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Baby names

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

Original poster

Elena

53 replies

angeltop · 23/02/2022 21:52

Thoughts please, pronounced el lay na

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Wenlorwoo · 25/02/2022 07:26

I like it 😊, I have an Elana (el-laa-na, my daughter likes being a bit different but does a have to correct people on pronunciation at times. She gets called Lana too which is cute.

Blubells · 25/02/2022 07:18

I also thought the Italian pronunciation is
El-en-ah.

In Spain it's El ay na?

Dyra · 24/02/2022 20:40

@wtfisgoingonhere21

Eleena it's pronounced in Russian

I have a Russian client and she's a beautiful lady inside and out.
Love the name @angeltop

The Elena I knew was Latvian, and pronounced the same way. Also an utterly gorgeous woman who was unerringly nice to everyone she met.
Pemba · 24/02/2022 20:23

I'm a bit confused now, because I thought the Italian pronunciation was NOT ell-ay-na? I'm getting this from watching 'My Beautiful Friend', based on the Elena Ferrente novel (did I spell that right?). It's filmed in Italy, with Italian actors, and the character of Elena is definitely said as 'ell-ENN-a, not ell-ay-na. It's set around Naples I think, so possibly regional?

I assumed that Ell-ay-na was the Spanish way.

Original poster
angeltop · 24/02/2022 18:32

Thanks all, daddy is Italian with large extended family so most of the time in house will be pronounced beautifully.

OP posts:
babyjellyfish · 24/02/2022 17:26

Love it.

demoness · 24/02/2022 15:39

I think Elena is a lovely name. I would pronounce it the way you said.

The pronunciation of Eleanor depends on whether you have a rhotic or non-rhotic accent.

Blubells · 24/02/2022 15:19

I've only ever heard Eleanor as Ell-eh-nurr or Ell-eh-nore

MerryMarigold · 24/02/2022 15:15

Eleanor is usually pronounced Ellen-uh (see Eleanor Rigby) but Americans say Ellen-or and apparently Scots too!

Blubells · 24/02/2022 15:11

And Eleanor is Elen-OR

Blubells · 24/02/2022 15:09

I like Elena.

All the Elenas I know are Elen-ah.

I've never heard it pronounced with a LAY sound Confused. Wouldn't that be spelled Eléna?

wtfisgoingonhere21 · 24/02/2022 14:52

Eleena it's pronounced in Russian

I have a Russian client and she's a beautiful lady inside and out.
Love the name @angeltop

ParadiseLaundry · 24/02/2022 14:43

Such a lovely name. I know an adult one and she's beautiful inside and out so I have very good associations with it!

leccybill · 24/02/2022 14:31

I love it. I also like Adela.

OutlookStalking · 24/02/2022 14:28

Pemba my experience is completely opposite! (Also uk.) I wonder if it's regional.

OutlookStalking · 24/02/2022 14:28

I know an Allana who pronounces it Al-ay-na.... although instinctively I want to say Alarna...

Lunde · 24/02/2022 14:13

I love Elena

Pemba · 24/02/2022 14:11

The ones I have known (in UK) all pronounce it your way, ell-ay-na. I don't think you'd have pronunciation issues.

Fleur405 · 24/02/2022 14:02

@merryhouse oh I see!! I’m Scottish and Eleanor is reasonably common here (at least in a slightly older generation) and we roll our Rs so to me Elena and Eleanor are quite distinct but I guess it depends on the accent. My main concern was the El-en-a v El-ay-na versions!

PinkSyCo · 24/02/2022 13:41

Love it.

sixtiesbaby88 · 24/02/2022 13:38

You could go for Eleni, the Greek version, pronounced El-ay-ni

Allthesefolks · 24/02/2022 13:36

I love it but for similar reasons avoided Helena because I know it would get pronounced Hell-en-a instead of Hel-ay-na Sad

OutlookStalking · 24/02/2022 13:26

Eleanor I mean!

OutlookStalking · 24/02/2022 13:26

Ive only ever heard Eleanor pronounced El le nah! How else do people pronouce it?

I'd see them as interchangeable...

schnubbins · 24/02/2022 13:20

I love it and would pronounce it El le nah but El lay nah is lovely also No idea why some pronounce it the same as Eleanor .They are two totally different names and pronounced differently.

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