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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Alannah or Daphne

115 replies

Drunkenmonkey · 06/04/2021 21:42

I think I prefer one but the other one feels like it fits better with the sibling names which are both Irish. Which do you prefer? Any preconceptions of either name? The Scooby Doo thing doesn't bother me at all.

OP posts:

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ElenaArabey · 22/08/2021 21:21

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Elspethelf · 22/08/2021 00:20

I prefer Daphne. There is a YA book series by Tamora Pierce and the main character is named Alanna. She is a brilliant strong female lead, so might be a neat gift for an Alanna growing up :)

PrivateParty · 21/08/2021 18:42

I prefer the Alana spelling too. Don't like daphne.

PaolaDiLorenzo · 21/08/2021 17:53

Alannah/Alana is nicer. I have a relation called Daphne and she is in her nineties , so it seems very old fashioned to me.

FartnissEverbeans · 21/08/2021 17:48

Daphne is a bit more fresh. I like the nicknames Dee and Dot, though I think Daffy is quite cute as well!

Twizbe · 21/08/2021 17:09

Alannah by a mile. I've always loved that name, ever since watching The Girl From Tomorrow.

I floated Alana for our DD but DH vetoed it.

Westfacing · 21/08/2021 17:02

I knew a 90-year old Alannah - spelt that way and pronounced with short a's

Prefer it to Daphne.

Woolver23 · 21/08/2021 16:48

Much prefer Daphne

TatianaBis · 21/08/2021 16:44

but I can't get the silly upper class woman, 'jolly hockey sticks' vibe out of my head.

Yep. It’s very Daisy Pulls it Off.

TatianaBis · 21/08/2021 16:43

Alannah is very 80s and Daphne is very 30s jolly hockey sticks schoolgirl with bangs and glasses.

It would be neither for me.

Orangestarfish · 21/08/2021 12:06

Alannah feels quite 90s to me - not a fan.

I love Daphne- beautiful name. If was on my list, but sounded too close to DD1's name and we live in the north west where it would sound more like Daff-neigh

Pemba · 21/08/2021 11:55

I would never have thought Alannah to have any association with Alan. 😁 Particularly with the way it's pronounced.

Daphne I know is classical Greek, but I can't get the silly upper class woman, 'jolly hockey sticks' vibe out of my head.

I'd go for Alannah.

Roselilly36 · 21/08/2021 11:45

Alanna is lovely, sorry not keen on Daphne at all. Good luck OP.

WimpoleHat · 21/08/2021 11:08

I know a couple of Daphnes, who are only ever Daphne, never Daff. It’s a lovely name; as you say, vintage glam. Very classy. Not keen on Alannah at all; much prefer Eleanor (and you may find it gets confused with this).

manhattenrain · 21/08/2021 11:04

Definitely Alannah.

BunnyRuddington · 05/08/2021 14:08

Definitely Daphne

peaceinourtime · 05/08/2021 13:44

Daphne for sure, lots of nickname possibilities Daph or Daffy et al.

Cbeebiesrehab · 01/08/2021 18:36

If spent that way I’d chose Daphne. If Alana was spelt this way I think I’d got for Alana…a would pronounce it A-Larna rather than A-lan-uh…if that makes sense!

RuthW · 01/08/2021 18:18

That's a very hard call as I love both

Busybee1234 · 01/08/2021 18:01

Love the name Alana. The one we know rhymes with Ana (as in Ana from Frozen) not Anna. Prefer the spelling ‘Alana’ for that pronunciation.

A beautiful and modern sounding name yet with an element of mystique and old age glamour to it.
Some meanings are:
‘cherished’, 'beautiful', ‘darling child’, ‘harmony’, ‘serene’, ‘little rock’ (beautiful to look at and rare but also strong, tough and unbreakable like a precious gemstone or jewel)
The name has multiple origins. It can be derived from the Old High German word for ‘precious’ or from the Irish language term “a leanbh” for ‘child’ or from the Goidelic/ Hawaiian community meaning ‘fair’, ‘beautiful offering’. In Gaelic ‘Alanna’ is the term for ‘beauty’ or ‘serenity’. Depending on the interpretation the name's roots can therefore be Old High German / Hawaiian / Irish / Gaelic.
The Alana I know was named after a great-great-grandmother of Dutch and French heritage called ‘Anna’ (pronounced ‘Ana’ like one of the lead characters in the Frozen film).
Characters with the given name: Alana (a royal mermaid princess in King Triton’s court), Alana Yarn (famous author in the Storybook Rainbow Magic Fairies series), Alana (protagonist main character from the ‘Alana Dancing Star’ series by Arlene Phillips), Alana of Trebond (fictional heroine in the Tortall novels), Alana (sporty, kind main character from the cartoon Dora the Explorer)
Some people with the given name: Alana Blanchard (American surfer), Alana Curley (American dancer), Alanna Nash (journalist), Alanna Nobbs (historian), Alanna Schepartz (scientist), Alanna Kraus (Canadian skater), Alana Aoun (bridal & couture designer), Alana Spencer (British business woman & Apprentice Winner).

RubyFakeLips · 30/05/2021 14:49

Love Daphne.

Alannah I agree is much like Nigella, and so I always read it as Alan-A then correct myself.

Jizzonmy · 30/05/2021 14:25

100 times Daphne

Enko · 30/05/2021 13:32

I love both names

ChildOfFriday · 30/05/2021 10:29

@Drunkenmonkey

Basically it's the elongated ah sound that becomes ar in my accent. So my DH says Hannah exactly the same way as I do but he says Alannah with an 'ah' sound. I can't make that ah sound without it feeling very strange, so it becomes an 'ar' sound. I don't think many people would say Alannah to rhyme with Hannah but I could be wrong.

I really do think that a significant percentage of people would pronounce Alannah to rhyme with Hannah- I would certainly have assumed it was pronounced like this due to the double n, and others on this thread have said that they would have assumed this too. When corrected I would of course pronounce it as the person preferred, but I have a name that is often mispronounced and find it a real pain, so if you haven't yet named your baby I would consider this issue.

AllanaghML · 30/05/2021 01:07

So lovely to see someone trouble to ask. As an Allanagh (weird, very Victorian spelling), I can safely say it's pronounced Al-ANN-a, if the intention is for it to be the original, very historic, Irish name. There was a hugely popular Irish ballad 'Eileen Alannah', which Spotify has helped me prove to stubborn friends that I know how to say my own name! So, if you meet an Alannah, go with that first; they can always correct you. It seems to be more an American thing to say Uh-LARN-a, or A-LARN-a.

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