Saint names - Helena, Ursula, Marina

[DaisyJoy1]

What do you like best and why?

(Helena pronounced Helen-uh)

I live Ursula (was on my short list), quite like Hannah, dislike Marina.

I love Ursula - it's on my shortlist for any future DDs. Let's remember that "horrible sounding" is entirely subjective. 😒 I think it's unusual, strong and beautiful.

The others are fine as well, just not to my taste.

I'm not a fan or Ursula, I just think of the sea witch. I like Helena and Marina equally.

Adelaide
Agatha
Agnes
Carmen
Felicity
Josephine
Mary
Victoria
Zoe

Adelaide lovely but doesn't work with our surname. I like Felicity, Josephine, Mary, Victoria and Zoe !

Considering Marina as a first name, with two middle names; the first being a family name that doesn't end with an 'a' sound, and the second being Ursula. (My children have two middle names).

Obviously couldn't have

Marina Ursula Middlename2 Surname

as I think it would be too much of a mouthful to use the two names together, but think having the other middle name between Marina and Ursula would break it up nicely and would still get to use two saint's names which are very special to us as a family.

Think along the lines of:

'Marina Daisy Ursula Surname' (but Daisy is not the family name. Don't want to post the full name as think it might be a bit outing but wanted opinions!)

Will save Helena for a future daughter!

I think that Marina ‘Daisy’ Ursula flows really well. Marina and Ursula have different emphasis so it doesn’t sound too repetitive. But then my top choice for a girls name is Marina paired with a family name ending in with -a sound so not entirely unbiased.

Can't abide Ursula, all I see is the awful octopus villain from little mermaid. The Ur sound sounds ugly to me too.

Marina and Helena are beautiful names.

I have personal beef with Ursula from The Little Mermaid as she reminds me of someone from my childhood who wasn’t very nice to me, but that aside I think it’s quite cool to be associated with a sea witch. 😂

I like them all. Would personally go for Ursula, I know one and she rocks, and it’s unusual, not to mention Le Guin and DH Lawrence and also it means little bear…

Helena was a really admirable woman. Mother of one of the greatest and most influential Emperors, greatly respected by him, travelled extensively, founded churches and abbeys. She’s a role model any girl would be proud of.

Love them all, OP.
I also like Saint Teresa, the little flower (Thérèse of Lisieux) and Magdalene/a (Mary Magdalene).

I kind of like that Ursula is a decidedly grown up name with a slightly haughty vibe. Ursula hasn't got time for any twee nonsense.

I love Marina with the sea connotations. Do any of the Lisbon sister names appeal?

Just use Lulu.

Louisa Rose - Lulu
Lulu Rosemary
Lulu Marina
Louise Helena

I quite like Ursula, but it doesn't seem to shorten easily to anything nice. "Ursie" is a bit grim.

Sully is quite cute.

I'd go for Marina. It's a beautiful name, easy to pronounce, familiar but not popular and not associated with any particular generation.

Helena would be my second pick. It's lovely, classic, though the multiple pronunciations thing would give me pause.

I'm not keen on the English pronunciation of Ursula, to be honest, and the Disney villainess association is unfortunate.

I love Ursula. I also really love Helena but I pronounce it Hel-ay-na. How much will it annoy you if others pronounce it the way I do?

My granddaughter’s other DGPs were born on Saint Helena, that isolated Atlantic island on which Napoleon was exiled.

One of her middle names is Helena, pronounced Hul-een-a because that is the
way its people call their island.

Fine as a 3rd name.

Bit of a burden to have a marmite name as a first name.

Is there a universally approved list of marmite names now?

How would a parent know what was a marmite name so they could avoid burdening their child?

I don't like the Urr sound of Ursula. It's like what people say if they don't like something.

Ask on this thread?

Helena was second choice for DD2. I love Ursula, but DH vetoed it.

Marina makes me think of Marina Aquamarina, from Stingray. Just bobbing around, silently. Uselessly. Might as well have been a jellyfish.