What about the name Ellen?

[Kittykatmacbill]

For dd2, dd1 is Annie - which we both love. So any name has to not sound stupid with Annie, so not overly princessy (like isadora), or overly modern (like velvet or penguin).

Also most be easy to spell, we have an impossible to spell surname, although it is quite short. As I don't want them spelling both parts of their name.

Also don't want a super common name, as I have one those names that there was loads of in every class... And there are still 4 of us at work ahhhhhrrg

Names that we really like have been discounted maggie, Ailsa, Megan and tessa, and we can't use. Names I like dh doesn't maeve, greta, elinor and uma. Name that dh came up with, Elsie, but I don't think we can have an Annie and an Elsie without them having frozen songs sung at them forever...

So tell me what wrong with Ellen? Or what other names should we consider...

I really, really like Ellen.

Ellen is a bit...dull.

Elinor is love though, why does DH not like it?

I like Ellen.

How about Heather?

I think Ellen is a lovely name for a girl, I can't find fault with it. Go for it.

I like Ellen but prefer the Welsh spelling Elin. Its a classic name but like you say, not many of them about

Also, I really dislike all of the names that your DH veto-ed! Definitely stick with Ellen, it's pretty.

I like it. The elin spelling is cute but doesn't really meet ops criteria of something easy to spell.

other suggestions: how about Alice or seren?

I love Ellen.

I like Ellen but I come from one of those places where they don't always pronounce h's, so when I say it I feel like I'm mispronouncing Helen. Which is nice too.

How about Elin?

Ellen is lovely and so underused. I think you should go for it.

Ellen is lovely, OP

Alternatively, Erin is gorgeous and not over-popular.

Spindelina Ellen and Heather are my 2 oldest friends

OP I really like Ellen, good for both a kid and a grown up, is a nice amount of uncommon and can be glam or plain depending on how she wears it :)

I really like Ellen, it's on my list of girls names but unfortunately, I'll never be able to use it as we have a very soft sounding, feminine surname and it would kinda blur into a haze of vowels!

I also really like Helen and Eleanor - shame your husband doesn't like Eleanor.

Annie and Ellen sound lovely together :)

Also my friend says Ell-un but my parents say Ell-in so even there you might have some pronunciation/spelling issues

It's a lovely name, I'm planning on using it if I have a DD!

I love Ellen. The only Ellen I know is someone very dear to me who is blessed with inner strength, compassion, maturity and frankly is just everything that a mother could possibly wish for her daughter to be. Oh and she has immense brains and beauty too. So I might be biased, but I love the name! (Oh, and she's not my own daughter )

I like Ellen, Eleanor, Helen, Helena - all of them.

Ellen is nice.

Elin WILL get misheard constantly!

I find Ellen dull too.

Imo Helen is far nicer.

Alternatives:
Eliza
Jane
Emma
Lara
Clara
Sadie - short for Sarah
Josie - short for Josephine

I like it.

It's great, go for it.

We have an awkward surname and an Ellen who will be 21 next week. Also love Annie and Anna but dh didnt so her sister is Rosie.

Ellen is lovely.

Or how about Helen shortened to Nell? I love, love love Nell!

Ooooh thanks peeps!

Having just spent the day thinking about it, I suspect dh's 'dislike' of elinor, maybe because he had gf when he was 16 called Ellie... But just claims it's because I have too many Chalet School books!

Weirdly we have 2 Erins in the family, neither are particularly close but that probably a sufficiency!

I think that if the worst criticism is that it is a bit dull, then it could be a goer