Baby Names Trend: Camilla, Willa, Priscilla–the new killer ‘illa’ names

I must admit, I don’t really like “illa” names! The only names on your list I really like are Milla and Sybilla.

Drusilla is the name of one of the ugly stepsisters in Cinderella. I don’t know about anyone else, but that would put me off using it!

I think Willa is lovely. I would potentially use it for a daughter to honour a William.

@LauraJ88: I had completely forgotten about Drusilla being one of the ugly stepsisters. Regardless, I agree Drusilla is one of the riskier choices.

I never liked the -illa names until I met a young, beautiful girl who went by just Cilla. Cilla skyrocketed to one of my top three names for a while, and would still be a contender though I’ve found other names I like slightly more. I love the above-mentioned Sybilla as a sweet way to get the nickname Billie, which I think is fun on a girl.

[...] I have a post on Nameberry today about illa-ending names, Baby Name Trends: Camilla, Willa, Priscilla - the new killer ‘illa’ names. [...]

I love most of these, @LauraJ88 I also like Willa is a great William tribute. The name I can’t get on board with is definitely Zilla…..just reminds me of godzilla, bridezilla, etc….not good connections!

I have been loving -illa names for quite a while now! I’ve been trying (unsuccessfully) to talk my husband into using one for our little girl. I love Camilla, Willa, and Lucilla. My favorite by far is Marilla with the nickname Rilla…but then again I’m a huge Anne of Green Gables fan! Maybe some day I can have a sweet little Rilla. Sigh.

I really dislike -illa names for the most part.

I love Illa names! I have been a fan of them forever with my long time favourites Drucilla, Prissilla, and Willa. I like Camilla and Lilla, Marilla and Lucilla too. They are all so pretty, and Aracilla and Zilla seem pretty cool too. They may be the -Ella successors, but since non of them (except three) are even in the top 1,000, it will more than likely be a long time coming.

Having the Spanish name Sevilla on the list is confusing since LL is a Y sound in Spanish. I would seriously LOL at anyone insisting Sevilla be pronounced with an English tongue (I have a hard time not mocking the entire town of Amarillo, Tx for the same reason too). Tehilla is a stretch as the Hebrew name is pronounced t’hee-LA (not sure how the Swedes would say it).

Not a fan of the “illa” names. I don’t find the sounds pleasing to the ear. The only name I like is Drusilla, and that is because I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Camilla isn’t bad, but it will always be linked to trashy day-time tv for me, thanks to the Camilla Scott talk show that was popular in Canada when I was in high school.

I love Camilla! It’s been in and out of my top 10 for years. I also really like Drusilla, Willa, and Sybilla. As much as I want to like Priscilla, I can’t get past its prissy beginning, and the cool Zilla is spoiled by Godzilla, Bridezilla, and the like.

I’d love to see more of these -illa names show up irl. Anything for break from the -ellas and -annas/-anas.

I think you mean Camila not Camilla. Camila is the most popular spelling

I love -illa names! Drusilla is lovely. I remember it from Buffy back in the day. I think it’s white wearable. A lot of these are really nice. Quilla is cute, but I think I prefer Aquila/Aquilla. Quill is a cute nn.

@Poppy528, as a Texan I’d advise against mocking an entire town in the TX panhandle – not to their face anyway. People of the Western/SW’ern US have adapted a lot of Spanish & Mexican words and culture into our own, the same way European Spaniards adapted a lot of older native words and practices. Pronunciations get changed. It doesn’t make them wrong, just different. Go to Amarillo and start calling it ah-ma-REE-yo, and most Texans will look at you funny.

@MissusAytch… girl, don’t worry. I’m from Oklahoma and we only mock Texans behind their back.

I love Willa but the others don’t feel as fresh to me as they seem to do for others.

@skizzo, you are right that Camila is a lot more popular than Camilla right now.

I used to not like Camilla, mostly because I was never a fan of Camilla Parker Bowles.

But lately I have started to separate Camilla from Parker Bowles and I see great potential. I really think it’s sweet and even briefly considered it had my son been a girl. I crossed it off the list because I was afraid it would get too popular! LOL!

I wouldn’t mind seeing more girls named Camilla.

Actually, the “Ugly Stepsister” is called Drizella in the Disney version. And the connection hasn’t hurt the popularity of Anastasia, as far as I know.

I think “illa” names will take off as “ella” fatigue hits, but will probably be limited to the more familiar: Willa, Priscilla, Camilla.

Also made me think of the name Smilla the novel (and film) Smilla’s Sense of Snow.

@petalpusher I agree with everything you said about Marilla.
My other favorite is Priscilla. Willa sounds very 90′s or 2000′s to me.
My favorite -ella name is Della, which never caught on (at least on its own). Neither did Marcella, Fenella, etc. Anyway my point is that not all ella names caught. A few did but but a lot of them didn’t. Then again I am surprised Camilla is rising. Maybe its to get to the nickname Cam and imitate Camden, Cameron, and be more girly.

I think Sevilla is lovely but does not belong on this list
Say-VEE-ya= gorgeous
Sa-VILL-a= ouch!

Hmm…
Personally the ‘ella’ and ‘elle’ names are prettier than the ‘illa’ names. I think the ‘illa’ names lack the attractiveness that names like Isabella and Gabrielle have.

However from the list I like:
Camilla
Jamilla (prefer Jamila)
Lilla (prefer Lilia)
Willa (great way to honour William)

I love Willa, it’s in our top 3 for our 4th girl, due any week now. Camilla and Milla are lovely too.

Downtown Abby? Seriously? If DOWNTON ABBEY is so well known and such an influencer of names you would think more people would be able to spell it correctly

I like Aracilla, Milla, Priscilla, Quilla, and Willa.

Cilla is a name too, as well as Pernilla. They are both names used in Sweden, as are a lot of other “Illa” names, like Tehilla. There is also a Swedish actress named Pernilla August who was in Star Wars.

@Poppy528 – well same here, so I guess we’re good!

@Poppy528- Try living in Indiana near a town called Versailles, pronounced by the locals as Ver-SALES. Drives me insane!

I like Milla and Willa. But, personally, Quilla sounds too much like “KILL-uh” to me…

I can’t say I’m a fan of -illa names, honestly! I do like Willa, its lovely. And some of the others would be lovely on someone elses kids, but not ones I’d use myself <3

I am a Priscilla and I hated it as a kid. So i am Cilla and only go by Priscilla professionally. I am liking it a bit more now and am surprised it is back in fashion.

Nice trend-spotting!

I like Jamilla, Marilla, Priscilla and Zillah the best.

Milla and Sybilla are a mite too trendy for me, and Illa just makes me think of the word “ill”.

We recently had an article on how the OO sound is in; if ILL is in too, Drusilla gets a double-dose of hipness.

Jamila/Jamilla has been a long time favourite of mine. I think it has a lovely soft sound and I love the meaning of this name. I don’t care much for most of these others though.

I think the -Ora names are becoming popular too. Flora, Cora, Nora, and Aurora are getting popular.

What about Rilla? We named our daughter Priscilla but took the prissiness out of it by calling her Rilla for short. She’s now four years old and we still love her name! It’s a nod to the Anne of Green Gables series (“Rilla of Ingleside” is the last of the series, as well as a marvelous book all by itself) and in German it means “little brook.”