Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

Eleanor, Elena or Elinor

49 replies

lisbapalea · 30/05/2013 21:00

What are everyone's thoughts on the of Eleanor? I think that way is my preference but wondered what others think.

Also wondered what likely nicknames you'd get for Eleanor - Ellie, Elle, Nelly, Nell?

And lastly, any suggestions for a middle name following Eleanor? Our surname is three syllables and ends with an 'ee' sound, so ideally I would be after a one syllable middle name.

Thanks!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
HorryIsUpduffed · 30/05/2013 21:03

Elinor feels more delicate than Eleanor to me, and I'd pronounce Elena rather differently.

Any family you can honour in mn spot?

Rose, Grace and May are the current default middle names.

Faith
Hope
Joy
Ruth

Or three syllables? Juliet, Annabel, Rosalind?

Wishfulmakeupping · 30/05/2013 21:07

Elinor

SwishSwoshSwoosh · 30/05/2013 21:07

Eleanor is the nicest, and I have never met a modern Nelly, always Ellie/Elly.

ShowOfHands · 30/05/2013 21:08

Elinor is beautiful.

Middle names...

Jean
Miriam

bootsycollins · 30/05/2013 21:09

I have an Eleanor Jayne, she goes by Elle as a nn, she hates Ellie.

Original poster
lisbapalea · 30/05/2013 21:09

Think I agree with you on pronunciation of Elena, although I think that is the Scandinavian spelling and I am half scandi so quite like that angle, but prefer the Eleanor/Elinor pronunciation if that make sense.

Agree about Rose, Grace and May - all perfectly nice but not my cup of tea.

I like your other 1syllable suggestions but again not quite jumping out at me!

Def think we need a shorter middle name to avoid the whole thing being a massive mouthful. Suppose I could up to two syllables but not ending in 'ee' sound.

OP posts:
Beehatch · 30/05/2013 21:11

Love Elinor for the Welsh connection. For nicknames you'll probably find she gets Ellie, but you could try for Lina.

I too pronounce Elena differently

I hate to suggest the ubiquitous Rose as a mn, but it does go very well. I like the Joy suggestion.

kilmuir · 30/05/2013 21:12

Eleanor, No nicknames allowed!

DontmindifIdo · 30/05/2013 21:16

I'd go for Eleanor, if you go with Elinor she'll spend her life on the phone to call centres correcting the spelling or explaining why she didn't get that e-mail (voice of experience as have the less popular but still "real" spelling of my name).

I'd pronounce Elena differently.

NN - Ellie is the obvious one and hte one she'll get unless you use and introduce her as a different name.

For middle names - I like the suggestions of Ruth and Faith.

DewDr0p · 30/05/2013 21:16

Eleanor, definitely.

NowPlayingZone · 30/05/2013 21:17

Love Elena. Embrace your scandi! how about:
Elena Claire
Elena Beth
Elena Rae

JojoMags · 30/05/2013 21:22

Elinor is lovely. More interesting and pretty than Eleanor. I like Nel as a nn. Really dislike Ellie.

YoniOneWayOfLife · 30/05/2013 21:24

There are a few Elenas at school and the difference in English/Spanish/Russian pronunciation is one to stumble over.

Original poster
lisbapalea · 30/05/2013 21:28

Ooh am torn between Eleanor and Elena now you're encouraging the scandi side!

dd1 is Katy (I ignored the rule of no 'ee' sounds with her)and middle name Anna for the scandi connection (couldn't have Anna as a first name for various reasons). This will out me if anyone I know is reading!

Do Katy and Eleanor/Elena go well together? They're quite different names in my opinion, so am not sure if they sound odd together, or if that even matters...

OP posts:
CatelynStark · 30/05/2013 21:28

One of my daughters has Elinor as a middle name :)

mamaliv · 30/05/2013 21:37

I think Katy goes really nicely with Elena and again, nice to stick by your Scandi roots! It'll be hard to establish any nicknames other than Ellie, but I have a friend called Eleanor who goes by Leah- also cute I think. Middle-name-wise, I think Claire (somebody suggested above) is pretty, or how about Charlotte if you're thinking two syllables? I also like Eleanor Eve but the alliteration isn't everyone's cup of tea

SpangledPandemonium · 01/06/2013 10:53

Mine is Nell but her dad calls her Len/Leni which I really can't decide whether I like or not. She also gets Belle . I like all spellings of the name

brackengirl · 01/06/2013 13:38

I'm a Katy (Katharine) and my sister is Eleanor (Ellie) so I think they go perfectly

NorthernLurker · 01/06/2013 13:43

Doesn't matter whether you spell it Eleanor or Elinor - she will still have to spell it ALL the time . She will also be called Emma, Helena, Ella, Helen etc

It's a lovely name but people don't half struggle with it in my 36 years of experience......

Clawdy · 01/06/2013 16:53

I have an Elinor,we always thought of it as the Jane Austen version! Oddly enough her best friend at school was called Marianne! The only shortening of her name was her older brothers calling her "Elz" which we hadn't bargained on....

jamtoast12 · 01/06/2013 17:08

Eleanor is lovely, I don't like Elinor at all. Eleana nice but different name. It's too nice a name to shorten but ime it WILL get shortened so may be best just giving her your favourite nickname!

CPtart · 01/06/2013 17:19

Eleanor Faye.
No nicknames.

NomDeClavier · 01/06/2013 19:10

I know an Elinor nn Lin which I think is nice and works for all ages.

Not keen on the way Eleanor looks written down.

DonDrapersAltrEgoBigglesDraper · 02/06/2013 04:46

I prefer Elinor or Elena.

Lena is a possible nickname for Elena, which is a bit different from the Elle/Ellie defaults.

Thesebootsweremadeforwalking · 02/06/2013 05:12

I would go with Eleanor, personally. NN Ellie or Ella.