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Baby names

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

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Original poster

Elise or Alice?

66 replies

tedladybird · 02/09/2019 20:36

We are leaning towards Elise which we both love but I wonder if it's too unusual and we would be better off going for a more classic name like Alice, which we also like very much.

We have one DD already who is Clara Louise.

Which would you go for, Alice or Elise?

OP posts:

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Astronica · 03/09/2019 07:20

I prefer Alice, but both are fine and both work perfectly well next to Clara. Elise is more an 80s name to me but has the advantage of being less popular right now for little ones.

WellVersedInEtiquette · 03/09/2019 07:21

I know several Elise's. Not that uncommon round here!

Chitarra · 03/09/2019 07:31

I know one of each!

NewElthamMum13 · 03/09/2019 07:51

Do you call your oldest "Clara" or "Clara Louise"? If the latter, Elise and Clara Louise sounds confusing and rhymes too closely and it would be hard for people to differentiate the names when spoken together in a sentence. If she's just Clara then this is not an issue of course.

I'd go for Alice personally - they are both classic names and both beautiful, but many people won't know how to pronounce Elise so you get that slight pause and beat of uncertainty while people think it through. I know an Elise and there's always that confusion over whether it's Elise or Elisa for instance.

Kanga83 · 03/09/2019 08:06

Good name choice! I have a Luisa Clara (Spanish spelling for Louisa), and if I had another girl she would be Alice. I think it works beautifully with Clara.

NoSauce · 03/09/2019 08:15

Alice 100% Elise seems dated to me. Alice is a classic and perfect with Clara.

AverageMummy · 03/09/2019 08:17

@tedladybird I have a Clara who’s 5 & we’ve never met another - not at school, swimming, ballet etc

alwaysonadiet1 · 03/09/2019 08:58

Elise

user1493494961 · 03/09/2019 10:38

I don't think Elise is as 'classy' as Alice.

SemperIdem · 03/09/2019 15:22

@tedladybird I was exactly the same when I was pregnant, surprised I didn’t crash the ONS website

Goose4 · 03/09/2019 18:11

As long as you don't do what my friend did and call her 'Elise Alice Surname', either one is lovely!

PullingMySocksUp · 03/09/2019 18:15

I know a lot of
Elise
Isla
Aisla type names.

Only one Alice though. So I think Alice is the unusual one atm. Have you looked at the ONS baby names to see?

Bananaboy9 · 03/09/2019 18:16

Alice 10000%

helpmum2003 · 03/09/2019 18:18

Both lovely names. If you like them the same I would go for Alice as less spelling/pronunciation issues.

Original poster

tedladybird · 03/09/2019 18:40

@pullingmysocksup yes Alice is #24 and Elise way down the list, not in the top 100.

@newelthammum eldest is just Clara, middle name gets used only very rarely!

@kanga83 ditto and Luisa was on our list too!

OP posts:

Cotswoldmama · 03/09/2019 19:07

Love Elise! Love Alice too but I know a lot of Alices! 3 young Alice's and 4 older alices!!!

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