Nell

[BrightenMyNorthernSky]

I think we've agreed on Helena as our new DD's name. It's a family name, and is meaningful to is for personal reasons. But it's a little 'fancier' than our other DC's names, and seems like a big name for a baby to me. What do you think of Nell as a nickname? Or any other options - Leni? We'd probably use Helena and a nickname interchangeably (so it wouldn't be the case of a BC name then being known only as a diminutive).

I like Nell and Leni!

Nell & Leni are both lovely.

Love both of those NN :)

Helena is a really lovely name.

I love Helena, Nell and Leni. I also like Lena and I know a Helena who goes by Heli.

Thanks for the responses. Yes, we love Helena too, it has really grown on me, although I'm not sure we'd even have thought of it if it hadn't been a case of wanting to honour a family member, we normally err on the side of very simple names. I'm glad that the nicknames are being well received, I can never tell whether I'm just being hormonal .

Love Helena, Nell and Leni too!

The Helen I know is called Hells, but she is in her 40s and it suits!

Nell is a lovely name

I love Nell and Leni is nice too. It's nice to have a few options so you can see what suits her when she arrives.

I'm not keen on Nell, but my friend Helena goes by Heli which I like.

Love Helena, Nell and Leni x

Nell is my baby's middle name. I love it.

I like Nell.

How would you pronounce Helena?

I like Leni pronounced as Laney

Thanks all, helpful responses. butgatroyd - the "Helen-ah" pronounciation, so I'm not sure that the "Laney" pronouncation really works, although it's lovely. I feel like we have a few options now, Heli is sweet too. No doubt her siblings will fix on one shortening or another and it will be largely outwith my control anyway!

There is a Helena in our family, never shortened....but I adore Nell. Leni makes me think automatically of Lenny Henry.

My Great Aunt was called Hélène. Fabulous name. Her nickname was The Nana (pronounced Nah Nah). She was tremendously outrageous when it wasn't normal for women to be so.

I love Nell, Leni and Helena as well. I do prefer the other pronunciation, though.

I don't like Nell because it sounds the same as knell, as in death knell.

I love Nell. Leni less so, possibly because it reminds me of a dull, self-righteous fictional Helena called Len (Len Maynard in the Chalet School books). Helena pronounced as you are pronouncing it is lovely - my only quibble is whether you would be annoyed by some people being liable to say 'Hel-EE-na'?

Years' ago someone at playgroup was unsure about Helena and got a bit of flak from her family but when the baby arrived her siblings at once called her Hen. Whether put up to it by the grandparents nobody knew but Helena is a lovely name and there's sure to be a diminutive that feels natural...