Help, due in a week? Helen?

[jfoyo26]

Hubby and I had agreed on Rachel Georgia, both names are meaningful too us and we like the sound of Rachel, and nn Rae. But I am due in a week and we have been having 2nd thoughts as it sounds very Jewish to us - not that this is really a big problem but we a not religious at all.

Don't really have many alternatives at the minute but but what do people think of the name HELEN?

Would probably be
Helen Zoe
Helen Heather
Helen Grace

Love Helen Grace. Like these classic names so beautiful.

Beautiful strong name.

Helen is my Mums name so I think it's perfect 🙂

Helen is nice, very fresh. It’s tuning in to the newer style of more simple, harder names. I like Helena a lot too, but that’s the older, more frilly continental style that is just going out.

Rachel is amazing. And sounds perfect with Louise

I'm a Helen and have sisters called Rachel and Louise.
We were all born in the 80s, we all love our names but they were overused back then and we all know several other people with our names. Won't be an issue now. Lovely choices.
I prefer Helen to Rachel personally. Although I wouldn't tell my sister that!

Helen is lovely
as is Rachel.
don't over think.

I’ve known Helen’s who get call Hel (which just sounds like hell of course) and Helly. Both are so awful!

Rachel Georgia is a lovely name and I wouldn’t assume someone was Jewish with that name at all! Rae is also really nice

Well Rachel is a Jewish name of course, from the Old testament, but it has been used in Europe for so long it is just a classic name now. I like it. I mean names as common and 'traditionally English' as John, Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, Susan, Anne etc etc all derive from Hebrew names too!

I like Helen too, although prefer Helena as pps said. Both Rachel and Helen are good strong classic names, you can't go wrong really.

I love Helen. (And also Ellen.)

I like it. It's rarely heard nowadays. I don't think it needs gussying up as Helena either.

I love Helen, I would find it surprising in the best way on a little girl.

In general, if there's a way a name can be made shorter/less girly, I prefer it that way (Helen>Helena, Isabel>Isabella, Frances>Francesca)... just my taste, though.

I think Nell is a very cool nickname, as well.

Helen is such an ugly name. Rachel is much nicer.

Don’t kid yourself that Rachel will be shortened to ‘Rae’. It will, of course, be shortened to ‘Rach’ by friends and colleagues.

Both Rachel and Helen are lovely, classic names. The best thing about them is that they don’t end with an ‘a’ or an ‘ee’ sound, so they aren’t necessarily feminine sounding words.

Really intrigued by the apparent multitude of sex workers called Helen. If I were in that profession I’d choose ‘Scarlet’ or ‘Flame’ or something.

Helen Grace is married to Rob Titchener.
I'd go for Helen Zoe.

I know an adult Rae, short for Rachel. It suits her

I prefer Rachel. But Helen is perfectly fine too.

I'm a Helen and I don't like it at all. Helena is far prettier

All the Helens and Rachel/Rachaels I know are late 30s-40s. When I was at school there were lots of Helens, Rachels, Louise, Laura and Sarah.
I think I prefer Rachel to Helen and I wouldnt automatically think of it as a Jewish name. I know probably 5 or 6 Rachels and none are Jewish.

I love Helen. Beautiful name. Rachel I like too but Helen gets my vote.

Rachel is lovely and no-one in Britain would think of it as a Jewish name unless they were from the eighteenth century. Are you British because old testament names have been used by protestants for centuries, can't imagine it being a concern (and what is wrong with a Jewish name anyway)? Having said that Helen has also lovely, unless you are worried about people thinking you are an ancient Greek .

Georgia is by far the nicest.

Helen and Rachel are very dated.

I like Helen better, but I think Rachel is perfectly fine and doesn't read as strongly Jewish.

Both are good strong names, that won't date badly.

I really love Helen, much more than the fancier Helena. I also like Rachel though too (not a fan of Rae though)

Wait til babies here and try both names :)

Helen Grace is very pretty (although prefer Helena).

Really don't like Helen AT ALL - sorry/ Rachel is much better and definitely not particularly Jewish/ I know many Rachel's (work with 3) and none are Jewish - all catholic actually.

Love Helen. You rarely hear it nowadays.