Is Eleanor getting too popular to chose?

[Missmidden]

DP and I thought we had the name for DD2 sorted as Eleanor Beatrice, as a sister to Sophie Anne and she is now overdue. However last week I took DD1 to a ballet class and there were two other Eleanors (3-5 year olds) and the other Mum I was talking to told me that her first name is Eleanor too. She commented that as a child her name was unique but now she hears it everywhere!

Arrghhh- having felt that we went far too popular with Sophie first time round (and it bothers her that there are always loads of Sophie's around) it looks like we are about to do it again! How many Eleanor's do you all know please?

None. You could always go for Eleanora or Leonora or any of the Ellie derivitives if you really want.

My dd is Eleanor, so I obviously love it. It isn't that Eleanor is popular that is the problem, but all the other 'Ellie' names.
She is about to start school and although we have met and know many ellas and ellie's (and an Eloise) we don't know another Eleanor. I have only ever taught 2 in 12 years too.

I love Beatrice too! Great name-beautiful.

I know 3, a girl i was in school with, a 10 yr old in the dc's school (out of 280 children) and elderly neighbour of my dad's. It's our chosen mn if dc3 is a girl, i love it, elegant and timeless. I've always thought of it as being there in the background, but not as popular as e.g. evie, eva, eve etc. (I did read that "e" names are the current trend! I had no idea name trends go by the alphabet!)

I only know one - she's 8 and spells it Ellena. I teach as well and don't have any Eleanors at the moment - plenty of Ellies, but none are short for anything.

Another teacher here (10+ years) and have never taught an Eleanor! Go for it, it's lovely!

Eleanor was no 63 in England and Wales in 2012 (2013 figures not expected to be available until August 2014):
www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2013/aug/12/top-100-baby-names-2012-girls-boys-list

I know a 1 year old Eleanor. It is a classic name so there will always be ^some" Eleanor's around. In my opinion it is not on the same scale as how popular Sophie is though.

I don't know any and wouldn't say it's popular at all.

I'm one. There are very few in my age group and tbh there aren't many in the dcs age groups either. Lots more Ella or Ellies. My dh calls me Ellie a bit as do the family but basically I use the full name and like it. Eleanor Beatrice is beautiful. Lucky little girl

My DD (6), is Eleanor but we usually call her Ellie. Eleanor is on her birth certificate, Drs, school records etc as obviously I think it's a lovely name but Ellie seems to suit her better when she's little. I wanted her to be able to choose either Ellie or Eleanor when she's older. I know 1 other aged 9 spelt Elena.

I think it's lovely and I don't think it's currently too popular, I think it's actually decreasing in popularity according to the statistics.

I know 5, three in their twenties, a thirteen year old and a six year old

I have an Elanor (the elvish LOTR version of the name). I don't know any other Eleanor/Elinor/Elanor but there are Ellie and Ellie-single sylable other name children around.

We call her Ellie and it does seem a popular name when you yell it out for the bolting child and dozens turn around.

It's very popular, and they're always Ellie

Nice classic name, especially with the Eleanor spelling

Ex teacher here!

Thank you all, that's very reassuring, particularly as there is no other name we could agree on! We will never abbreviate it to Ellie ourselves as we already have 2 other ie ending names in the house.

I have a ten year old German niece called Eleanor. In Germany her name is very cool albeit hard for them to know how to spell and pronounce.

Dd2 has a lesser common el name (similar to Eleni) and I am suddenly aware how popular e names are. Eleanor and the inevitable Ellie are very popular.

I think it is a lovely name. It is my favourite girls name but DH said he couldn't see himself using it and would probably end up calling her Ellie, so newborn dd is Emily instead. If you use Eleanor and don't shorten it you might find it is not so popular but then again she might decide to go by Ellie when she gets older. Or she might not, I have a long name and don't shorten it. If you love it then use the name, it is a classic timeless name.

I have an Eleanor who is now 7 and we have never been at the same toddler group/dance class etc with another Eleanor. In her primary school of about 450 pupils she is the only one. It is so unusual to meet another Eleanor that when we do meet an Eleanor at the park or on a day out she gets really excited to have found someone with the same name!
I never abbreviate it to Ellie either and hopefully she won't choose to either when she is older.
I also have a Sophie and it is nowhere near as popular, you hear the name Sophie everywhere you go! (but I still love it!).

Excellent name choices, Eleanor and Sophie go really well together (although I would say that of course)

I know a 1 yo Eleanor, nn Ella.

I think it's a classic and as long as it's not an Ellie it won't be too popular (not that's there anything wrong with Ellie).

I like Eleanor and no I dont think its too popular (well its not in my area anyway)
Im currently 15 weeks and taking great interest in baby names as I dont want anything too popular this time I havent heard of an Eleanor as a baby yet :)

There are 3 Eleanors in dd's class but they're all known as Ellie. So yes, very popular.

Might be worth adding together Ellie and Eleanor in the ons stats.

Eleanor is a beautiful name but, yes, it is popular at the moment.

Ellie and Ella are even more popular and nowhere near as nice as Eleanor (imo).

Could you continue to call her Eleanor rather than shortening it to Ellie or use the nn Nell instead of Ellie which is more unusual and much nicer?

I have an Eleanor, but she is 16! Never called her Ellie.
No Eleanors in my DD year 3 class or DS's year 1 class