Which name do you prefer?

[JB2908]

Our second baby is due in just a few weeks time and, whilst we've settled on a boy's name, we're struggling to decide on a girl's one. Our first child is called Evelyn Rose (known as Evie mostly) and we have a one syllable surname.

Which do you prefer of:
Nell Alexandra
Eleanor Grace (known as Nell)
Esme Grace

Or any of the first names above with a different middle name?

We've got stuck so any help much appreciated!

If you don't like the nickname Ellie I would avoid Eleanor because you will only have control for the first 5 yrs. Helen is a good idea and more likely to stick as Nell.

Evie and Grace go well together so you could have Grace Eleanor.

Love Nell as a nn, so Eleanor Grace gets my vote.

Alternative middle name suggestions, sticking with the one-syllable approach, which I think works well after Eleanor...

Eleanor Jane
Eleanor Kate
Eleanor Ruth
Eleanor May

Alexandra Nell sounds better to me than t'other way round. Suppose it depends on the surname. Favourite is Eleanor Grace.

And yes - she will end up called Ellie I'm afraid!

Eleanor Grace nn Nell.

Thanks so much again for your help. I think in order to avoid ending up with Ellie that puts us down to Nell Alexandra, Esme Grace or possibly Esme Alexandra.

If you introduce her to the world as Nell that's what she'll be until she's old enough to have a say in the matter! My dad has two friends called Elanor- one is never shortened and the other is Nor!

Is Helen out?

Helen's a possibility. Or else maybe Helena. Hmmm....

Mind you, Helena Grace would give initials of HGB and I'm not sure she'd thank us for that!

Hang on! It's HGV I'm thinking of. We're alright after all. Stupid baby brain!

The Helena I know always has to tell people she's Helena, not Hel-Ay-na. I think Helen Grace sounds lovely.

@ HGB - Heavy Goods Baby?

Nell is lovely.

But I don't like Eleanor.

I would go for Nell as a name in its own right but niot keen on Alexandra. Nell Esme?

If you don't want to use Nell as the full name, Penelope is another option that would avoid Ellie.

DH and I have been chatting and I think we've concluded that we would prefer the name Nell to Esme and we would both consider having either Nell as a first name on its own or as a nn for Eleanor. (I actually quite like the fact that Nell traditionally comes from My Eleanor/M'Eleanor and have decided not to worry about whether it could end up as Ellie one day.) DH likes the middle name Alexandra, whilst I'm still a bit undecided on it, but I like Grace and DH isn't so sure. So the question now is, which do you prefer:

Nell Alexandra
Eleanor Alexandra (nn Nell)
Eleanor Grace (nn Nell)
Nell or Eleanor with some other middle name

Help! I've reached the stage where I'm just going round in circles!

Eleanor Grace nn Nell

Or Eleanor Alexandra nn Nell

Or Eleanor Alexandra Grace nn Nell

I like Eleanor Grace.

I like Eleanor Grace the best, but also Eleanor Alexandra.