Help me pick!

[Runningoutoftime2]

Hello everyone. Need some help with picking a name. I'm due today and my last child was about a week old by the time we picked a name, and I pretty much let dp decide because I just got fed up with myself.

Top of my list is Elaina. I think the more traditional way to spell it is Elena which is lovely but pretty sure where we live people will call her Ellen-a which I don't want. Sounds too much like Eleanor, which as nice as it is, isn't a name I would pick.

Middle name will be Rose after a family member, but will hardly ever be used.

Others on my list are:

Ella (but it's pretty popular here)
Rosa (in this case her middle name won't be Rose)
Romy (again wouldn't have Rose as a middle name)
Lainey (but that could be a nn for Elaina)
Catriona (said the way its spelt)

Opinions please, or suggestions of similar names. I've went through hundreds. Always thought picking a girls name would be much easier, but it's not!

I love Lainey as a nickname or as a name by itself. Its on my list for future babies! Elaina is beautiful spelt however you choose. Definitely my favourite of your suggestions.

I loved Ella for ages until it got super popular and now i would hesitate to use it because of this.

Same with Rose and although I like Rosa OH thinks it sounds too spanish/European for us.

Good luck picking! My friend had a little boy who was 3 weeks old when they FINALLY named him Greyson. I've not had any children but can understand how difficult it is to pick a name even when 9 months seems a long time to make a decision

I love Elena, spelled like that.

Yep, I am a bit unsure of Rosa for that reason aswell.

It is so difficult, and ultimately the child won't even be that bothered as long as its not something hideous! So we are all agonising over nothing! 😂

Thanks AmigoingcrZy.

I do prefer the way that spelling looks aswell Tallybeebloom, but I just know that everyone here will pronounce it Ellen-a. Not my cup of tea.

I like Elena and Romy (I personally prefer Romilly).

Other names maybe Mia or Sophia/Sofia

How about Helena as it is pronounced Her-lay-na. Same as Elaina with an H in front ? I do think your first choice is lovely though

I went to uni with a girl called Elaini, which is lovely! I've never heard of it since.

There was an Elaini on a previous of married at first sight Australia, I think she was of greek origin. It's a really pretty name.
I like Elena (and stick with the traditional spelling) and Ella, I'm not keen on the other options.

Yennefer19 we have two Sophia's in the family already, an Amelia which is so close to Mia, and in have a close friend with a Mia. I'm not overly keen on names with ia at the end anyway. Something about the ee-a sound.

Elaini is from Eleni - greek form of Helen.

Helena would get Helena 9 times out of 10.

Helena - Helen-a usually in the UK, but you sometimes hear it as Hel-aina or Hel-eena

@HelebethH

How about Helena as it is pronounced Her-lay-na. Same as Elaina with an H in front ? I do think your first choice is lovely though

We have 3 Helens in the family too 🤣 all older though and Helena it just too close. Pretty though. We have a big family and our last son was given the same name as a family member, so this time I would rather something completely different, that doesn't even sound similar to any family names. DP is getting his way with the middle name, but that's as far as my compromising is willing to go 😂.

@KirstenBlest

Elaini is from Eleni - greek form of Helen.

Helena would get Helena 9 times out of 10.

This is definitely how people here would pronounce Helena, or Elena.

@Indecisivelurcher

I went to uni with a girl called Elaini, which is lovely! I've never heard of it since.

That is lovely. I've never heard that before. I'll keep that in mind.

I know an Elaina and always thought it a pretty name.

I have a friend called Alaina which another nice option.
My favourite from your list is Rosa, but they are all lovely x

@micc

I have a friend called Alaina which another nice option. My favourite from your list is Rosa, but they are all lovely x

Ah see Alaina was my first choice of spelling, and I know people might think this is ridiculous, but my eldest has my surname, and this baby and my other child have their dad's surname. If I go with the A spelling then both middle child and baby will have the same first and last initials, and my eldest will have completely different. It sounds a bit ridiculous when I say that, and he may not even notice, but I don't want him to feel like he's being left out.

I wouldn't go with Catriona "said the way it is spelt", because isn't it better known pronounced Katrina? That's how I'd say it, at least.

I think Elaina will often be mistaken for Elaine on paper (although to my surprise, autocorrect let it stand!), but if it's the one you really love, then don't be too put off. Every name has potential issues and some are much worse!

Catriona isn't pronounced as Katrina, is it?
i've only heard it said as Catry-ona.

Elaina is lovely!

@KirstenBlest

Catriona isn't pronounced as Katrina, is it? i've only heard it said as Catry-ona.

My understanding is that the stress is on the "i", and then there's a slight "oh" that's glossed over a bit. But in an English speaking context, it's basically Katrina. Much nicer that way too!

(Willing to be corrected by Gaelic speakers!)

To me, Catry-Ona elicits a similar reaction as "See-Oban" or "Royzin".

1.Elena - gorgeous and I think the majority of people would know how to say it correctly (it's a popular name in American TV shows)

1. Ella - nice enough but too overused now
2. Rosa - I prefer the simple, classic Rose which is underused imo as a first name but Rosa is pretty
3. Romy - cool but a bit nicknamey (prefer Romola nn Romy personally)

5.Lainey -too nickname for me (for Madeleine or Elena/Helena) 6.Catriona - prefer Catherine or Katharina unless you live in Scotland or Ireland.

I think if you use Elaina she will always have to spell her name, which would be more annoying imo than the occasional mispronunciation (to be completely honest I also think alternative spellings can look a bit downmarket).

I think Rosa is lovely and Ella is nice too.

I don’t like Romy and Lainey personally... feel a bit made up.

I don’t think Catriona is meant to be pronounced as spelled.