EE-sa.I do not know one. :(
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Love Louisa! Despise Louise. Luisa is okey. It doesn't look right to me but I don't really mind. I pronounce Louisa like loo-EE-sa.
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I have wondered about this one myself.In the USA I think part of it is the elderly image that Louise now has, and part of it is that the "long u" vowel sound is simply unfashionable at the moment (although with Lucy and Lucille increasing in use we may be close to overcoming that).
Louisa is one of the few names which was very popular in the the first half of the 19th century US which hasn't returned to frequent use. I suspect that if some celebrity or popular fictional character gets named Louisa, a sharp upswing could occur.
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I know one Louisa. She's 20. Everyone pronounces her name loo-EE-za.
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I know some, but none who are young. It's definitely popular on this board, and it varies between being number 1 and number 2 on my list. It's not quite as gentle as popular -a names are: Emma, Olivia, Ava, Isabella etc. It's got that strong -wee sound. I pronounce it Luh-wee-zuh.

This message was edited 3/14/2012, 10:13 AM

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I think Louisa is quite nice actually and I am also surprised it isn't more common. Louisa is my favourite spelling and I tend to pronounce it as loo-EE-za. Don't know anyone with the name.
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It was at #253 here last year, but it's not really on the rise. It does check a lot of current-trend boxes! - but I think it's just too close to Louise and people are really bored with that, it was in the top 50 for four decades here.I like both spellings, but I'd only use Louisa prn. loo EE za.
My great-aunt was a Louisa. I know one other Louisa who's probably 40-something.
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I love Louisa (pron. loo-EE-za) and was named Louise after my grandfather's sister Ada Louisa (she ditched the Ada). There's a Luisa Baldini on British TV as a newsreader and Roger Moore the actor married an Italian Luisa but I prefer Louisa for non-Italian surnames.
I don't know anyone called Louisa and feel that, like Lavinia, it's a neglected gem that would fit in with all those Charlottes and Emmas out there. Strange it hasn't made a comeback - maybe it's too similar to mass-produced Louise.
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For me:
Luisa = loo-EE-saLouisa = loo-EEZ-ahI like Luisa the best sound wise but Louisa looks wise. I like Louise least because I always say it more like loo-WEEZ which isn't pretty sounding at all.
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I pronounce Louise as loo-WEEZ and Louisa as loo-WEE-sa. I can force myself to try to separate the "loo" and "ee" sounds so there isn't a "w" in there when I say them aloud, but it isn't natural for me and I've always heard the "w" sound pronounced.These spellings look "right" to me, but I can deal with Luisa. I've never known anyone by either name.
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Though Louisa is pretty, it does not charm me anywhere near the degree to which Louise charms me. As a middle name, I'd use Louisa (Anna Louisa, Katherine Louisa), and as a first name, Louise. Louise Madeleine, probably.I personally can understand why Louise would come back and Louisa wouldn't, but then my taste is usually an indicator about what will be popular in terms of classic choices.
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Adore it. Love it. Would probably use it if I had at least two more dds. ;-) I still think it could make a comeback and you're right, it would fit in perfectly with other similar retro names.Luisa or Louisa -- overall, Louisa, but it really would depend on the surname
Louise or Louisa, Luisa -- anything but LouiseI pronounce it with the s sound which I much prefer, however, I am aware that many would use the z sound and that does give me pause when I consider potential nns such as Weezy and Weezer (shudder!) which are so unfortunate when compared to Lulu or Isa.I've never known anyone by the name.
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I know a couple Luisas, and I know several women who have Louise as their middle name, but I've never met a Louisa. Some of the biggest complaints I've heard about Louisa is that loo-EE-za reminds many people of "wheeze" and loo-EE-sa reminds them of "grease." I don't really get the latter, but I've heard it/seen it more than once. Maybe that's enough to keep Louisa from making it onto too many birth certificates. I pronounce it loo-EE-sa, and I don't like it nearly as much as I used to. My heart belongs to lovely Louise now. I'd pick Louisa over Luisa and Louise over either one.
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I had a camper named Louisa (z prn.) and like the name... There are just other names that I like more and would choose first, but would happy to see others choose it over Sophia and Emma and Ella and such for a change.
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I really like Louisa! I think its young adult sophisticated, like a previous comment said. Plus it reminds me of Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women, which is a great association. I love Louise as a middle name, despite the fact that people view it as "filler", and prefer Louisa as a first name. I pronounce it more like Loo-EEZ-a.
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Some names just aren't destined to make a comeback. Louisa appears to be one of them. Louise is still fairly popular in UK, I understand. I like Louise better than Louisa, actually.I don't know any Louisas, but I did go to school with a Mexican girl named Maria Luisa.I pronounce Louisa like Louise-a.
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It's one of my favourite girls names :) I think it's a bit more popular in the UK (where I live) than the U.S, but I still don't know why it's not more common.I definitely prefer Louisa (this spelling) to Louise. Louise is quite 80s and dated where I am, and is/was a really common middle name. I pronounce it more like 'loo-EE-za'
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I much prefer Eloise/Eloisa, seems much softer than the harsher sounding Louise/Louisa.
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I like Louisa. I think it sounds more mature than Ava and Olivia-- not mature like "old lady", but mature like "young adult" as opposed to "little kid".
I think Louise is still a filler middle name, and that might contribute to people not wanting to use Louisa as much.I like both Luisa and Louisa, and I see them differently. I say Luisa with an "s" sound, and it's more of a pretty ethereal dancer type name. I say Louisa with a "z" sound and I think it sounds more grown-up and competent but just slightly less graceful.Luisa and Louisa are both a lot better then Louise!!I have a 30-something cousin named Louisa.
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