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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Elinor or Eleanor?

55 replies

basketoffreshveg · 11/11/2016 19:29

We've pretty much decided on this for DC but unsure which spelling to opt for? Any preferences?

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CoffeeCoffeeAndLotsOfIt · 11/11/2016 21:50

Much prefer Eleanor (and I'm Welsh)

BeastofCraggyIsland · 11/11/2016 23:19

Eleanor, beautiful name.

DramaAlpaca · 11/11/2016 23:58

I have a slight preference for Elinor (because of Sense & Sensibility) but I'd probably go for Eleanor to avoid any spelling or pronunciation issues.

Lovely name.

Chinlo · 12/11/2016 00:25

I can't imagine anyone would EVER pronounce it El- lean- or. That is a really strange thing to worry about.

Raines100 · 12/11/2016 07:23

Eleanor is surely the default spelling? You'll never have any trouble with this, whereas my autocorrect doesn't like Elinor.

Elena has multiple pronunciations. I have an Elena pronounced E-lay-na. Had there been a correct spelling that would have guaranteed this pronunciation, I would have gone for it.

Jooni · 12/11/2016 11:40

I agree that Eleanor is the more typical spelling (in England anyway) and so that's the one people will probably assume. But it's pretty clear how Elinor is pronounced so I don't think it would cause major problems.

I actually prefer Elinor. I love that it has a slightly stronger "nor" sound at the end (at least when I say it), rather than being pronounced like Ellen-a and so ending in the same sound as so many popular girls' names at the moment.

notagiraffe · 12/11/2016 11:42

Eleanor. Gorgeous name. High on our list if we'd had girls.

hels71 · 12/11/2016 21:21

Eleanor

MitzyLefrouf · 12/11/2016 21:24

Elinor. As a word I think Eleanor looks quite lumpen.

Gruffalosfriend · 12/11/2016 21:39

Elena - love that and pronounce it ELL-en-a, with the emphasis on Ell.

I find both Elinor and Eleanor less feminine.

gininteacupsandleavesonthelawn · 12/11/2016 21:51

I'm expecting DC2, I love Eleanor and Elena, do you think it will be inevitably shortened to Ellie? That's what's putting me off

hels71 · 13/11/2016 06:53

My Eleanor is 9 and no one calls her ellie yet....She is always Eleanor

ChickyDuck · 13/11/2016 08:04

To me Elena is pronounced eh-LEN-a with the emphasis in the middle syllable. It's a lovely name, but an entirely different name to Eleanor/Elinor. And I think etymologically it actually comes from the same origins as Helena rather than Eleanor/Elinor. I like Eleanor personally out of your options!

Gruffalosfriend · 13/11/2016 08:12

All the Elenas I know pronounce their name Ellen-ah. Like Ellen with an a.

Bountybarsyuk · 14/11/2016 13:40

I know an Elena who is El 'AY' na, I don't think there's a right way to pronounce it and it's a common name out of the UK as well.

Bountybarsyuk · 14/11/2016 13:41

But Elena isn't the same name as Eleanor, the person I know called Eleanor definitely pronounces the 'nor' bit quite strongly.

I think they are all pretty names!

kilmuir · 14/11/2016 13:44

Eleanor without a doubt

seven201 · 14/11/2016 13:59

Eleanor is the most common spelling so I'd go for that to save errors. Lovely name.

Gruffalosfriend · 14/11/2016 14:55

I'd pronounce Eleanor as Ellen-or.

And Elena as Ellen-a.

BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington · 14/11/2016 14:59

All the Elenas I know are Spanish and their name sounds like uh-lay-na or thereabouts.

Pemba · 14/11/2016 15:28

I knew an Elena and it was El-LAY-na. In some countries it's El-LEN-a. Don't know where the ELL-en-a comes from.

Pemba · 14/11/2016 15:31

But then Elena is probably like Helena, with multiple possible pronunciations, according to which country the version comes from. But could it be that some people are mistakenly thinking it's an alternative spelling for Eleanor?

deloreshunchfront · 14/11/2016 15:32

I have an Eleanor, as a northerner I pronounce it na at the end. She's Els to her friends and family but prefers Eleanor at work.

Scorbus · 14/11/2016 15:34

Eleanor is a gorgeous name not at all biased

Elena to me should be pronounced El-ay-na which is quite different.

Gruffalosfriend · 14/11/2016 22:51

Elena in German is Ell-ena, emphasis on first syllable

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