Any Filipinos? Input on "Lola"

apple_green

I'm white, and H is half white, half Filipino. MIL is from the Phillippines. We both love the name Lola for a girl. In Filipino culture, the word means "grandma." (FWIW, H is pretty white washed - doesn't speak Tagalog or know a ton about the culture)

There have been a few instances (on Facebook, etc.) where I thought someone was talking about a little girl named Lola (like an album called "Lola's birthday") but it turned out that they were talking about their grandma. Not a big deal, it just made me realize that it could be confusing or strange with a lot of Filipino family members.

If any of you have a Filipino background, I'd love to hear what you think of this! Would it be strange or confusing for a little girl that's 1/4 Filipino to be named Lola? When the time comes (i.e. I'm actually pregnant , I'll ask MIL what she wants to be called and what she thinks of it.

TIA!

melody921

I love the name Lola, but I can see how it would be confusing if a lot of relatives equate it with grandma. But it your MIL isn't going to go by Lola, I don't see why you can't use it.

globetrotting7

I'm not  Filipino but I understand what your concern is and I would stay away from the name. It's like using the nn "Tia" which means aunt in Spanish, or "Nora" which means "hole" in Polish. Even though your H is "whitewashed", he still has family that speaks Tagalog or celebrates the culture. Besides, I wouldn't want my name to mean "grandma" in any language :-) The name is beautiful but still...

sunnyfalls

I'm half filipino, and have to check in with my mom whether normal names that Americans use mean something not so good in Tagalog.  Mona, for example, is off the list.  Or the pronunciation sounds funny with an accent, like Quinn sounds like "queen."

Personally, I wouldn't use the name Lola, because I immediately think of grandma (and my mom already goes by this name), and I'm as "whitewashed" as you can get.  Maybe something similar?  Lela?

 

midge6916

My best friend's grandma was Lola and for years I thought that was her name, but alas, it was just Filipino for Grandma:-) What about the name LULA?

apple_green

How very sad - I love Lola! It's tied with Leia for us... I just don't like the Star Wars association.

scorch

I am a white skinned Filipina ( as my friend puts it), I grew up there  and my DD calls my mom Lola. And almost every time she does I break out with Barry Manilow... She was a showgirl... 

I like it for a name,but if your in laws want to be Lolo and Lola, then I wouldnt.