How can it be this hard to choose a girls name?

[mrsdougs]

We are expecting our second girl and are really struggling for names! Our first daughter has a reasonably unusual name so we don't want to give our second a popular name but we are finding it difficult to decide between a very 'out there' name (Ellida) and more normal names (Harriet, Olive). Olive is a family name and Harriet because it's a lovely name and I always wanted an Ettie!
Ellida is a Scandinavian name (I'm half Scandinavian) from an Ibsen play.
Any opinions or other options would be great. Thanks!

[callamia]

I really like Mina, which i think is a scandi name. What about Essi?

[callamia]

Btw, Ellida is lovely. I'd totally go with that if you like it enough.

[MaggieJoyBlunt]

The Lady from The Sea? Lovely

How about raiding the Dolls House for inspiration?

[FatSwan]

Ellida is gorgeous.

Is it pronounced like it's spelled?

[sexnamechange]

Ellida is great. I'd go for it!

[MaggieJoyBlunt]

Ettie is lovely too.

[Zzzsnatcher]

Ellida is lovely!

[mrsdougs]

I think strictly speaking it's pronounced Elleeda but we would go with El-lid-ah which is how the English equivelant (spelt elida) is pronounced. Difficult though as don't want the poor girl to be explaining her name/spelling/pronunciation for the rest of her life!!

[MarinaCoyle]

Ellida is beautiful and I'd have automatically pronounced it as eh-lid-da as you described. As the owner of a complicated but lovely name (doffs cap to parents) I'd say go for it!

[SueGeneris]

Another vote for Ellida. I would have instinctively pronounced it your way and I think that is a prettier pronunciation.

[mrsdougs]

Thank you all!! Nice to hear positive opinions about it!

[ashesandfire]

Quite like Ellida but have you considered it may well end up abbreviated to Ellie? Which is very popular.
Harriet nn Ettie is nice. I prefer Juliet or Violet nn Ettie personally.

[pollyisnotputtingthekettleon]

DD has an unusual name - she could spell it phonetically at 2 out of necessity ...

[Sophronia]

I would have automatically pronounced it elleeda, which sounds nicer than el-lid-ah IMO.

[Yellowbird01]

I would automatically say elleeda which sounds much better than elidda!

But of the options I prefer Harriet

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Ellida is lovely and I read it as Eleeda before I saw your explanation.

[BothEndsBurning]

Not El-ee-da! it sounds like Elida shampoo.

[PallasCat]

Ellida is beautiful - unconventional but I wouldn't say it's out there.
Similar would be...
Elika
Alaina
Leanda


For Ettie (I agree - lovely) you could substitute Harriet with...
Colette
Henrietta
Estelle/a
Celeste
Lisette
Lisbet/Lisbeth
Elspeth

But really I think you're onto a winner with Ellida, and should think no more about it.