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Baby names

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Original poster

Elinor or Eleanor?

81 replies

CheerfulYank · 04/03/2012 23:43

Which spelling do you prefer? :)

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PercyFilth · 05/03/2012 20:25

The French medieval version was Aliénor. Eleanor was an English spelling.

But both Eleanor and Elinor were used interchangeably because spelling was not fixed until relatively modern times. Those who could write wrote down names as they heard them, or as they thought they were spelled. It's not uncommon to find the same name spelled 3 or 4 different ways by the same writer in the same document. One of my ancestors was an Eleanor/Elinor, and both spellings were used randomly. There is no difference in the pronunciation.

PufftyMagicDragon · 05/03/2012 20:04

It depends who's reading it :P to me, this is the first time ive ever seen it spelt Elinor, so it seems werid

SlinkingOutsideInFrocks · 05/03/2012 20:04

Ah right, so you wouldn't give her a nickname if you used Eleanor/Elinor? Grin

Puffty - Eleanor is equally (if not more) the 'alternative' spelling (to Anglos) since Elinor is English and Eleanor is French. Elinor has a long and noble history. Wink

In fact, the more I participate in this thread, the more I like Elinor.

Or Elena. Confused Grin

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/03/2012 20:02

But Elinor is not an alternative spelling really, is it? I feel the same, for instance I am Megan and know a Meggin, which is ridiculous in my opinion. But to me Eleanor/Elinor are like Catherine/Katherine...both "traditional" spellings in their own right.

OP posts:
PufftyMagicDragon · 05/03/2012 20:00

*makes something deep within me seethe

PufftyMagicDragon · 05/03/2012 20:00

Eleanor

(this is only because it makes something deep within me when i see people taking an alternative spelling....like jraco...which is somehow supposed to be pronounced draco.... Angry )

DilysPrice · 05/03/2012 19:59

Both nice, and you'll end up correcting people from Elena no matter which you choose so toss a coin Smile

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/03/2012 19:59

Because if it were Eleanora we would go with Elle or Ellie, etc. BUT in the event of twins, the other would be Annie Rose. Elle sounds too short when compared with Annie Rose, but Eleanor sounds okay. However, I like the spelling Elinor better.

I know that is unbelievably complicated and ridiculous and I can't believe I'm admitting that my mind goes to these places, but there you have it. :o

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SlinkingOutsideInFrocks · 05/03/2012 19:59

Eleanor is pronounced exactly like Elinor is written - El-i-nor (short 'i' as in 'fit').

SlinkingOutsideInFrocks · 05/03/2012 19:54

Elena is like Helena in terms out pronunciation...

El-en-a / Hel-en-a
El-ay-na / Hel-ay-na
El-ee-na / Hel-ee-na

DD has one of these names, and you just have to accept that it will only be pronounced right 30% of the time. Grin

But CY, I don't get it - why would you need to change it from Eleanora to Eleanor/Elinor in the event of twins? They are shorter versions... Confused

TCOB · 05/03/2012 19:48

without the H - christ I am baffling myself now!

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/03/2012 19:47

That is different! Here they are both Ell-a-nore.

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TCOB · 05/03/2012 19:47

Eleanor is sort of 'Helena' with the H, Elinor is more El-ee-naw. I think. Though I'm starting to wonder...!

TidyDancer · 05/03/2012 19:45

UK pronounciation of Eleanor is Elle-ee-ner.

The pronounciation I heard of Elena in the US was as I said before.

Like I said, odd that there are so many ways! :)

GrownUpNinjaWarrior · 05/03/2012 19:42

I always liked Elanor, from Tolkien. It was a small yellow star shaped flower, sun-star is the direct translation from Elvish Sindarin.

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/03/2012 19:39

They're pronounced the same here Confused

OP posts:
TCOB · 05/03/2012 19:37

Eleanor was the French mediaeval spelling and Elinor was the English one. DD's middle name is Elinor in honour of verrrry distantly connected woman from early 17th century and she spelt her name Elinor. It's pronounced so differently to 'Eleanor' that we don't have any probs Smile.

startthefansplease · 05/03/2012 19:36

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This has been withdrawn as this poster has privacy concerns.

peggyblackett · 05/03/2012 19:35

Elinor

TidyDancer · 05/03/2012 19:33

It's really odd that you say that, because it was when I was in the US I heard Elena and I didn't even make the connection between that and Eleanor at first!

How strange there are so many different pronounciations!

Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/03/2012 19:31

Tidy here in the US Elena is El-ee-nuh/nah. :)

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Original poster
CheerfulYank · 05/03/2012 19:30

Good to know...good to know. :)

Embarrassingly enough, this is the reason I need to know. I am not pregnant but DH and I are going to TTC DC2 this summer. Eleanora Josephine is Our Girl's Name, Which We Will Not Be Moved Upon. And we like Ellie, Nell, or Nora for nicknames. However, if we have twins (I am such a weirdo, I really ought to get a hobby Blush), our back up name is Susannah Rosamund, with Annie Rose as a nn. And I feel like Ellie or Nell or Nora would be too short compared to Annie Rose. Thus, Eleanor/Elinor.

Feel free to tell me to get a life. :o

I like names. Blush

OP posts:
TidyDancer · 05/03/2012 19:29

Eleanor.

You will struggle with people misspelling it if you go with Elinor, although it's not so alternative that people will think you're just trying to be different, IYGWIM!

FWIW, I always think of Elena as a completely different name. Pronounced Elle-ay-ner. Hopefully that comes across as I wrote it!

RedLentil · 05/03/2012 19:26

My daughter's middle name is Elinor. Her first name is Maebh.
Naming her after a warrior queen and Ms. Dashwood has proved to be an excellent strategy for making her a no-nonsense kind of girl. Grin

Toadinthehole · 05/03/2012 19:21

Right you are, she turns up in Jane Austen. Comment withdrawn!

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