How do you feel about your name, Ailsa?

“I like being the only Ailsa I know,” says Ailsa, a 59-year-old from Swansea in South Wales.

Ailsa also likes the sound of her name, and appreciates its Scottish roots. (The name is a reference to Ailsa Craig, an island off the west coast of Scotland.)

How common is the baby name Ailsa?

In the U.S., it’s rare:

  • 2012: 14 baby girls named Ailsa
  • 2011: 12 baby girls named Ailsa
  • 2010: 19 baby girls named Ailsa
  • 2009: 12 baby girls named Ailsa
  • 2008: 12 baby girls named Ailsa
  • 2007: 13 baby girls named Ailsa

Overseas it’s relatively more common, though the raw number of baby Ailsas born every year isn’t much higher:

  • 2010: 28 baby girls named Ailsa in England & Wales
  • 2009: 21 baby girls named Ailsa in England & Wales
  • 2008: 20 baby girls named Ailsa in England & Wales
  • 2007: 26 baby girls named Ailsa in England & Wales

Is there anything Ailsa from Swansea doesn’t like about her name?

“I have spent a lifetime spelling or pronouncing it for people.”

How did Ailsa get her name?

My mother (Welsh) heard it in the 1930s as she was in school with an Ailsa and she always liked it.

Would she recommend that the name Ailsa be given to babies nowadays?

Yes, I would recommend Ailsa to any prospective mother. It is ageless and would suit a baby or an old lady.

Thanks, Ailsa!

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