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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Longer name for Nell

114 replies

Firebird83 · 03/01/2026 21:26

I like the name Nell but would like it to be short for a longer name. Which do you prefer out of Helena and Eleanor? Middle name would be Katherine or Louisa. Thanks!

OP posts:

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seriousandloyal · 08/01/2026 21:09

Eleanor

ohdearmemummy · 08/01/2026 18:45

ScrapeandScratch · 03/01/2026 21:31

Nellephant

Hahahaha

Calliopespa · 08/01/2026 18:45

I've heard Hel-AY-na or Helen-a.

DC555 · 07/01/2026 22:43

I have a Nell that’s just Nell and I LOVE it. We thought about calling her Eleanor, which is a lovely name too, but I had no interest in an Ellie, which I knew she might become. Plus I preferred her to have one first initial (for school pegs etc.)

I think it’s substantial enough in its own right but benefits from a long middle name (ours is Nell Josephine). I think Katherine works beautifully.

MummaR94 · 07/01/2026 21:23

Forgot fenella

MummaR94 · 07/01/2026 21:23

Wild cards I’ll throw out there 😆

Prunella
Ornella

peachskies · 07/01/2026 20:41

Eleni, Nellie

MartinCrieffsHat · 07/01/2026 17:28

Anneliese to Nell is quite a stretch.

GripGetter · 06/01/2026 20:54

Anneliese. I love it.

MartinCrieffsHat · 06/01/2026 18:54

@Spidey66 , how do you know?

Spidey66 · 06/01/2026 17:33

my friends daughter is Nelly and has never been called Nelly the Elephant.

Spidey66 · 06/01/2026 17:31

Eleanor

ladygindiva · 06/01/2026 12:59

I know am Eleanor goes by Nell. Ellen would work too.

GripGetter · 06/01/2026 11:58

Anellie.
Nella.

FollowSpot · 06/01/2026 11:52

My Dc went to a S London comp.

Friend Nellie was never teased about her name with anything suggested here (or anything else)
Friend Gabriel was never called ‘Gay’ despite that having been issued as a warning in many MN threads.
The whole school was used to Polish, Vietnamese, Nigerian names, alongside many Yooneek names, and those pulled from obscure classical texts and Old English etc.

Respect for and ease with diversity gave them no interest in picking on names.

I wonder about the mentality and environments of some MNers.

MartinCrieffsHat · 06/01/2026 11:50

@onyxtulip , that's because people are familiar with the word and name Belle.
Nell is familiar but Nelle isn't. My brain reads it as Nellie.

MartinCrieffsHat · 06/01/2026 11:47

Not Irish, @Violetdress , British but not English. Ellin-urr here.
I don't like the Nore version.

HolyMacaroniBatman · 06/01/2026 11:46

Nelson
Nelvis
Nel Salvador
Nellotape
Nel Paso
Nelanie
Nelijah
Nelastic
Nelbow
Nelton John

Violetdress · 06/01/2026 11:35

@MartinCrieffsHat
Yes, I’m in Ireland and it’s always pronounced Heleena here in my experience, so maybe you heard it from an Irish person?

The island of St Helena is pronounced that way too.

It’s Ellen-urr here. The r is pronounced. Americans tend to say the last syllable as Nore which is a bit different again.

MartinCrieffsHat · 06/01/2026 11:26

@Violetdress , Ellen-a, Ellen-urr, Ellen-OR, Ellen-ORR.

I thought it was Heleena too because that's the version I heard first.

Violetdress · 06/01/2026 11:14

Moreteaandchocolate · 03/01/2026 21:47

I like both, but would pick Eleanor as there are different pronunciations of Helena, which would annoy me. Nell is lovely.

Edited

There are different pronunciations of Eleanor too, depending on where you live and whether you pronounce your r’s or not. It sounds quite different in a non-rhotic English accent to a rhotic Scottish, Irish or American one.

I prefer Eleanor to Helena (which I pronounce Heleena). Love Nell.

MartinCrieffsHat · 06/01/2026 09:11

Petronella
Elowen
Eloína

user1492757084 · 06/01/2026 09:04

Narelle
Ellen
Eleanor
Nellie

kezzykate · 05/01/2026 14:35

I prefer Helena but both are lovely. I also know a little Penelope who goes by Nell.

Nyeaccident · 05/01/2026 14:09

Mumofteenandtween · 03/01/2026 21:53

I like the sound of Helena Katherine. She sounds like someone who could be the Head Girl at The Chalet School. (This is very high praise in my world!)

I only clicked on this thread in the hope of a Chalet school reference

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