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Baby names

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Original poster

Alana or Alaina

39 replies

Cici342 · 01/06/2025 17:18

I have two children Eleanor and Marnie and just had a third girl I can’t decide between Alaina or Alana

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deeahgwitch · 06/06/2025 17:50

I prefer the Alannah spelling.

Calliopespa · 04/06/2025 08:00

ShannonBailey · 04/06/2025 07:53

Yes, they are EL-en-uh and Al-ARN-uh (non-rhotic) but what I pp still holds.

And sometimes people say AL-ANN-uh, which would place more difference between the pronunciation.

But sometimes they don’t. It’s very hard to control how people say things and I think there’s lots of scope for near overlap.

Enko · 04/06/2025 07:56

Alana I love that name wanted it for dd1 dh was adamant no.

I am not keen on the lay pronunciation in Alaina.

I prefer the spelling Alannah

ShannonBailey · 04/06/2025 07:53

Yes, they are EL-en-uh and Al-ARN-uh (non-rhotic) but what I pp still holds.

TheyreLikeUsButRichAndThin · 04/06/2025 07:52

I just see Alan/Alain I’m afraid, and they’re all too similar to Eleanor. Poor Marnie will feel left out!!

Calliopespa · 04/06/2025 07:46

Needspaceforlego · 04/06/2025 07:11

I'd go with Alana, pronounced A-lan-a. I don't think it sounds anything like El-ean-or.

Some people keep a light stress on the last syllable of Eleanor, thus ELena not EllaNOR.
Elena and Alana have to at least a sound similar, and while op can mitigate this by choosing different pronunciations, you can never really control how people pronounce names.

ShannonBailey · 04/06/2025 07:28

@Needspaceforlego , both are names that are vowelly, with the only consonant sounds being L and N, and both end in a 'nuh' sound.

Needspaceforlego · 04/06/2025 07:11

I'd go with Alana, pronounced A-lan-a. I don't think it sounds anything like El-ean-or.

Marcipix · 04/06/2025 07:03

I think it’s much too close to Eleanor, however you spell it.

a pp suggested Alyssa, which is nice, but there are so many lovely names.
Rosa
Miranda
Florence

user1492757084 · 03/06/2025 19:26

Too similar.
It is like using, for Marnie's sister ..
Mahony
Marie
Marian

GenerousGardener · 02/06/2025 19:15

My girl is Alanna. Or how about Alayne?

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 02/06/2025 19:12

Alana is much better but they are both too close to Eleanor

Adela or Allegra maybe?

KayEmAy · 02/06/2025 18:12

Both are lovely but I vote Alaina

user1492757084 · 02/06/2025 08:56

Eleanor is too similar to Alaina and Alana.
Say them out aloud together.
Alannah is also very close in sound.

Suggestions:
Alice
Alexandra
Annabel
Amy
Louisa
Johanna
Hannah
Joanna

Calliopespa · 02/06/2025 08:51

Forgottenmyphone · 01/06/2025 17:20

There both too similar to Eleanor imo, but I feel that Alana is the prettiest and the least similar so I’d choose that one.

Yup. My thoughts too.

But is there really nothing you like that sounds quite different?

Eleanor/ Alaina/ Alannah/ Ellie/Allie is quite a similar bundle of names. I’d think of them collectively as “ The Alleys” . Marnie and Eleanor have a nice contrast and it seems a shame not to let the third dd have something distinct.

crumpet · 02/06/2025 08:48

I was at school with an American Alana, pronounced Alayna, so I think you can go with whatever you prefer as other pronunciations can include Al-Anna, or Al-arna, and there are a number of spelling variants.

Busted2006 · 02/06/2025 08:43

I like Alana.

I think it goes absolutely fine with your other children’s name.

I don’t think it sounds anything like Eleanor

NuffSaidSam · 02/06/2025 00:05

MyDelma · 01/06/2025 23:34

I thought that's how it was always pronounced.

It can be pronounced Ah-lar-na

MyDelma · 01/06/2025 23:34

I thought that's how it was always pronounced.

Firebird83 · 01/06/2025 22:44

I like Alannah but pronounced to rhyme with Hannah

MyDelma · 01/06/2025 22:16

Doesn't Alana mean "beloved"? It's a very nice name.

Alaina is too but people do get it wrong. I worked with one and she quite often got emails saying "Hi Alien" - think it's something to do with common mis-typing patterns.

AnneMarieW · 01/06/2025 22:12

Alana (spelt this way as it’s the most commonplace spelling of the name so it should save her hassle) is lovely and sounds fine with Eleanor and Marnie to me.

I can see why you are drawn to it, as in my accent “Ah-lar-nah” is almost a cross between “Eh-len-uh” and “Mar -nee” in sounds - so actually works well for a trio of sisters imo (as there’s similar sounds but they are all still distinct enough not to cause confusion). But if you say it as “Eh-leh-nor” and “Ah-lan-nah” then it works fine too. Alana and Eleanor are both well known names with very different origins - so minor differences in pronunciation due to accent isn’t a major issue.

But I do agree that Alaina is a no go - it will very likely be misspelt as more commonplace Elena even though they have different origins (and since Elena is a variant of Eleanor, that would be silly for sisters).

orangetriangle · 01/06/2025 21:28

what about Ciara or Kiana

SlieveMiskish · 01/06/2025 21:24

What about Leonie for a contrast?

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 01/06/2025 21:22

Cici342 · 01/06/2025 20:00

I say el-a-nor but is known as Ella

we are stuck between a-lain-uh or Alannah

Both of these just sound like different ways of saying Eleanor though.