Helene Heleen pronunciation

[doughnutmuffin]

How do you pronounce these names?

DH wants either as a middle name for DD, named after his grandmother Helen who recently died. TBH I don't like the name but would it be best to just use Helen rather than a foreign version like Helena, Elena, Helene etc?!

Why does he want to put the E on the end? I would pronounce it Hel - ene But it's silly to use that spelling if his grandmother was Helen

No point changing it when a middle name.

I'd pronounce it Hel-AINE - but then I'm forever damaged by having been taught French by British teachers.

In German, I'd be Hel-LEH-nuh. Which is extraordinarily ugly, I think.

Don't mind Helena/Elena at all, though.

I think it flows better with most first names as the emphasis is on the end ... and I'm guessing he prefers these names, but yes if you're going to give someone someone's name then actually just give them their name?! Rather than a version of their name?! 😂

So would you just go with Helen?

Helene is pronounced Ellenn, or Hellenn if you do the English thing and say the H. But I don't see why you can't just use Helen for a middle name either. It's a nice classic name.

I have a friend who's middle name is Helené (so Helen-ay). Her family is English, I'm not sure where it comes from. It's nice. Middle names are used so rarely, I think have whatever you want.

I prefer Helen to the names you've listed.
Helene is just Helen with an e on the end cf. Carol/Carole)
Helena and Elena have pronunciation issues.
It's a middle name, does it go with the rest of the name?

The only Helene I know is a Heleen. But that's her first name. I only know the middle names of a few people. If you want it as a namesake you need to stick with the original.

If you're going to use it, just use Helen, but if you don't like the name, don't use it.

Did you take DH's family name after getting married and will you give that surname to the baby? If so she will already have a name from his side.

Hmm I don't think Helen really goes. We've agreed on Nina for the first name but then again maybe I'm not keen because I'm generally not keen on Helen. As a lot of people say though the middle name isn't overly important/used in everyday life so I'm swaying towards just going with Helen

It is a classic name so I definitely don't think it's a terrible name, just not something I would pick myself.

If you want Nina then you'd better stick with Helen, or you risk a whole Nina Heleena scenario.

I think Nina Helene (pronounced either Ellenne or Hellenne stress on last syllable) sound better than Nina Helen - you are right, it is about where the emphasis is.

FWIW, I'm pregnant with a girl, and she will have DH's grandmother's name as a middle name. (She will also have both our surnames. And we already have a DS who has my grandad's name as a middle name.) We would never have chosen the name for its own sake but it means so much to DH and his lovely grandmother (and therefore to me) that I don't really care what it sounds like.

Nina Heleena bo beena banana fanna fo feena fee fy mo meena...Nina Heleena

Lol Nina Helen it is, Nina Helena definitely wouldn't be fair on the poor child.

He was very close to DGM so it would be lovely to give the name. She will have his surname but I did choose the first name so overall I'm happy

It'd choose whatever flowed with the name best.

FWIW I'd pronounce:

Helene as Hel-LEN (not heleen).

Helen as HEL-en

Why not have Elena or Helena if you prefer them? They're basically the same name. Also, Ellen is an old English version of Helen.

The one Helene I know is Hell-enn. She gets really miffed if you say Helen.

if you're going to give someone someone's name then actually just give them their name?! Rather than a version of their name?

THIS.

Helen is a lovely name. Go with that. I know two Helenes. One is pronounced Hel-AINE. The other is pronounced Hel-ENN.

I went to school with a girl called Helene (she had one French parent and one German parent) pronounced hel-ENN (like the English Helen but with the stress on the second syllable)

I would just use Helen.

Hélène in French is pronounced Ell-EN.

Without the accents it just looks wrong, but I've heard it pronounced as both Hell-EN and HELL-en.

I'm not sure why you would do this when the person you're naming her after was a regular Helen, which is perfectly nice and not confusing.

Hell en. Not keen on Helleen - looks like a misspelling of Halloween!

Nina Helen sounds good to me.

The only Helene I know has to explain how to pronounce her name all the time.