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angeltop · 2022-02-23T21:52:45+00:00

Thoughts please, pronounced el lay na

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IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 24/02/2022 13:13

I can’t quote and quote, but for everyone querying why anyone would pronounce Eleanor and Elena same, not everyone emphasises the R in Eleanor. To me, and my niece Eleanor, the “or”is like the “a” of retina. It does not rhyme with door.

TarcasticSwat · 24/02/2022 10:26

It's a Spanish/Italian/Greek/Romanian name so if you are fine for English people to butcher the pronunciation throughout your child's life...

I have a foreign name and have given up trying to correct people as even when I do correct them they still revert back to their old way of pronunciation it.

Muddywellies10 · 24/02/2022 10:25

Love it and was my girls name of choice (had Ds's!).

EmmaGrundyForPM · 24/02/2022 10:22

I would always pronounce it "e-LAY- nuh"

I think it's a very pretty name. I also like Eleanor but would pronounce that very differently.

OutlookStalking · 24/02/2022 10:15

El-an-ah and Eleanor usually pronounced the same here (southern england.)

lunar1 · 24/02/2022 10:10

I think it's lovely and easy to pronounce.

toastofthetown · 24/02/2022 10:09

It’s inoffensive and pretty enough but the ubiquity of El- names just makes it bland to me.

merryhouse · 24/02/2022 10:06

@Fleur405

This is on my list too as I love it but Im half Italian and would want the Italian pronunciation (EL-en-a) and the fact that there are multiple pronunciations is putting me off.

Although I never assumed one of them would be Eleanor!!

Possibly the people saying "like Eleanor" pronounce Eleanor as ELL-en-a (which I have done for the entirety of my 52 years and only recently realised was considered controversial).

How about Elaine?

TheYearOfSmallThings · 24/02/2022 10:01

I like it and I never heard it pronounced "Eleanor" until I came to England. Most of the Elenas I know are Romanian and it does have that Ceausescu connotation, but that wouldn't bother me.

Fleur405 · 24/02/2022 09:57

This is on my list too as I love it but Im half Italian and would want the Italian pronunciation (EL-en-a) and the fact that there are multiple pronunciations is putting me off.

Although I never assumed one of them would be Eleanor!!

cherryonthecakes · 24/02/2022 09:57

I like it but many people in the Uk would say Ellen-a before Eh-lay-na

SatinHeart · 24/02/2022 09:56

Love it OP, but as you can see from this thread you could be be forever correcting pronunciation (although in RL every Elena I know pronounces it like in your OP)

Botanica · 24/02/2022 09:54

Really like it. It was also on our shortlist.

It works at any age, and is elegant without being cutesie. Not too common unlike many similar names.

Thatsplentyjack · 24/02/2022 09:53

Alaina

northernlola · 24/02/2022 09:52

Lovely name, my niece's name, but they pronounce Elena like Eleanor. I think you'd need an accent on it or an alternative spelling to show how it's meant to be pronounced.

I've got a name that means throughout my life, people have called me something else. Something very similar, but not quite it. It's an absolute burden so I make a point of giving my children names that cannot be mistaken!!

Thatsplentyjack · 24/02/2022 09:51

@IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads

Agree re pronounciation - the only Elenas I know (3) pronounce it as Eleanor

Why would they pronounce it Eleanor? There's no R

BantersaurusSex · 24/02/2022 09:51

@Thatsplentyjack

I love it, but I'm biased because it's my dad's name. Although I spelled it phonetically because I knew people would have difficulty pronouncing it with the traditional spelling. Going by these posts I was right to do so.

How did you spell it?

Thatsplentyjack · 24/02/2022 09:50

I actually sort of wish I had just used the traditional spelling and corrected everyone who pronounced it wrong though.

Thatsplentyjack · 24/02/2022 09:48

Not my dad's name obviously 🤣, dds name.

Thatsplentyjack · 24/02/2022 09:47

I love it, but I'm biased because it's my dad's name. Although I spelled it phonetically because I knew people would have difficulty pronouncing it with the traditional spelling. Going by these posts I was right to do so.

OutlookStalking · 24/02/2022 09:47

Id expect el- en- er.

I do get confused with these names (how would you spell it to get el-lay-na?)

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 24/02/2022 09:45

Agree re pronounciation - the only Elenas I know (3) pronounce it as Eleanor

Hadtocomment · 24/02/2022 09:42

I really like it but I think I like it more like El-len-a rather than E-lay-na. But I also prefer Hel-len-a to Hel-lay-na

timestheyarechanging · 24/02/2022 05:07

I have a friend who is an Elloner and I feel your daughter will be called the same.

timestheyarechanging · 24/02/2022 05:05

Sadly, you won't get a choice of how it's pronounced by her friends. My daughter has a name with a prominent 't' but her friends still drop it!

How about Ella?