Elaina/Helaina

[Barbiequed]

I love these 2 names, pronounced this way. I know many mnetters are anti 'made up' name's but I think in this instance phonetic spelling will save them a lifetime of correcting people who call them the other version?

Its not like Feebee for instance...

Please mumsnet guide me!

And there are lots of unusual names out there now so nothing really surprises me anymore.

I know a Dixie, Alaska, Faemae and Olorna. I particularly liked Olorna when I first heard it

There are lots of names that at first glance might appear to be made up spellings but are in fact alternatives from other languages - daniyal and kacpar for example. I might raise an eyebrow at helaina but if I then found out that helaina was a usual spelling in Hungary for example I would put my eyebrow back.
If I realised that helaina's parents just wanted to make up their own spelling I would judge them as either poorly informed or misguided in their belief that a made up spelling is somehow special and interesting.
I'm not alone.

Bertrand but when does a name no longer become made up? Teresa are middle aged people with this name. I don't know the answer to this, btw

Olorna sounds like an expression of disappointment from a parent faced with Lorna having dropped tomato sauce down her top for the 500th time "Oh, Lorna".

There are a lot of Tolkien inspired names. Would this incur the same distaste?

perspick thanks for killing the name for me now

Guys, my other option is Elora.

As far as I know it was made up in the film Willow in 1988.

Whats your thought on this name?

Made up names are great for made up places. Some do manage to transition well to the real world, like Wendy and Lorna, but others don't.

I much prefer Elena and Helena.

or this says something about the mumsnet demographic.

Perhaps it says that it's totally unnecessary to invent mis-spellings of perfectly normal names

Maybe I sound like an idiot for writing this, but when I read the names at the top of this page, I had to re-read and actually take a moment to think of the pronunciations because I've never seen these names spelt this way. If it said Elena and Helena at the top of the thread, I would have instantly pronounced them the right way. Could cause you more trouble that anything to change them to phonetic spelling. Like someone else has said, they will always have to spell their name out which is an unnecessary draw back in my opinion.x

You are asking people's opinions and then having a go at them for judging. Either accept that a number of people will think it's appalling or decide that you want your child to have to spell out her name for her entire life and get on with it.

I quite like Elora. It's pretty without looking illiterate.

Although if someone said Elora to me I would think it was spelt Alaura or Elaura. Another name she will have to spell out every time. But at least it's not a made up version of a very popular name.

A boy at a school where I taught was called Jaymiee because his dad couldn't spell the name.

Elena and Helena are practically perfect names imo. Elegant, feminine, internationally familiar yet not overused. I definitely wouldn't invent an offbeat spelling to spoil them.

iguana so Elora is OK as its not a made up selling of popular name? OK,I can understand that.

Also can I just add that I didn't make up these names. These versions have been in circulation for awhile.

Also I m challenging the quick to judge. It's one thing saying this version confuses you because youre not used to this spelling, quite another to say you'd presume the parents were illiterate.

It does sadden me when I hear parents in my eldest son's class mock certain students names with comments like 'well I know what kind of families they're from.'

And some of these parents have children called Evie, Jamie, Gracie on BC but aren't these made up names? They might not seem it as they're unpopular use, but still...

But "ie" endings are natural derivatives, and accepted due to our link with French (Amelie; Melanie; Sophie). When you change the vowel from Helena to Helaina it is no different from changing Sophie to Sowphie.

You asked for views on the proposed names and I was simply stating my opinion.

Elora is beautiful.

Don't do this, OP. Your daughter may not thank you, if, to channel Xenia, she wants to become a corporate lawyer or brain surgeon.

Seriously, it just looks as though you can't spell.

Until I finished reading OP's original post, I thought the names would be pronounced (H)El-a-ee-na. It just goes to show.

Helaina/Elaina are both dreadful.

pinklilly and im giving my opinion on your opinion. There is nothing wrong with having views challenged and changed, is there? I speak about my own too.

And seriously guys I did not make up Elaina and Helaina!!!

Elora is beautiful and seems to have escaped the its a made up, fantasy name gavel.

There is when you seem to have jumped to the conclusion that those commenting in the negative on your proposed names are racist!

No, they don't 'confuse' me

Yes, I'd judge the parents (shrug)

If someone told me that their name was Elora, the first thing I'd do is ask them how they spell it. Until they clarified, I'd probably imagine that it was Ellaura or something.
But imo it's better than Elaina and Helaina, because I think that if one first saw it written down, there would be no pronunciation dilemma.

My cousin is Alaina ... She is in her 60's now .. I'm much younger , Growing up I always thought her name was very glamorous ...