Nell - thoughts and feelings?

[user1490100454]

what person do you think of if they are called Nell?

I am only 8 weeks so totally premature thinking of names but just wanted to get anyones thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance!

I like the name, but it does remind me of the irritating whiny Emmerdale character

I went to school with someone called Elenor, she was always nell and I always thought it was quite a nice name. :)

Thanks guys - if we were to use it as a nn do you prefer Penelope or Elenor?

I think it's lovely. Nelly/Nellie is perhaps not so great, but I think if you are firm people do eventually stop using an unwanted nickname (I speak from personal experience - I can't stand any of the many, many short/nickname versions of my name, and nobody uses any now). Of course if your daughter decided she wanted to be known as Nelly that would be different.

Eleanor (or Elinor). Congratulations, btw!

I prefer Nell from Eleanor (not Elenor or Elinor) but that's a personal preference because it's my name.

It's a gorgeous name.

It is also traditionally short for Helen.

A fab name, really great. Actually I think I want to be a Nell, I feel a name change coming on.

We like just Nell but a short name sounds slightly odd with the surname, spelling of Elinor would be preferred as I am welsh.

didn't think this name would be well liked as it's not commonly used, so it's now more set in my mind thanks to you lot

I like it but it makes me think of Nell Gwynn - not that it matters!

I considered calling DD Helena with the NN Nell.

Nell is usually short for Helen.
'Nell' itself really nice, but does run the risk of being turned into Nelly or Nellie which is not so good.

Lovely. I love Nella too.

It's my username, my name is Ellen and I get called Nell by a select. When I was at school people started calling me Nellie and it felt like there was a slight derogatory tone to it. I.e. Wet nelly, stupid nelly, not on your nelly etc I do quite like Nell but children will add the ie or y onto it.

I'm Helen, aka Nell. I think it's great, far nicer than my actual name

It's the 'Nellie' thing that slightly puts me off as once kids start calling a nickname it can be hard to stop.

I'm Amy and used to get Aims and to this day it still does my head in - why people feel the need to abbreviate a short name is beyond me!

Or Helena (Nell).

Penelope shortened to Nell is nice, then you also have the option of Penny too if you like it?

Absolutely love this name and we really wanted to use it for DD2, however we decided when down to the final two that it sounded a bit incomplete as a full name. I do think it is fine to use as a full name but doesn't fit so well for us with our surname.

We couldn't find a version we wanted to shorten it from either, we felt Nellie was too risky- 'smelly nellie, nellie the elephant' etc

Nell is absolutely lovely, whether it's short for something or just on its own.

Nelly/Nellie is awful though & that would be enough to put me off the name.

Also can someone explain how Helen becomes Nell?

My goddaughter is Nellie.

Her parents have started calling her Nell now she's getting older. Nellie was cute when she was little but Nell is a gorgeous name for an older girl as she becomes a teenager.

I like it, but honestly the first thing to pop into my head was Jodie Foster making weird sounds.

I'm from foreign so don't have the negative assocations with Nelly/Nellie. I think it's a really sweet name.

Peneleope is what one of the Kardashians called their kid isnt it? If you can live with people thinking you have named her from that influence then go for it but you run the risk of having a Penny instead of a Nell :-)

I don't like the name Helen or Eleanor but love the name Nell/Nellie so don't know where that leaves me on advising you.

Congratulations and good luck choosing.

I don't like it - or any of the longer forms except Penelope - but I'm in the minority

For a boy we like Brodie, however a close family friend has just named their puppy this name so unsure how that will go down.

We also like Tessa, Charlotte, Dillon and Patrick - any feelings on these as you all have been really helpful so far!