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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Helena, Alexandra, Natalia or Lucinda?

31 replies

imustbepatient · 05/08/2012 13:00

Struggling to choose between these for DD2's first name.

Love longer more formal names with lots of option for shortening / nicknames so she can choose different versions at different stages of her life.

She will have two middle names (family ones) and last name starts with E.

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darthsillius · 08/08/2012 07:32

The polish girl I know pronounces Natalia as ntARleea not nataleea

AndWhenYouGetThere · 07/08/2012 20:40

I'm considering Natalia - I really like it.

natsmum100 · 07/08/2012 19:38

Love Natalia and nn Talia.

Original poster
imustbepatient · 07/08/2012 19:33

I quite like Hell as a nn for a teenager, so long as she doesn't try to emulate it!

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TidyDancer · 07/08/2012 17:53

The Alex shortening of Alexandra is lovely, but Lexi and Ali aren't too good to my ears.

Helena will be nicknamed Hell btw. Grin

Original poster
imustbepatient · 07/08/2012 13:03

No the baby is due in October so still have a couple of months to ponder!

We're still going round in circles a bit. If we can't decide before baby arrives our back up plan is to take the list into the hospital and pick the one that feels right when we hold her. No idea if this will work as newborns don't tend to have their personalities / traits showing when only an hour old!

One of the reasons these four names have made the cut is that we like pretty much all of the shortenings they have. Eg for Helena (long 'ay' in the middle - just prefer it that way, don't know why) we like Hellie but also Lana (pr. Layna) and Lanie (pr. Laynie). Natalia is lovely with Talia as nn, Alexandra has Alex or Lexie (can't have Allie as bit to close to DD1). I think we may be steering away from Lucinda as whilst a lovely name, the initial L with the first part of our last name could make a mean-ish nickname if children noticed it. Which they probably would!

OP posts:
hhhhhhh · 06/08/2012 22:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NightLark · 06/08/2012 21:56

Well we chose Helena! Alexandra was second choice, but didn't like the shortenings (Alex, Lexi, Ali) and knew I would use one. Helena tends towards Hellie, but I have high hopes of Elle or Lennie for the future. I have been banned from calling her Nell or Nella or Nellie.

baskingseals · 06/08/2012 21:52

my favourites are Alexandra and Natalia.

My dd is Alexandra and also has 2 middle names. she is always known as Alexandra, but does have a completely different very short nickname as well.

WithACherryOnTop · 06/08/2012 21:29

Alexandra is lovely.

Natalia is too.

I hate Helena.

Lucinda is awful.

Alexandra would be my first choice.

Yama · 06/08/2012 20:34

Alexandra for me. The others are nice but Alexandra is beautiful.

TidyDancer · 06/08/2012 20:31

Alexandra or Helena. They are the two most beautiful, although none of your list is hideous!

Really not keen on your pronounciation of Helena though, Hell-ay-ner just sounds wrong to me. Helen-er is much much nicer.

Please don't shorten Alexandra to Lexi though.

TenthMuse · 06/08/2012 19:51

I really like Helena. It's not overly common, classic and has a good literary heritage. Alexandra also nice, but know lots, which would put me off a bit. Natalis just OK, and I dislike Lucinda - it sounds fussy, frilly and horsey to me, and I don't think the world really needs another Lucy, as nice as that name is (I'm assuming she wouldn't be Cindy...)

Mollydoggerson · 06/08/2012 18:31

I like Helena or Helen, kinda reminds me of Bridget Jones - not try hard and still has the potential to be fun.

WaitingFor12 · 06/08/2012 18:24

Alexandra definitely. I would use it if I could! Love the nickname Ali.

Dillydollydaydream · 06/08/2012 15:27

Natalia is my favourite.

Ebb · 06/08/2012 14:15

Love Alexandra.

Original poster
imustbepatient · 06/08/2012 13:23

Thanks so much everyone for your comments, all really helpful!

For "Helena" we would use the pronunciation Hel-AN-a rather than Helen-a.

The "a" ending followed by "E" for our surname doesn't quite work with some "a" ending names, but oddly it does sound fine with others, probably something to do with whether there is a strong consonant as the penultimate syllable to give a good swing and rhythm (I sound like a cricketer!) into the "E" sound.

Thanks also for the tips on how Natalia would be viewed / pronounced etc.

OP posts:
mnistooaddictive · 06/08/2012 07:53

Lucinda is awful (I am a Lucy and that isn't much better).
Helena is good, Alexandra ok and Natalia is great for eastern Europeans.

emmyloo2 · 06/08/2012 07:39

Helena or Lucinda.

Alexandra is also lovely but more popular I think.

Natalia - not unless you are Russian or Eastern European. The nn for Natalia is Natasha. It is still pronounced Natalia but a lot go by Natasha. The Russians do that with their names. Have a completely separate name as a nickname. I.e. Tatiana - nickname is Tanya.

sleepywombat · 06/08/2012 05:17

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FreelanceMama · 06/08/2012 03:34

In Russia, Natalia is pronounced Natasha, which might be confusing?
I think Alexandra has a great set of potential nicknames - I know a Sandra, Lexie and Sandy.

YodasMummy · 05/08/2012 22:21

I think Lucinda is beautiful and underused with a lovely meaning. I also like Alexandra, I think it sounds very elegant and allie is a cute nn.

Bodice · 05/08/2012 22:17

Alexandra without a doubt - so pretty

Natalia sounds russian or something. not a fan of trying to sound exotic.

Really dont like Lucinda agree with darth about horsey women. Although lucy is nice if she shortens it to that.

Helena - OK - but just helen with an add on.

AKMD · 05/08/2012 19:23

Lucinda was my first choice for DC1 if DS had been a girl, right up until I mentioned it to my mum and she said it was a seaside donkey name Hmm This time round I mentioned Jemima and she said 'puddleduck'. I have told her that I'm not sharing any more name ideas!