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Baby names

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Original poster

What about the name Ellen?

34 replies

Kittykatmacbill · 12/09/2014 13:33

For dd2, dd1 is Annie - which we both love. So any name has to not sound stupid with Annie, so not overly princessy (like isadora), or overly modern (like velvet or penguinGrin).

Also most be easy to spell, we have an impossible to spell surname, although it is quite short. As I don't want them spelling both parts of their name.

Also don't want a super common name, as I have one those names that there was loads of in every class... And there are still 4 of us at work ahhhhhrrg

Names that we really like have been discounted maggie, Ailsa, Megan and tessa, and we can't use. Names I like dh doesn't maeve, greta, elinor and uma. Name that dh came up with, Elsie, but I don't think we can have an Annie and an Elsie without them having frozen songs sung at them forever...

So tell me what wrong with Ellen? Or what other names should we consider...

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UsuallyHateNameChangers · 14/09/2014 14:47

Love it. Classic, a bit posh sounding but not in an annoying way, pretty and girly. Was one of our short list

RJnomore · 13/09/2014 22:52

Ellen is lovely, it was my grans name and she was a lovely woman. It's dd1s middle name, it sounds awful with DHs surname so couldn't be her first name.

It's slightly unusual and classy, a bit like nina to my mind.

5madthings · 13/09/2014 22:49

I like it, I know two three year old Ellen's. One gets shortened to ellie, the other doesn't.

Yes to Nell as a nickname.

SueDunome · 13/09/2014 22:46

Ellen is dd's middle name - I love it

DancingDinosaur · 13/09/2014 22:34

What about Alex? (Alexandra). Annie and Alex. Ellen's nice too though.

Original poster
Kittykatmacbill · 13/09/2014 22:31

Oh red ellen good thought!

We were thinking of Nell as a nn :-)

OP posts:
birdofthenorth · 13/09/2014 11:31

Love Ellen mostly because of Ellen Wilkinson. Much prefer Elle, Nell or even Lennie to Ellie (loads of Ellie's about)

Churchillian · 13/09/2014 04:31

How about Helen (quite rare now) or Joan (pretty cool)?

mathanxiety · 13/09/2014 04:28

Ellen is likely to get shortened to Ellie too...

Original poster
Kittykatmacbill · 12/09/2014 21:34

Ooooh thanks peeps!

Having just spent the day thinking about it, I suspect dh's 'dislike' of elinor, maybe because he had gf when he was 16 called Ellie... But just claims it's because I have too many Chalet School books! Hmm

Weirdly we have 2 Erins in the family, neither are particularly close but that probably a sufficiency!

I think that if the worst criticism is that it is a bit dull, then it could be a goer Smile

OP posts:
Hakluyt · 12/09/2014 20:23

Ellen is lovely.

Or how about Helen shortened to Nell? I love, love love Nell!

dementedma · 12/09/2014 20:22

We have an awkward surname and an Ellen who will be 21 next week. Also love Annie and Anna but dh didnt so her sister is Rosie.

Brightbutchilly · 12/09/2014 20:21

It's great, go for it.

Bowlersarm · 12/09/2014 20:20

I like it.

mathanxiety · 12/09/2014 20:18

I find Ellen dull too.

Imo Helen is far nicer.

Alternatives:
Eliza
Jane
Emma
Lara
Clara
Sadie - short for Sarah
Josie - short for Josephine

Messygirl · 12/09/2014 19:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

burgatroyd · 12/09/2014 19:09

Ellen is nice.

Elin WILL get misheard constantly! Angry

Hassled · 12/09/2014 18:53

I like Ellen, Eleanor, Helen, Helena - all of them.

treaclesoda · 12/09/2014 18:53

I love Ellen. The only Ellen I know is someone very dear to me who is blessed with inner strength, compassion, maturity and frankly is just everything that a mother could possibly wish for her daughter to be. Oh and she has immense brains and beauty too. So I might be biased, but I love the name! (Oh, and she's not my own daughter Grin)

Hollycopter · 12/09/2014 18:51

It's a lovely name, I'm planning on using it if I have a DD! Smile

BreeVDKamp · 12/09/2014 18:47

Also my friend says Ell-un but my parents say Ell-in so even there you might have some pronunciation/spelling issues

katiegee · 12/09/2014 18:46

I really like Ellen, it's on my list of girls names but unfortunately, I'll never be able to use it as we have a very soft sounding, feminine surname and it would kinda blur into a haze of vowels!

I also really like Helen and Eleanor - shame your husband doesn't like Eleanor.

Annie and Ellen sound lovely together :)

BreeVDKamp · 12/09/2014 18:45

Spindelina Ellen and Heather are my 2 oldest friends Grin

OP I really like Ellen, good for both a kid and a grown up, is a nice amount of uncommon and can be glam or plain depending on how she wears it :)

Molotov · 12/09/2014 16:29

Ellen is lovely, OP Smile

Alternatively, Erin is gorgeous and not over-popular.

Sophronia · 12/09/2014 16:03

Ellen is lovely and so underused. I think you should go for it.

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