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Baby names

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

Original poster

Sophie, Elowen, Nerissa

32 replies

marypoppinsneedles · 20/12/2020 12:29

What are your thoughts on these please.

And Happy Christmas.

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TrySarahTops · 22/12/2020 12:15

Elowen is lovely, by far my favourite. But as a pp said, be prepared for your DD to choose to shorten it to Elle/Ellie/Ella whichever they choose as my daughter has ruined her lovely El name

Like Sophie, but it is very popular.

Not keen on Nerissa, sorry. I know it's not Nessa from Gavin and Stacey, but it just makes me think of that.

SionnachRua · 22/12/2020 10:47

Not Sophie, too generic and boring imo.

I get the witchy vibe from Nerissa as well. It's ok. Don't love it personally.

Elowen is lovely too but I'd avoid anything El- myself due to the popularity of Ellie.

GwendolineWindowlene · 22/12/2020 10:15

Nerissa feels a bit wicked witch to me, can't quite explain why.

Sophie isn't very exciting, which might be what you're after.

Elowen is a lovely collection of sounds, but I'd worry she'd end up an Ellie.

BatleyTownswomensGuild · 22/12/2020 10:08

Sophie is lovely - much nicer than Sophia.

Elowen is not one I'd heard before.

Nerissa sounds pretty ugly imo. But I generally don't like 'issa' names (Melissa, Clarissa etc.)

ArosAdraDrosDolig · 21/12/2020 23:09

Elowen by a million miles.

AnnaSW1 · 21/12/2020 22:37

Love Sophie. I really don't like the other two at all.

Amira19 · 21/12/2020 22:32

Sophie but I have a Sophie myself only little girl I know. I dont think its as popular as Sophia and I'm a teacher

LilacSloth · 21/12/2020 22:30

All nice names but I like Nerissa best. Unusual and pretty but easy to spell and pronounce.

ThursdayLastWeek · 21/12/2020 21:59

Are you in Cornwall OP? There’s a million and one Elowens here if that’s important to you.

I like Nerissa, but actually haven’t met a Sophie under the age of 25 in years,

partyatthepalace · 21/12/2020 21:58

... tho I spose the only thing c Elowen is high chance she’ll end up with nn Ellie or Ella, so you’d have to be down w that.

partyatthepalace · 21/12/2020 21:55

Elowen is really lovely

Sophie v nice but v overused

Nerissa I really don’t like (reminds of Narcissa Malloy in Harry Potter)

doctorhamster · 21/12/2020 21:51

I love Elowen

VenusClapTrap · 21/12/2020 21:43

Elowen is pretty but I wouldn’t choose it due to the numbers of Ellas and Eleanors/Elinors/Elenas around. So many ‘El’ names.

Sophie is a little dull.

Nerissa is lovely and would be my choice of the three, although I prefer Nerina and Marisa.

CaffiSaliMali · 21/12/2020 11:59

Elowen is a Cornish name and Cornish, like Welsh, places the emphasis on the penultimate syllable. So it is el-OH-en. British Baby Names reckons it's occasionally el-OO-en. www.britishbabynames.com/blog/2018/07/name-of-the-week-elowen.html

I like it. Nerissa is lovely too. Sophie is lovely but feels a bit mainstream compared to Elowen and Nerissa.

Marissa, Larissa and Marisa are also nice.

finallychangedmyusername · 21/12/2020 09:13

All three are gorgeous but I absolutely adore Nerissa. I have only ever met one (and she was lovely). I don't understand why it's used more when other Shakespearean names are popular.

Elowen is lovely too, as is Sophie. Sophie is a safe choice, but a solid and beautiful one. I always think of the little girl in The BFG.

CakeRattleandRoll · 21/12/2020 05:59

Love Nerissa and Elowen. Both were on my list for DD.

MercyBodle · 21/12/2020 03:31

I adore Elowen, first choice for me.
Sophie is a lovely classic and a safe choice.
I'm not a fan of Nerissa - nothing wrong with it but I just don't like the sounds or the style.

housemdwaswrong · 21/12/2020 00:42

I like Elowen, as long as it works in the accent where you live. Here in Wales it would probably be el-owen as Owen is a common boys name.

August20 · 21/12/2020 00:39

@ShimmeringIce

That's Narcissa not Nerissa!

I knew a Canadian girl named Nerissa. She was lovely - of course that is irrelevant to the name. I like the name very much. Uncommon but not outlandish.

Elowen looks very pretty written down but I am not sure how it is actually pronounced. I thought it was El-oh-wen but I heard someone say it recently and they said Uh-loo-in (if that makes sense).

Sophie is a safe choice. Some would say boring because it's so common but there are a reason things are popular - often it's because they're good! This name will take someone anywhere and through all stages of life.

So I'm very unhelpful but I like all three names, though I am much more familiar with Nerissa and Sophie.

ShimmeringIce · 20/12/2020 23:21

New ‘ole indeed!

fruitbrewhaha · 20/12/2020 21:09

Elowen looks like something spelled backwards,

Newole

ShimmeringIce · 20/12/2020 21:07

Nerissa makes me think Malfoy. I can’t now remember the character’s real name even though I’m a huge HP fan.
Elowen looks like something spelled backwards, maybe just because I’ve never seen it before.
Sophie is pretty enough.

Firebird83 · 20/12/2020 19:15

Elowen

NoSquirrels · 20/12/2020 18:57

Elowen

IamnotwhouthinkIam · 20/12/2020 18:54

Nerissa is so beautiful! Lovely meaning, classy, unusual and Shakespearean to boot. Elowen would be my second choice, although it could have pronunciation/spelling issues outside Cornwall. Sophie is okay, but a bit dull compared to the others.