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Baby names

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

Original poster

Baby girl middle name help.

45 replies

Peanutbutterx · 06/05/2017 01:28

We keep going back and forth between these two names and can't seem to decide. This will be a middle name, but we're not concerned with flow. Simply trying to pick the nicer name. What's your favourite?

Yael
Rachel

Yael is pronounced like Ya-Elle. Not like Yale, the university.

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Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 07/05/2017 00:51

@Uninspirednamewise I think it was someone here who had mentioned that they have three names and that sometimes it is a bit of a pain on forms, documents, etc... but I feel like Ella-Rachel Yael is not super long at least? Lol! Oh also, hubby suggested hyphenating the Ella-Rachel part, just like that. Is that weird? Apparently it's much more common now?

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Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 07/05/2017 00:48

@redpramlady I don't blame you :) It's a tough one if you haven't heard it before. I don't know if it'll let me post the link here, but it's pronounced like this:

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Uninspirednamewise · 07/05/2017 00:27

Ella Rachel Yael sounds fine to me, and easier to say than just Ella Yael.

Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 07/05/2017 00:14

Today my husband suggested Ella Rachel Yael. Is that a mouthful?

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Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 07/05/2017 00:13

@Birdsgottaf1y Yael also means "to ascend" and she is a very powerful female figure in the Old Testament, same as Rachel. And Rachel means female sheep :) Lol!

We are Jewish, so that's why all of the names we've chosen are Hebrew. Ella means "goddess".

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Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 07/05/2017 00:07

@NataliaOsipova Well, as long as it doesn't sound ridiculous, sure :) But I guess we think Ella and Yael flow well enough for our liking.

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Kazzawazza69 · 06/05/2017 19:02

Rachel

Redpramlady · 06/05/2017 18:01

Actually take it back as it's a middle name I would go with yael

Sugarpiehoneyeye · 06/05/2017 18:01

Rachel.

Redpramlady · 06/05/2017 18:00

Rachel :-)

I'm having real trouble pronouncing yael to me and am aware that makes me sound a bit silly but it's a tricky one to me

Congrats!

Birdsgottaf1y · 06/05/2017 13:21

It's a bit strange of your DH to like a Hebrew name (which means Mountain Goat), but not like the Hebrew spelling of Rachael.

Do you have a Hebrew connection? If not i'd go with Rachel, spelt any way.

NataliaOsipova · 06/05/2017 12:32

Cross post! I think Rachel is the nicer name. But what it sounds like together does matter, surely?

NataliaOsipova · 06/05/2017 12:29

Rachel. Yael will be mispronounced (and misspelt) as Yale. And it's much, much better with Ella.

Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 06/05/2017 12:23

I appreciate all the feedback about what sounds better with Ella, but that's precisely what I was not asking about. Haha! That's why I didn't reveal the name before. Thank you anyway :)

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WowserBowser · 06/05/2017 11:51

Rachel!

Sophronia · 06/05/2017 11:47

Ella Rachel sounds better than Ella Yael

TaliDiNozzo · 06/05/2017 10:52

You might not see the flow as important but your DD might. Ella Rachel is a nice combination of names, not so much with Yael.

ChippersAndRunt · 06/05/2017 10:44

I really like Yael (I went to school with a nice girl named Yael).

Ella Yael is nice.

mathanxiety · 06/05/2017 08:00

Children in school will know her second name. It is almost always a topic of conversation in school when children are young. If a middle name is to be used at all it should be carefully considered.

Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 06/05/2017 07:05

@anotherannoyingmother Thank you! I really like Ella as well :) And I think either with Yael or Rachel, it will probably make a lovely name.

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AnotherAnnoyingMother · 06/05/2017 06:27

Ella Rachel is a lovely name. I'm less sure with Yael but think as it isn't familiar and is very short and I prefer one long and one short name combined but either way Ella is very sweet

Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 06/05/2017 06:17

@anotherannoyingmother I did consider Rachael, by my husband doesn't like that spelling for some reason :( I never thought of the subconsciously picking the same letters thing. Haha! I've just always loved Yael. And Ella was the only first name my husband and I could agree on. We almost picked Helena as a first name, but so many people mispronounced it, that we changed our minds. And my husband originally wanted Emerson as a middle name.

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Original poster
Peanutbutterx · 06/05/2017 06:12

@mathanxiety This is exactly why I didn't want to reveal the first name. Haha! For us, it's not a concern, because we're never going to call her by both of her names and neither is anyone else. We just wanted two names that we both like.

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AnotherAnnoyingMother · 06/05/2017 05:40

Just realised all letters from first name then in middle name and always wondered if that was a bit of a subconscious thing as so many seem to choose names with similar letters?

AnotherAnnoyingMother · 06/05/2017 05:38

Why not RachAel - think the more traditional spelling though less used and more like Yael?