Mumsnet Talk

I don't like Ethel. It still seems a bit too 'old lady' for me and Nellie does remind me of the elephant.

I do know a Renelle however who gets called Nell/Nellie/Nells which could be an option for a nickname of Nellie (maybe better for an adult also?)

The elephant packed her trunk and of she went to the circus,
Off she went with a trumpety-trump, trump, trump, trump...

My granny was Nellie Daisy May, she thought she sounded like I herd of cows, I thought her names were lovely.

Nellie the elephant to me but you could have Helen, nickname Nell?

I think Nellie and Ethel are both gorgeous names! You can't second guess nick names - my DSs nick names are nothing I'd ever have come up with!

Well obviously I think Nellie is a great name! But I'm probably not helping with the link to elephants

I think Nellie is lovely. I know a little girl who this is the NN all her friends call her and its really very sweet. Elephant and Smelly are two connotations that totally didn't spring to mind. I thought of Nellie McKay who is a youngish(under 40 rather, not that that is old but just to prove, its not just an oldER name) musician/comedienne and the little girl I mentioned.
Mabel. Oddly enough at the Christmas I heard somebody calling their daughter and it was so unusual a name for me to hear nowadays that I mentioned it to DH when I got home. Not in a bad way, just in a "Not heard that in a long while."
At the end of the day, should your child get to an age they feel they want to hide away from their christened name (which face it, even the Sarah's and Emma's of this world have probably wanted to during a rebellious teen stage) they have options to go by a nn.
Mae for Mabel
El for Ethel
Nell for Nellie
Go with what you like as if you're like me, its so hard to agree on names just between my DH and I, let alone trying to appease everyone else!
x

Nellie the elephant. Big no from me.

I like all of them. If you think Nell is too harsh for a baby (though I really can't fathom why - I think it's a very gentle name) just call her Nellie as a nickname while she's little and she can be Nell as she grows up.

Not keen on Nellie, but LOVE Nel, how about Nancy?

Ethel isn't for me...but I love Elsa or Elsie?

Also knew someone who had a Prudence, I wasn't keen on that but loved her NN Prue - which is all she's known as really

Again Mabel, not to sure and if you know if one...it's not unique to you as such. I love Martha - but apparently common (no-one around here seems to use these lovely names!)

What about

Ada
Evelyn
Lois
Edith
Lucille
Annie
Nora(h)

No, don't like it. Would "go" with Hetty (which I do like!) but it's not as nice. Norah is nice, or Nell.

DD1 has a friend called Nelly. Genuinely never thought of the elephant till everyone here brought it up.

I wanted Nelly/Nell, short for Eleanor, for DD, but DH vetoed it on elephant grounds. Lovely name.

No, No and No - sorry but not keen on any of them & defo think of elephants!

Ha! All gorgeous, all on my list too!

All hideous names. If you've already got a Hetty, Et, or Ettie is a nickname for Ethel. I had a Gran and an Aunt called Ethel and both detested their names and were called something else.

Nellie the elephant or not on your nellie. And Mabel is a cow.

I also like Nell but short for Penelope. What other famous Nell's are there apart from McAndrew (who apparently was actually called Tracey Jane)?

Oh there's also Eleanor Gwyn who was the mistress of King Charles II who was nicknamed Nell.

According to my friend there are quite a few people famous in America and Canada with the name but I hadn't heard of any of them.

Dame Nellie Melba, the Australian opera singer, peach Melba is named for her.

Thanks for all your responses. The elephant connection does seem to be quite strong. I guess it wouldn't be too much of a problem unless she turns out to be quite a chunky little girl!

Love nellie