Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

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

Help! cant pick between these two

45 replies

rosemoon12 · 14/05/2019 18:47

Hello!

After so much back and forth, I cannot seem to decide between Eleonora and Genevieve.

For Genevieve, the nns we had in mind are Evie, Gigi, and Ginny. Since we dislike the Gen, Genny, Genna nns

And for Eleonora, Elle, Ellie, Leo, Nora.

I think both names are lovely, but I cant seem to pick one!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
redspider1 · 16/05/2019 21:20

Genevieve

BoomZahramay · 16/05/2019 21:14

My fantasy DD2 would be Genevieve, nn Vivi.

Interestingly, DD's name isn't far off Eleanora.

daisypond · 16/05/2019 19:52

Genevieve. Eleonora is frilly and looks odd. I like Eleanor though.

HPLikecraft · 16/05/2019 19:49

Gosh, I'm usually on here hating on all the names, but I really like both of those.
Whichever you choose, you have a good strong feminine name with a bit of oomph in it.

Proseccofuelled · 16/05/2019 19:47

Not heard the Jean-vee-ev one before & not keen on it

I have heard a Sophia to rhyme with fire being shouted across a park

CupOhTea · 16/05/2019 19:42

I prefer Genevieve. It's lovely.

Chocolateisoverrated · 16/05/2019 17:31

But are you pronouncing Genevieve as Jenna-veeve or Jean-Vee-Ev?

Chocolateisoverrated · 16/05/2019 17:30

I love Eleanor but hate Eleanora
So Genevieve wins it for me.
Hate all the nicknames

FizzBuzzBangWoof · 16/05/2019 17:27

I've only heard the Jen-uh-veev pronunciation in the UK

Also never heard anyone IRL say Sophia to rhyme with fire (just on MN lol!)

emwithme · 16/05/2019 17:21

Genevieve can be "jen-uh-veev" or "zhean-vee-ev"

Sophia can rhyme with fear or fire

SnowyAlpsandPeaks · 16/05/2019 16:36

Genevieve! With Gigi as a nn or another could be Via. This was on my short list for dc2, then found I was having a boy.

QuantamBaby · 16/05/2019 16:27

I thought there was only one pronunciation of both Genevieve and Sophia!

PaintingOwls · 16/05/2019 16:11

emwithme

Sorry to be dim, but what other way is there to pronounce Sophia?

emwithme · 16/05/2019 14:41

Which pronunciation of Genevieve were you thinking? Would you be OK with people using the other one, and having to correct around 50% of the time?

(This is why both Genevieve and Sophia came off our list for DD...DH pronounces them the opposite way to me and it annoyed me)

Petalflowers · 16/05/2019 13:59

Wait until she is born, and then decides what suits her.

Or try saying the names and nn out loud a few times and see which you prefer.

Summerorjustmaybe · 16/05/2019 13:56

Lenor would put me off....

MrsBertBibby · 16/05/2019 13:53

I prefer Elinor. Eleanor just sounds like Helena to me.

QuantamBaby · 16/05/2019 13:37

Genevieve - I wanted this for DD2 but DH talked me out of it...

I prefer Eleanor to Eleanora - I cant get over the 'gnaw her' sound at the end Confused

Antonin · 16/05/2019 13:19

I don’t like the sound of Nora and always think of gnaw a bone

rosemoon12 · 15/05/2019 23:30

hahaha oh man this is going to be difficult! xD

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 15/05/2019 20:15

Genevieve, definitely.

PaintingOwls · 15/05/2019 16:11

I would go with Eleonora and not use Genevieve unless you're French, although I think it's a beautiful name and the better one of the two you're considering.

CassandraCross · 15/05/2019 16:07

I can see your dilemma, but Genevieve wins for me as it is a beautiful, evocative name and as Mercy said you will be able to control the nicknames.

FizzyGreenWater · 15/05/2019 15:59

Both good, I would pick Genevieve simply because if she then ends up as Ellie that seems such a waste!

The Genevieve I know is Vivie.

MercyBodle · 15/05/2019 06:43

Both are lovely, but I prefer Genevieve. I think you can go a long way to controlling the nns so that wouldn't put me off. (You just always use the forms you prefer and correct anyone who does differently. Both my sister and I have done this and successfully stopped people calling us the most expected nns for our names.)