Wanting to change DD2s name as no one else seems to likely

[TeddyBares]

I hate posting this, DD2 is 8 weeks old, she’s perfect but I’m super sleep deprived so probably extra sensitive.
DD1 is 2 when she was born everyone complimented her name, and even know still do.
DD2 gets a mix of aw lovely to just down right to “oh like the fabric softener (more so over text than in person)” it’s making me really sad. Today we went out for lunch and the waitress asked their names told her and she went gosh that’s a gorgeous name in reference to DD1s but nothing about DD2s.
Im thinking we should just change it? I live her name and always imagined having a little girl with the name but wouldn’t want her to feel like her name is ugly or hate her name (I don’t like my name and get some annoying comments so wouldn’t want that). DH thinks I’m being silly and we live her name so that’s all that matters.
AIBU wanting to change it?
Her name is Leonora as I know people will be curious.

It's a pretty name, keep it! Wouldn't make me think of Lenor at all

I think Leonora is a lovely name and all abv. are nice too. Prefer it to Annabel by far ....also think the abv. aren't as nice. Plus Annabel is rather dated - all of those I know are in their 50s and are known as Ann.....but one chose to go by her middle name by her 20s.

Much prefer Leonora to Annabel, although both are lovely. Very sophisticated and unusual without being you-nique. Definitely don’t change it. It has lots of potential for cute as well as grown up nicknames too as she gets older. Great choice!

Oh I'm so glad you posted the name! I had it in my head the name would be comfort due to the fabric softener reference which would have been awful! Leonora is a fine name, remember why you've chosen it rather than worrying about receiving compliments.

I thought she was called Breeze.
Leonora is nothing like Lenor.

I think it’s a lovely name, prefer it to Annabel personally

It's not unique, but it is a nice name. A variation of Eleanor.

I think Leonora is a beautiful name!

I think it's an amazing name. Annabelle is lovely too.

It might just be a second kid thing and it might be that the name is a little more unusual but it's a great name. Keep it!

It's a beautiful name, more beautiful that DD1 in my opinion, but that also is a lovely name.
You have picked two lovely names.

Leonora is lovely. I think of opera not fabric conditioner. It's elegant, flexible re potential future nick names and easy to spell and a proper name not a fashionable made up wacky name

But it's not like the fabric softener. That's Lenor.
Their mistake and no reason for you to ditch a pretty name that you like.

Leonora is a beautiful name! I've always loved that one. I thought you were going to say something a bit weird, but nope, it's a classic name with plenty of precedent in the English language so if anyone doesn't "get" it, that's on them.

I sort of have a similar thing with my second child. It's a French name (my husband is French), and it is actually becoming pretty popular now in Britain in the last 2-3 years or so, so we thought it would be quite a "safe" name, but a lot of older people struggle with it, ask me to repeat it, pronounce it wrong (there's nothing about it that's hard for a monolingual English speaker to pronounce, it's just because they're not used to it), and although we do get a few "oh, that's lovely"s, more often than not the response from people age 50s and up is "Oh! That's an... interesting name...". But we don't care. It's a perfectly valid name, we love it, and people soon get used to it. So I say stick with Leonora, it's beautiful! (Will look lovely written, too, with beautiful cursive script IMO).

fabric softner wouldn't cross my mind. How rude of people to mention that - a reflection on them, not you. Leonora is also the name of a character in a Barbara Pym novel. Don't read too much into that - she was a bit of an unusual character - but it just shows you that you have chosen a lovely, literary name and one that your daughter can adapt in future years if she wishes - which is also a gift.

I think Leonora is a lovely name. Leonora Carrington is a writer I love. I am in a similar situation to you - our DC1's name (female) has always had a lot of compliments, our DC2's name (male) gets a lot of blank looks and clearly doesn't impress some people - which I did not anticipate at all because it is a name I love and is traditional if a little unusual (about the same level of unusualness as Leonora). It did cross my mind to change it when he was a tiny baby. However, both my husband and I loved it and felt it suited our son and to me it felt like I would be saying something against him if we changed it. I think it would be fine for you to change Leonora's name if you wanted to. You could also call her Nora or even Lea as a nickname. However, I do think you should feel confident in sticking with the beautiful name you have chosen if that's what you want <3

Leonora and Lenore are linked names I would assume. I think both are lovely.

I know a little girl called Liora which took a bit of getting used to as I kept thinking Leonora. I love Annabel but I don't like the potential shortenings (Anna, Bella!) but I think Leonora (or similar) is much more interesting and the potential shortenings are good

It's a lovely name

It's beautiful and has nothing to do with fabric softener, they are idiots.

I have a similar issue. D1, everyone compliments her name, everywhere we go. D2 nothing. I feel bad because I love both names, and both are unusual. I was going to change it, when she was still a baby. But I honestly couldn't find another name, that I liked as much. I think leave it because your d2 has a pretty and unusual name. You don't need other people's validation. It means more to the children, that you've chosen a name that you love. I find that with children, they grow into their names. As they become prettier with age, people associate their looks with the name, therefore liking the name more.

Both names go well together and Leonora is lovely and nothing like fabric softner.

@Beautiful3 is right. There are lots of names we rejected for our DC thinking we couldn't possibly call them that! I now meet children with those names and I catch myself thinking "what a cool name" or "doesn't it suit them"?, completely forgetting that I hadn't liked the name years ago.

Unless you’re saying it differently to how I would say it (Lee-an-or-a) and making it sound more like Lenor, or Lenora, then I’m surprised people comment on it and I think it’s lovely!

OP, you have already received many answers, but I wanted to write to you too.

Leonora is a lovely and beautiful name!
One of the kindest women I have ever met is called Leonora.

Also, I don't know your thoughts about royals, but there are some European royals right now with the similar name Leonor/Leonore. (Perhaps someone has already mentioned this, I have not read the whole thread).

Princess Leonor of Asturias (daughter to the King of Spain)
Countess Leonore of Orange-Nassau (niece to the King of the Netherlands)
Princess Leonore of Sweden (granddaughter to the King of Sweden)

I also have a lovely relative called the similar name Eleonora.

Leonore and Leonora can be pronounced either way but I'm most used to the o being silent in both, so Le-nor and Le-nor-ah. Kind of like people say Le-nard rather than Leo-nard for Leonard (eg Leonard Skinner)