Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
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?

OP posts:
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:

OP posts:
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?

OP posts:
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".

OP posts:
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.

OP posts:
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 :)

OP posts:
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.

OP posts:
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.

OP posts:
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.

OP posts:
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?