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Baby names

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

Original poster

Helen or Helena

42 replies

blondie72 · 06/11/2012 20:02

My husband Prefers the first... I'm not so sure, what do you think?

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Wearsuncream · 08/11/2012 18:58

Helena - it's so much more beautiful and gives options for the future (in terms of both pronunciation and dropping the a if necessary)

seabuckthorn · 08/11/2012 17:18

Helen

kenanddreary · 08/11/2012 17:09

Definitely Helena pronounced 'Hell-eena'.

Helen to me reminds me of the Sharon, Karen, Tracy era.

Lebkuchenfan · 08/11/2012 16:44

Helena proncounced Helena is nice but quite 'trendy'.

Helen is more classic, timeless and very underused now. No pronunciation issues either. So I'd say Helen!

weegiemum · 08/11/2012 16:40

Depends where you live. In parts of Scotland you'd be "Nell" or "Nellie" before you could blink!

VintageRainBoots · 08/11/2012 16:28

I like then both, but I prefer Helena (pronounced in these parts as HELL-en-ah).

showtunesgirl · 08/11/2012 16:25

I have never heard Helena pronounced any other way than Hel-en-ah!

blue22 · 08/11/2012 16:24

Helen - so classy and under used

MaryAstor · 06/11/2012 20:53

Helena is a bit of a pronounciation minefield:

Hell - en -ah
Hell - ay - nah
Hell - eee - nah

Helen on the other hand is deliciously unadorned sounding. I went to school with lots of Helens but you don't often hear it on littlies these days. A shame as it is a lovely, classical name.

Go for Helen.

mybootsaremuddy · 06/11/2012 20:50

I prefer Helen but thats because I know 5 girls with the name Helena(aged 9-newborn). I only know 1 Helen and she is an adult.

LuckyOwl28 · 06/11/2012 20:39

I'm a Helen. Can't say I've ever had feedback on my name either way, although a few of the older generation have made the reference to Helen of Troy which is always nice. Sadly our similarities end with the name lol

mummabug · 06/11/2012 20:34

I know an absolute b**ch called Helen but before I met her I liked the name. prefer to Helena definitely

LadyLetch · 06/11/2012 20:29

Helen is nice, but Helena is beautiful.

DottieRose · 06/11/2012 20:18

Helena

Rhubarbgarden · 06/11/2012 20:15

Dd was nearly a Helena but I changed my mind at the last minute to something completely different. Now I prefer Helen - too many long fussy names around at the moment. Helen will be more unusual.

HoratiaWinwood · 06/11/2012 20:12

I like them both, assuming "hell-enn-ah" not "hell-ay-na".

We would use Helen as it's a family name, but that's the only thing.

Yika · 06/11/2012 20:06

I prefer Helena (my great grandmother's name). But Helen is nice enough.

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