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Original poster

Is this a nice name? Doubts!

43 replies

allrags · 07/06/2012 21:52

I like the name Ella but have received a lukewarm reaction to it by some when I have revealed my name ideas. Its very popular apparently but do you think this has 'devalued' it as a name? I haven't had the same reaction when I say I like Emily of Jessica both of which are equally popular. Am I missing something - is Ella not seen as a nice name?

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hugebumpbelly · 07/06/2012 21:53

It is fine but anything we see/hear/eat a lot of gets a little dull. And Ella is very widely used already. Nothing 'wrong' with it though.

EssentialFattyAcid · 07/06/2012 21:53

Perhaps because Ella is viewed as a diminutive?

ceeveebee · 07/06/2012 21:54

They are all nice names

SilveryMoon · 07/06/2012 21:54

I like it. Prefer Elle, but like Ella.

HandMadeTail · 07/06/2012 21:54

It's a bit plain, and very very popular, so your DD will be sharing a name with lots of other girls.

YoulllaughAboutItOneDay · 07/06/2012 21:56

I think it's a bit twee for some tastes. I much prefer names like Arabella, Annabella, Eleanor, etc with Ella as a nickname.

For me, the Elle/Ella type names are also tainted by the fact they are basically 'she' in a number of languages. Which just seems a bit, well, nothingy for a name.

kat1885 · 07/06/2012 22:11

I have 2 x ds but our girls name (which we won't use as not having anymore) was ella-rose

CaringMum28 · 07/06/2012 23:08

It was the in name in certain classes about 5years ago, most Ella's I have met through schools were born 2004 onwards and seem to have parents that weren't university educated. Smile

StepOutOfSpring · 07/06/2012 23:16

It's OK as a nickname but insubstantial as a full name.

sugarspiceandallthingsnice324 · 07/06/2012 23:19

I think Ella is a really nice name. Was popular among the middle classes in the 1990's, ella for girls and max for boys.

WhatWouldJoanJettDo · 07/06/2012 23:20

I really like it, in spite of my university education.

My only issue would be the popularity thing.

TheSecondComing · 08/06/2012 01:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Clary · 08/06/2012 01:16

My mum is 82 this year and she is called Ella, so as to it not being a "real" name, it's certainly been around for a while!

Longer than Jack and Libby anyway (to pick two random nicknames which are now accepted real names).

I agree with others here tho, it has been quite popular. It's a nice name IMO (DD's middle name actually) but there are rather a lot here aged 8-12 ish.

EmpressOfTheSevenOceans · 08/06/2012 01:46

I like it, but given how many there are around I would pick a longer name & use Ella as the short.

I know 2 Ellas in DD's Yr 6 class, & also my 19-yr-old university student cousin who now goes by Ells (although when she was born Ella was considered fairly unusual!)

Lannie33 · 08/06/2012 01:54

To me, just meh. Average and overly popular.

boyfallingoutofthesky · 08/06/2012 06:35

I think Ella is very pretty though extremely popular so people probably find it dull for this reason. I also know of am old lady called Ella so would agree it is a name in itw own right and was probably one of the first 'old lady' names to be back in fashion. I actually have not encountered many toddler or baby Ellas, though it is still high up the name charts so maybe there is regional variability. I would not associate it with a particular demographic unless you appended -Mae on the end!

FamiliesShareGerms · 08/06/2012 06:59

What TheSecondComing said

diddl · 08/06/2012 07:46

I love it.

I only know one-now in her 80s.

I think it is a "proper" name as well as a diminutive.

RobinSparkles · 08/06/2012 07:55

I like it! It is popular, there are two in DD1's class at school. DD1 wishes she was called Ella (Ella is her very best friend) and moans to me constantly and strangely it was on our list!

I don't know why people say it's not a proper name Confused. It was my Grandma's name and she would be 88 if she was still alive.

shinyblackgrape · 08/06/2012 08:05

I think it's lovely. Probably as a shortened version of Eleanor. It's on my short list but unfortunately DH prefers Eva which I'm not so keen on.

He's a dentist and apparently every name that I like and he doesn't is the name if a very annoying or difficult patient and just can't be used. So that only seems to leave us with names on his list Hmm

gazzalw · 08/06/2012 08:10

DW had loved Ella as a name for years but by the time she was pregnant with our DD it was already very popular so decided against it....It's a bit like Mia in terms of demographic.....

Mama1980 · 08/06/2012 08:11

I like Ella but here in the east it is very very popular I know 4! And ds is not at school. Nothing wrong though

AWimbaWay · 08/06/2012 08:26

My Dd1 is Ella (and both dh and I are university educated CaringMum28 Hmm).

There is only one other Ella in her school and apparently when role playing all her friends want the name Ella.

Having said that I do think it's becoming quite common now and I'd have thought twice about choosing it if I'd known at the time.

I have a very common name for my age group, 6 in my year at school and it was a bit of a pita being known by my name and surname initial. It's still the same when I do the school pick up, the number of mums with the same name as me is ridiculous.

SoupDragon · 08/06/2012 08:31

Of course it's a real name Confused

I only know one Ella amongst the children I know plus one I went to school with may many years ago. I always thought she had a cool name.

EdithWeston · 08/06/2012 08:36

I know one in her 80s too!

The only little ones I know have it as a nn for a longer form. There are a lots of "Ellie" names around (and have been for many years), but does that actually matter?