Honest thoughts on Mena / Mina?

[BeckaH123]

Hi there

My heritage isn't Indian or Japanese (I think Mena is Indian and Mina is Japanese or German). Normally I don't really get people using exotic names when they don't actually have the heritage, but I do love the sound of the name Mena / Mina and it was a nn I used for my Mum. Thoughts?

I'd use Mina x

My mum is a meena! It's a very old fashioned indian name. I love it personally but DH said is was too unfashionable :(

Meena is I think the anglicised version. I love it, have a good friend by that name

I know a baby Mina. It's a lovely name.

Lovely name, preferably spelled 'Mina'

I like it. For the English Mina Harker in Dracula it's an abbreviation of Wilhelmina. Not suggesting that's necessarily to your taste!

I like Mina. I think it's the main female character in Dracula

Prefer the spelling Mina

Thanks all! And thanks for the Dracula references!

No, I really don't mind that. It's good to know that it might have English heritage somewhere in literature. I am half English so that works!

I was coming to say the same thing as Lilac and Provencal. I like Mina.

I didn't mean it as a bad thing. Mina Harker is a pretty strong female character from what I remember

Mena makes me think of Mena Suvari who is beautiful. I believe it can also be short for Philomena

Mina Harker is indeed admirable - intelligent, strong, thoughtful, loving...
She is Wilhemina, but in the past Mina has, I think, also been used as affectionate short name for Maria.

It could - if you wished -also be short for a name beginning with 'M' and ending in 'ina', such as Marina or Martina. But its very nice just as it is.

I prefer Mina as a nickname, maybe for Wilhelmina or Willemina

I prefer it spelt with an "I" so Mina. My brothers dachshund is called Mina (name chosen by his Romanian wife so maybe it's popular in Romania) - haven't heard of any others. Am not suggesting it is, in any way a dogs name - just the only one I know!

www.behindthename.com/submit/name/menna

Menna used in wales.

I like them, Menna is men-a would you be pronouncing meee-na?

I might go for Mina in that case so it's clear.

Mind is also a Greek name, shortened from Aiming which relates to silver if I remember correctly.

Mina not mind

My DD2 is Marina, she calls herself Mina though (she is 3) so we all do to!

Marina is a lovely name

I know a Minali.

My best friend's daughter, now in her early twenties, is called Mina. They pronounce it with a very short i - so min as in minute - rather than the ee. I like it. I like the Meena pronunciation as well.

This is interesting. I know a very old lady with a name which is spelled Mina but pronounced MI-na (to rhyme with China). I'm not accustomed to the pronunciation "Meena".

They both make me think of birth control pill brand names.

Both lovely.
I have a neice called Mila which is similar and gets lots of compliments x