We love Eleanor… BUT….

[LilyTuesday]

…. My mum HATES it. Which makes it lose its shine a bit.

If we love Eleanor, what names of a similar fashion would you suggest?

No middle name, 2 syllable surname beginning with S.

Thank you!

Love Eleanor nn Nelly. Don’t let your mum take the shine off it. This happened for me but the baby was already here and named and everyone has grown to love the name.

Elena? As in El-ay-na.

Basically the same but might shift her associations.

My auntie HATES DD’s name and told me so when it was on our shortlist. Mumsnet wisdom says not to tell people and to choose what you love. We love DD’s name and she does too which is all that matters.

Is your baby already here? If not you shouldn’t have shared the name with anyone beforehand, just announced what the name was.

Is there a legitimate reason your mum hates it? If it’s just not here style I would suggest she will get used to it in time as that is the name you have chosen. If she has a genuine reason you might want to bear it in mind.

My mum told me I couldn’t call ds the name we wanted as it sounded ridiculous. I’m pretty stubborn so ds was called that name and about 3 years later she came to me and said she couldn’t imagine him having any other name.

The name is down to you and your oh no5ing to do with your mum!

You like it so just use it. Your mum had her chance for naming children, she’ll get used to it. Does your mum usually make things about herself?

I would say use it anyway but how about Leonora if you feel you can't?

She said it’s boring but also reminds her of the bully at school!! Mum suggested Giovanna, Temperance and Clementine. Although she does like some other names that aren’t too unusual such as Darcey and Penny.

I would ignore your mum and use the name, its lovely.

Don't debate names with people. Announce once the baby is here.

Maybe she had a run in with an Eleanor in 1970. But if she had just been told that's the name she would have dealt with it.

Ask if there are any names off the list, like "Theresa because sister Theresa used to hit her with a ruler." Otherwise, pick what you want. Maybe Google the full name with surname, so that if your surname is Dahmer you don't go with Jeffrey.

Helena
Olivia
Alicia
Melissa
Alice
Cecily
Bethany
Bryony
Marianne
Caroline
Emmeline
Evelyn

I understand where you’re coming from. My mum hated one of our name options as it was the name of someone who was awful to her. Couldn’t use it after that.

Unfortunately, yes. My wedding dress was chose by her as my choice was too ‘puffy.’ She has had input into my other children’s names as well. My husband gets irritated with me by it, and says she had her chance naming children, and that she has her own little terms of endearment and nicknames for all her grandchildren, so she can just continue with that, if saying Eleanor is that painful to her. He has a point, I know .

Thank you - I’m glad someone else has been in the same position, although it isn’t nice. I’m aware of how pathetic it seems to choose a name that my mum likes, and if it wasn’t a school bully, I would be more likely to just keep repeating ‘her name is going to be Eleanor’ and not let her argue with me.
I do also like Alice, but we have a family member already named Alice. Helena is quite lovely though!!

Ignore her.

My mother told me my choice of name for my daughter was “bland” before she was born. Has denied it vehemently ever since. It’s been “beautiful and classic” since the day she was born.

She sounds awful! And much like she'd get on well with my mother.

Listen to your husband.

Choose a name you and husband love.

Eleanor is a gorgeous name. If you love it, then use it. Your mum already had her turn at naming when she had her own kids!

But if you want names with a similar vibe, maybe Charlotte, Emily, Amelia, Elizabeth, Isobel, Helena?

Your mum had her chance to name you, her own child. Now it’s your chance to pick your children name.

Eleanor is a beautiful, classic, classy name, and your husband is absolutely right. And don’t nn it. Use the full name.

Disclaimer: Eleanor of Aquitaine is my girl crush!

We love the potential nicknames also, including Nelly / Nel. Ellie, Ellen, Els, Nor, Nora- we like them all! Although we would probably just always use Eleanor, it’s rare we can both find a name that all diminutives are pleasing to our ears!

Thank you - we love all the nicknames, but we wouldn’t intend to use any of them. At least we won’t mind though if she chooses any of them when she’s older. We both like Abigail but dislike Abi, so that one was swiftly vetoed!

She recently gave me money to get my hair cut. I don’t want my hair cut - and I can afford it myself should I want it. 😬 but she absolutely hates my long hair. She’s hard work to be honest!

Ignore her- it's a lovely name

I love Eleanor, and also love:
Isobel
Emmeline
Madeleine
Hannah
Matilda
Clara
Eliza
Susannah
Zoe

Such an old lady name, so many more lovely names to choose from

Please choose the name you and your husband both love. You'll regret it otherwise and as others have said she's already had her chance to name her own children.