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Baby names

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

Original poster

Eleanor, Alice or Verity?

30 replies

MadMonkeys · 30/07/2012 08:24

I'm agonising over a name for DC2 if it turns out to be a girl. There are three contenders at the moment, but I'm very picky... DD1 is Bethany Rose.

Eleanor Hope
Alice Jane
Verity Jane

I love Eleanor, but I'm not keen on the popularity of Ellie and it's bound to be shortened to Ellie isn't it? If we did go for Eleanor I would have liked Jane as a mn (for family reasons) but our surname starts with T, so the initials are uncomfortably close to eejit!

I like Alice, but is it a bit plain?

And DH isn't sure about Verity. Also it rhymes with Bethany, although DD1 is almost always referred to as Beth, rather than Bethany.

Surname is 2 syllables, starts with T.

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VolAuVent · 30/07/2012 08:47

Eleanor Hope is lovely :)

Verity Jane also nice but Verity/Bethany too similar I think. Alice is a bit dull IMHO.

EssieW · 30/07/2012 08:51

Lovely names. I have an alice who was nearly an Eleanor. The shortening to Ellie did put me off. I do know an Eleanor who isn't shortened though. I liked Alice because there wasn't an obvious nickname.
I like verity but not as much as the other two.

carben · 30/07/2012 08:55

I think Eleanor Jane is lovely. Who just writes their initials down ? And if you did DD1 would be BRT- which is pretty close to brat and has anyone ever commented or even noticed that ?? You're over-thinking it.

FreelanceMama · 30/07/2012 08:56

love the name Eleanor. Would have been on my list but my cousin got there first. And you could pre-empt Ellie with the short name Nora? I wouldn't worry about the EJT issue because people rarely write their initials like that unless getting things monogrammed!

Alice - can't get that stupid song out my head - 'Alice, Alice, who the @*#& is Alice?'

FreelanceMama · 30/07/2012 09:00

I don't think Alice is plain though - all 3 names are elegant. And can you have lots of fun with the whole Alice in Wonderland business.

Longdistance · 30/07/2012 09:23

I like your first two names choices, as my DD's are Eleanor and Alice :)

footphobic · 30/07/2012 14:11

My eldest dd is Eleanor and we don't shorten, I don't like Ellie either, there are only one or two school friends who have recently taken to calling her Ellie, it grates a bit but it's not used much at least.

DD2's middle name is Hope, I love it and think either Eleanor Hope or Jane sound lovely. Verity is pretty too but doesn't go as nicely. Alice is not a name I like personally.

minipie · 30/07/2012 14:27

I like them all, probably would put Alice 3rd as it is a little plain. How about Alicia?

Is there another short form of Eleanor you like (eg Ella, Nell, Nora) if so then I think you could choose that and hopefully it would stick rather than Ellie.

I wouldn't worry about EJT. I use the word eejit a lot Blush but wouldn't think of it from those initials. (I don't necessarily agree that "nobody uses initials" though - mine are used at work as a username/short cut email address).

septembersunshine · 30/07/2012 20:11

I have an Eleanor Charlotte and we shorten her name to Ella. She loves both of them. It just naturally happend, we have two other children with short names and it just evolved that she became Ella. She is also Eleanor though and I think she gets a kick out of having the choice. Like other with an Eleanor I really wasn't keen on Ellie but there are other choices if you do ever shorten Eleanor.

Alice and Verity are nice but I think you can do less with them. The name Alice always makes me think 'lice' which kind of puts me off... but I think that's just me...!

RuthlessBaggage · 30/07/2012 20:36

Eleanor is boring and lumpen. Ellie is ubiquitous.

Alice and Verity are underused, classy and stylish. I think Alice is fractionally more useable day-to-day.

TeamGlaikitBritain · 30/07/2012 20:39

Alice for me! Lovely name!

emdelafield · 30/07/2012 20:41

All beautiful names but I love Verity. I think virtue type names are soooo nice.
I have no virtues.

steppemum · 30/07/2012 20:48

my DN is an Eleanor, she is occasionally shortened, but she is normally called her whole name. i think it is very pretty and wish my brother hadn't beaten me to it!

missdeelite · 30/07/2012 20:51

Don't like verity at all sorry... Eleanor is nice and how would you feel about Elle for short- that's quite chic!

Londonista1975 · 30/07/2012 20:53

I think Verity is too 'old lady' really. Alice too common now. Eleonar is a classic and not too popular.

thegreylady · 30/07/2012 20:53

My friend's Eleanor is always known as Lennie :)

mamjo · 30/07/2012 20:54

I have an Eleanor Grace, I was worried about the shortening to Ellie, but actually it hasn't happened. She often gets Leni but that's fine by me. So if anyone ever does use Ellie I just tell them it's Eleanor but if you want to shorten it it's Leni.

Inyourhippyhat · 30/07/2012 21:01

I would choose Eleanor Jane.

Polkadotfanatic · 30/07/2012 22:13

Alice.

A thousand times Alice.

I think Alice's appeal is in its simplicity (imo). It's a name which has been round for a long time, it's never going to be termed ''chavvy'' (shudder) or ''posh'' (shudder again) it's right in the middle. Everyone will be able to spell it and pronounce it and it doesnt have any naff nn's.

As you can see, I advocate this name massively :)

(definitely in the running for future dd)

That said, I like the other two names too, although I prefer the spelling Elinor, which I believe is the old English way (I am sure someone will be along to correct me if it's not) :) good luck!

Born2bemild · 30/07/2012 22:33

Agree with polkadot. Alice is a very old name, yet also has a modern simplicity. I teach very few of them, maybe one or two in a large sec school, nor are there any we know in younger age groups. Also no need to shorten unless you wish. Pretty classless too, and great at all ages.

EllenParsons · 31/07/2012 00:01

Eleanor! Gorgeous name. I don't like Hope as a middle name though, bit cheesy (sorry)

NeitherShreddedNorSmug · 31/07/2012 00:10

Both Eleanor and Alice were on my list, but since I ended up with two boys i didn't get to use either of them.

Original poster
MadMonkeys · 31/07/2012 08:07

Well it doesn't seem like there's much of a concensus here! I'm normally very decisive about this sort of thing but in this case I just can't make up my mind. Ellen I'm not totally convinced by Hope as a mn either, but I'm struggling to find somethiing I like better. Alternative suggestions would be most welcome.

OP posts:
footphobic · 31/07/2012 11:33

RuthlessBaggage Mon 30-Jul-12 20:36:50
Eleanor is boring and lumpen.

My daughter is Eleanor, I don't consider the name 'lumpen', I don't even know what this means in relation to the name , which is actually a pretty name, or in comparison to 'Alice' which I can't see is superior. Also a funny comment that Alice is more usable...??? Is that just because a three syllable name is more difficult, you wouldn't use it so much??? Grin

My other daughter's middle name is Hope so I don't consider that cheesy. It's a name of biblical origin, has meaning, is unusual and is also pretty.

It's all subjective anyway, just someone else's opinion of a name, some people are so rude and opinionated on the baby name threads (not this one necessarily). I think MN is helpful for suggestions, and e.g., in this case the reassurance that all Eleanor's don't get shortened to Ellie, but as far as opinion on names go, don't let someone else's personal opinion that a name is chavvy or cheesy, or or too hard to spell or boring or lumpen (?) put you off or make you question a name you really like.

Lannie33 · 31/07/2012 20:01

I wanted to put Eleanor on our shortlist but DH hates it and says its old lady. I like Alice too but not as much as Eleanor. Verity not my bag. Good luck!!!! I am hopelessly indecisive about baby names so I feel your pain! :)