people laugh when I tell them my daughters name

I think it's okay. Fairly uncommon though at 1900 last year in the rankings in the name stats.
I love Elsie too!

Its a very pretty name and I know a very lovely adult Elaine.

'The poem 'The Lady of Shalott' by Tennyson is thought
to be loosely based on Elaine, the fair maid who was in
love with Sir Lancelot of Arthurian legend, as portrayed
in Sir Thomas Malory's 'Morte D'Arthur'.
Lancelot, alas, only had eyes for Queen Guinevere...'

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AN-Drew...

I stand corrected. That came from some crappy documentary I watched years ago...

apologies.

I still like "Drew" though. For a girl.

And for that matter, "Andrew". For a boy.

how can they get elaine wrong?!

Sorry that wasn't meant to be a criticism - it is old fashioned, as are a lot of names which are becoming more popular!

lol at Jazmin - surely they must have had her mixed up with someone else!
It is old fashioned, I bet in 10 years time it will be popular again!

Drew Barrymore isn't ANdrew Barrymore -- Drew is a family surname on her father's side (good grief, I am so sad for knowing that...)

Lovely name - is it from 'The Lady of Shallott'??

Drew Barrymore is actually called ANdrew Barrymore because her parents wanted a boy. So clearly it is a boy's name!!! Actually though, I think it's really cute for a girl and the nurse was out of order. It's got a sort of rugged prettyness to it...

Elaine wouldn't be my choice (but then neither would thousands upon thousands of perfectly acceptable and pretty names) but I think it's a very nice name. Very feminine and pretty. I adore Josephine (although still not what I would chose - IYSWIM I like both names v much but I have others which to me just are better for me personally). Reminds me of Josie Lawrence who is a Josephine

It amazes me that so many people seem to want to give their children names which make them sound more like a salad dressing. Elaine is a lovely, pretty and unusual name without being something totally stupid.

I gave my DS a similar name. One which is not as popular as some reasonable and normal names like Thomas or Jack, but is still, like Elaine, Thomas, Jack and Josephine, a normal, attractive, un-pick-on-able and easy to spell name.

Good for you.

Lovely name, Drew is great too btw. People do seem to have issue with unusual names, my name is Kirsten, I love it, but when I worked in an office the amount of people who would call me Christine or Karen, bizarre! Also when I was little one of my neighbours kids asked my mum why she had called me custard and my french exchange mum insisted on calling me curtain!

People who laugh are ignorant oafs. You should feel superior!

My dd is an Ellen (Is it really that popular these days, margoandjerry? I've never met another one) and she often gets called Eleanor, Ellie, Ella (as well as the inevitable Helen). I often call her 'Elsie'. I like it (and I think it suits her).

Elaine is probably a bit old-fashioned nowadays- so many Mollies and Rubys around! but it's still a lovely name. Ignore them.

FWIW, that is the name of my dd's paternal grandmother so it goes over all generations.

It is very rude. There are a lot of fashionable names at the moment that I hate Ruby, Pearl, Elsie etc but if someone called their DC that I wouldn't say so! Elaine is different-don't let them upset you. I thought from the OP that you were going to say something ridiculous!

My son's name is considered dated. Perhaps that is the only thing that is pass-remarkable about Elaine, as a criticism, I mean. It is a pretty sound though. I also like Valerie and Melanie, so I kind of like names which are not 'of the moment'.

I wouldn't laugh. I would consider it refreshing and think that you clearly had confidence in your own tastes and that you do not follow the crowd if you don't want to..

its very pretty

where do people get off saying these things?

• especially jabs nurse, wanted to make sure you were crying as well as the baby?

I think it's a fab name.

Some people don't like my ds2 name (especially my FIL). Know what I do? Tell em to fcuk themselves.
You love it - she loves it, that's all that should matter.

It's not a name that I personally like, but there's certainly nothing wrong with it. I'm surprised it provokes such disbelief and hilarity from people in your area (who obviously have no manners).

Next time someone says something rude tell them to go and get fucked

it's a lovely name

mind you I may be biased - it's my middle name!

Don't see whats wrong with Elaine I know a few Elaines my age (21). Dimi I think Drw is nicer for girl than a boy. Hasn't your nurse heard of Drew Barrymore?

Dont worry the nurse who gave my daughter her jabs told me she would hate me when she was older because I had given her a boys name. Nice. She is called Drew. I love it and hope she will, thats about as much as you can do.

There is nothing wrong with Elaine, it's a lovely name. I had to scroll back to the beginning of this thread as I thought I must have misread it, and it was actually Ygraine or something (which I also like btw). Elaine is fine. The others are ignorant/stupid/rude.

I really like it