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Baby names

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

Original poster

Urgent!! She's 5 days old, please help.

117 replies

IAmABam · 23/12/2013 18:10

Before she was born our short list was, in order of preference:
Eilidh
Elena
Elise
Cara
Arianne
Jamie

Now she's here I just can't see any of them suiting her, although I still love all the names. The longer she's nameless the more confused I get so I have set a deadline of tomorrow morning to decide.

Please help me choose between one of these names or something else I might like even better.

OP posts:
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NiSaBula · 23/12/2013 19:28

Dd2 was nameless for 2 days. The only name we thought of, didn't suit her, it was a long name and she was under 7lb. I kept looking through the name book and eventually found 'the' name. It still suits her 12 years later.
from your list, Iam I like cara the best.

Sammie101 · 23/12/2013 19:36

Elena Smile

DuchessFanny · 23/12/2013 19:46

Elena, Elise and Cara are all lovely. It's hard to see what suits them as a newborn, but I do believe they grow into their names - I really wobbled over my eldest DSs name but now it is him, no doubt. My middle has suited his from day one and my youngest, again, a bit of a wobble, but it is undoubtably the right name for him .

lljkk · 23/12/2013 21:10

Took us 2 weeks to name DC3.
Eleanor (Ellie). I love Elena but British tongues will butcher it or think she's Helena.

tiamariaxxx · 23/12/2013 21:20

I like Elise best off your list :)

BehindLockNumberNine · 23/12/2013 21:29

I like Arianne and Cara best.
I really really DO NOT like Jamie. (sorry)

ExitPursuedByAChristmasGrinch · 23/12/2013 21:31

Good luck.

Bowlersarm · 23/12/2013 21:35

Cara

Easily the best.

Or
Dora
Flora
Clara
Lara

Original poster
IAmABam · 23/12/2013 21:43

Thank you so much for all the advice Thanks

We sat down together and had a major cull of the list - she will be either Eilidh or Elena, whichever one is my favourite by the morning. It's reassuring to hear so many of you say that babies grow into their names, I shall stop being an over-thinking idiot now about her name at least Grin

OP posts:
MyNameIsKenAdams · 23/12/2013 21:53

Is it ELLEN-A or EL-EE-NA?

Skogkat · 23/12/2013 22:23

Eillidh and Elena are the best by far (although I love Arianne too- and Arianna even more).

Original poster
IAmABam · 23/12/2013 22:24

For us it's EH-LAY-NA

OP posts:
soontobeslendergirl · 23/12/2013 23:04

Prefer Elena, for me it's the pronunciation of Eilidh in my Scottish accent, it sounds a bit "common" somehow and it shouldn't.

I know you have narrowed it down but before I got to that bit in the thread I was going to suggest Alessia or Carys :o

soontobeslendergirl · 23/12/2013 23:05

or Lorna.

lanbro · 23/12/2013 23:07

I couldn't call either of my girls by their names for a couple of weeks as was so used to calling them baby! Now I couldn't imagine them being anything else! Just go with your favourite and keep using it!

Iwaswatchingthat · 23/12/2013 23:10

You're naming your daughter on Christmas Eve and you're not calling her Holly? Shock
It's too good an opportunity to miss.

Unhelpful post. Sorry! Grin

Enjoy the Christmas cuddles!

BrianTheMole · 23/12/2013 23:13

I like Esther Grin or Edith, or Helena Grin Just to be annoying. Don't stress too much. You've got ages yet. I couldn't think of a name for ds when he was born. Finally decided at 6 weeks, which was the deadline for getting him registered. It was hard to stop calling him baby boy though as we'd just been calling him that. Grin

Ruprekt · 23/12/2013 23:18

Elena pronounced Alayna is quite confusing imho.

I would have thought it was pronounced Ellenor.

How do you say the other name you like?

Wednesbury · 23/12/2013 23:29

I have a 3yo Elena, pronounced the same way you said. There is another Elena in her nursery also pronounced that way. I've not had a problem with mispronunciation once people know how its pronounced. I think its a beautiful name, simple, strong, elegant. But I agree with other posters - tiny babies grow into their names. My DD and the other Elena look v different but both completely suit the name.

ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged · 23/12/2013 23:29

Go with your instinct op. Your pronunciation is spot on x

soontobeslendergirl · 23/12/2013 23:30

Ruprekt there is no "r"Confused I would pronounce Elena exactly the same as the OP, and I would pronounce Eilidh AY LAY

lottiegarbanzo · 23/12/2013 23:33

Oh good, I think I like Elena (as you pronounce it) best of that list. I think it's lovely, simple and bold but pretty and also a 'go anywhere' name, geographically and socially.

I don't see any of them as 'large person' names, so no idea about the connection with birth weight (which probably doesn't relate much to adult size anyway) but I know it's odd when you have an image in your head then things are different.

I have to say I'd find it an extremely odd spelling of Eleanor / Elinor and I don't believe many people would be confused in that way.

To me - English, 'standard' accent - E-lay-na is the obvious pronunciation though I'd believe you if you told me Ellen-a. (Helena to me would be the other way around, Helen-a but I'd happily accept Hel-ay-na).

Even in my 'often misses Rs off' accent, Eleanor has an R 'or' sound at the end.

LynetteScavo · 23/12/2013 23:34

Cara

or

Lara

soontobeslendergirl · 23/12/2013 23:36

To me Eleanor is pronounced ELL EN OR or ELL IN OR at a push.

lottiegarbanzo · 23/12/2013 23:36

I'd have to guess at pronouncing Eilidh as I'm not familiar with Irish names beyond Niamh and Siobhan and would have guessed 'Ay-leesh' or 'Eye-leesh' so probably very wrong! But you'd tell me, then I'd get it right.