Helena

[flopsy1974]

Not heard this for a while, and seems a good alternative to Eleanor which seems quite popular.
What do people think?

I love it. But then you have the whole "is it Helayna or Helina" thing.

I mean in terms of pronunciation

I love it, and if I saw it I would pron. Hel-ay-na rather than Hel-eh-na if that helps.

I'd say Helena to rhyme with Elena, so Hell-enna.

I like Helena. Would have chosen it were it not for clash with surname. Too many Hs.

Definitely pronounced like Eleanor ie Helen-a.

I adore it and prefer hel-eh-nah pronunciation.

It isn't related to Eleanor though, the names have totally different roots, and they don't sound alike either, because Eleanor should be pronounced el-eh-nore (not el-en-ah as people keep mispronouncing it).

Love it.

But be prepared to make your peace with the fact that only 1 in 3 people will pronounce it your chosen way. There is also the He-lee-na pronunciation to throw into the mix.

prefer Helen

love it

Helen is lovely and easier to pronounce.

I like pronounced as Hell-enna

Gorgeous,one of my absolute favourite names but it's my boss's name so it rules it out for me although she's lovely, I'm not up for that level of arselicking!

But, she constantly gets the Hel-ay-na/Helen-a thing.

I love it! Would choose it if I was going to have a DD3.

Hell or Helly wouldn't be a nice nickname though .

DD1 is Hel-enna, we just get asked if it is Hel-ay-na or Hel-enna usually. It doesn't really annoy be to be honest and she is the only Helena we know!

I knew one Helen-a and one Hel-ee-na in school and after a week everyone had sorted them out.

I love both pronunciations -- beautiful name.

Well, in Kildare they were all Hel-ee-nas math! I prefer Helen-a myself but have a feeling it would end up Hel-ee-na!