Spanish speakers -- is this a bad name?

[AmyKT]

One of the names we're strongly considering for this baby is Willa. My sil, who is from southern Mexico but hasn't lived there for over 10 years, thought it was fine, but her mother who still lives there says "no, no, it's slang for prostitute!"

so how common is this slang term? Will my daughter be teased by spanish-speakers in my US community? Will she want to use a pseudonymn when traveling to Spanish speaking countries?

Dh and I are thoroughly annoyed because our first daughter is named Zora, and zorra is apparently another derogatory slang word in Spanish. We just can't win.

[MaerynPearl]

Well, FWIW (Im not a spanish speaker... I can speak a little of it but def. not enough to know widespread slang) UrbanDictionary.com DOES tell you Zorra is a naughty spanish slang but Willa is not coming back with anything (though Willa-willa is, it seems that will only bother her in one city in Michigan)

It gives you Wila as a spanish slang, but not really a bad one, in my mind (at least nowhere near prostitute!) http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=wila

There IS a word for prostitute that I can find that looks like it should sound similar to Willa but would be spelled way different (starts with hui...)

[AmyKT]

Thanks, Maeryn. I think it is the hui...word they were referring to. I guess it's pronounced the same as Willa (or close enough) and would be mistaken in regular conversation. Sil's family already calks dd "zozo", which IS our nickname for her, bc they can't bear the closeness to the bad word. I don't want them calling dd2 "wiwi" for the same reason. That would not be our choice of nickname

[Keria]

I'm a native spaanish speaker not from mexico though, have no idea what word they may be refering to willa doesn't mean anything here.

[LadyCatherine185]

Not a spanish speaker, but Willa was the name we had picked out had this baby been a girl.. We found out we are having a boy though!

[isabchi]

I'm Spanish speaker. I'm not from Mexico and I have not clue about Mexican slang . I never hear anything strange in with the sound of Willa for most of the spanish speaker. Do you have to remember the Latinoamerica have to mane different countries and each one were colonized by Spaniards from different regions. This plus the mix with each natives tribes create many variations of the Spanish languages and slangs. Just even in mexico. Each regions the terms different way to much. As I said before you never going to be 100% sure about a sound or word with all Latinoamerica countries plus Spain. As a spanish speaker in the States many times I hwave to be care with the words I choose with I speak with somebody from a different country that mine. Even, between Spanish speakers h get "push" to speaks English when our languages differ so much that get easy to communicate in English.

[AmyKT]

Thank you, isabchi, that helps a lot. I was hoping the slang word was not widespread. I guess my SIL's family will want to find a nickname for her, but at least not every Spanish speaker will laugh.

This may be a moot point, anyway, because DH tells me he really prefers the name Vera. As far as I can tell, that's not offensive in Spanish.

[L J]

I just asked my Puerto Rican DP, and he has no knowledge of it being a slang word. But, again, not Mexican. Good luck mama!

[MaerynPearl]

Urban Dictionary test pulls up only pretty nice definitions for Vera (like british slang for truth...)

[meyemeye]

I am from Southern Mexico and yes, it is slang for prostitute (although it is written "huila" but we do not pronounce the H at all so it sounds exactly the same). Also I know that in Costa Rica "Wila" is slang for "young person" (as in, what would you know, you are just a "little kid" sort of thing) so it is not bad. I don't think Latin kids will tease her as probably they will have been born or grown up in the states and will not know the slang plus it seems to be very specific to Southern Mexico.

I would go with the name if you like it although Vera is very nice as well (and does not mean anything as far as I know, slang wise). Good luck!

[aloneinid]

I ran both of these names past a friend from Mexico last night (sorry, I don't know which part he is from) and he didn't have a problem with either Zora or Willa. The only association he could make was zorra-zorro = fox. Willa just seemed a feminine form of Willy to him. He said it would be dependent on the state one is from.

[trekkingirl]

how about Willamina? That's a great name. Then her nickname could be Willa.

[Keria]

zorra is slut but zora =/= zorra.