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Baby names

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

Original poster

We’ve kind of decided... give me your brutally honest thoughts

157 replies

mammiahailee · 20/08/2019 19:08

Elyse Rae for baby girl due 9th Sept.
We adore it but are open to your honest thoughts.

Thanks!

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Letthemysterybe · 21/08/2019 18:12

I think Elyse as a tribute to your brother is sweet. And people will mostly hear the name rather than read it, and it sounds nice.

Troels · 21/08/2019 18:01

Elsie Rae goes together better. I'm not keen on Elise or Elyse.

diddlediddle · 21/08/2019 17:48

I would assume she was from a working class background based on the youneek spelling of "Elyse" and the use of Rae, which is often hyphenated with things like "Lacey-Rae". If you don't mind that association go for it. If you would prefer that she wasn't pigeonholed by other people for the rest of her life maybe use Elise and reconsider Rae.

SilverySurfer · 21/08/2019 17:23

Sorry I dislike Elyse but Elise is lovely. Rae is ghastly.

BirthdayDreamer · 21/08/2019 12:30

I love Elise, but I think like other PP have said she'll be spelling it out forever. Also on first glance I read it as "Elsye" (Elsie). as although a valid spelling, it's so uncommon a spelling that it might as well be a non-valid spelling IYSWIM. (Sorry).

The Rae, I think again it's not a flow with the Elyse spelling. Basically the 'y' in Elyse takes the place phonetically of the letter ' i ' , but the "ae" in Rae takes the place phonetically of the ' y '. It's sort of a mental tongue-twister.

On first glance you want to pronounce it Elsie Ruy, as in to rhyme with Buy, rather than El-eeese Ray.

ElleDubloo · 21/08/2019 12:16

@Ligresa dd1 is helping teach kids swimming and a baby has joined called Khaleesi Rainbow.

Oh dear Smile

Vasya · 21/08/2019 12:06

I really don't love Rae as an add on, just because every other little girl at the moment is Ellie May or Rosie Rae or some variation thereof. It's a bit faddy imo, and it always seems to be little girls who get stuck with fad names.

Elyse itself I think is really pretty, and I wouldn't worry too much about the unusual spelling. I've spent my life having to spell my name and it hasn't done me any harm.

MooseBreath · 21/08/2019 12:02

I know a woman called Elyse, same spelling. It's a lovely name. Not as keen on Rae, but if you like it, go for it!

Loopytiles · 21/08/2019 11:45

Elise is nice.

Strongly dislike the Elyse spelling.

Dislike Rae.

BogglesGoggles · 21/08/2019 11:45

I can only ever read the name Rae in a heavy Lincolnshire accent after watching my fat diary. I actually find it quite charming but then again I’m foreign. If I had grown up in a place like that/in that class I suppose I might want to distance myself from it.

Ligresa · 21/08/2019 11:42

ooh shit that is potentially very outing!!

Ligresa · 21/08/2019 11:42

dd1 is helping teach kids swimming and a baby has joined called Khaleesi Rainbow.

Original poster
mammiahailee · 21/08/2019 10:11

Thank you all for thoughts - a lot to think about!
Just to clarify, Rae is the middle name, it’s not double barrelled.
Nothing against those kind of names but not for me.

It’s a tricky one as Elise / Elyse has been my favourite name since I was a teen, I just love it, but we came across another name with my other daughter, fell in love and went for that.
My mom’s face lit up when I mentioned the tribute to my brother, it means a lot to all of us.
I did know an Elyse in college, so the spelling doesn’t seem made up to me. I do think the Rae part is on it’s way out, it seemed kind of cool to me but I don’t love it.
I’ll probably be back in a few days with another thread :)
Thank you for all your lovely messages re my brother Halo

OP posts:
whattodowith · 21/08/2019 09:48

Not my cup of tea.

KatieKat88 · 21/08/2019 08:44

I teach a 14 year old Elyse and she's fab so I'd have no issues with it! (Teaching generally ruins names so nice to have the opposite for a change...)

Botanica · 21/08/2019 06:03

I wasn't keen on the spelling of Elyse but then read your reasoning and think it's a lovely thing to do to honour your brothers name.

I think even using the more recognised spelling of Elise would still do that though.

If you were intent on incorporating Ely then I actually prefer Elyssa to Elyse.

And as many posters have said, Rae is really not a pretty name and imho spoils a lovely first name here.

My preferences would be something like Elyssa Rose. Has a lovely elegant ring to it. I'd be pleased to be called that.

Ligresa · 20/08/2019 22:49

It sounds really common. Sorry. Elise if you must, but not that odd spelling and Rae is dreadful, it's almost impossible not to think if it being yelled in the broadest Essex accent.

You did ask!

blahblahblahblahhh · 20/08/2019 22:43

What's this Trend for having Mae / May, Rae etc on the end of first names. Bloody awful!

imclaustrophobicdarren · 20/08/2019 22:38

Ditch Rae. Throughly shit. Sorry. First name ok but will be a life time of .... "spelt Ey..."

SockMachine · 20/08/2019 22:26

I have always known Elyse spelt Elyse and the other spelling looks a bit simplistic to me. But it’s just a matter of familiarity.

Lovely name.

Ditch Rae.

Fgsdl · 20/08/2019 22:08

My daughter is named Freya after her grandmother Freda. We thought it was close enough to tribute her without making to much about a deceased family member.

Elise is a nice enough tribute that would also be your new baby's name in her own right. And will be a special reason when she asked you why you named her what you did.

However your kid, if it's important for you to have the y spelling then go for it. There's a lot weirder names out there.

CatteStreet · 20/08/2019 21:59

I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your brother. I'm a bit torn on Elyse (which I would pronounce with a soft 's', like Elise). It might work, but she might find it a bit of a nightmare, and you wouldn't want her to feel negatively towards her deceased uncle because she resents her name being spelled like that as a tribute. Elise is lovely, and classic. Rae is dreadful (sorry).

Runkle · 20/08/2019 21:58

It sounds like a brand of sun cream.
Ely would be a lovely middle name.

MiniMum97 · 20/08/2019 21:57

Elyssa suggested by about her poster is nice and gets your brothers name in. Elyssa Mae?

MiniMum97 · 20/08/2019 21:53

I initially read it as Elsie too. I'd stick with Elise. It looks nicer too. And I don't like Rae at all. What about Elise Mae?

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