Eleni?

[Babynamehelp2023]

Is it ok to use the name Eleni if I am not Greek but absolutely love the name?

I think it is! Zoe, Chloe, Iris, Lydia etc are used by people with no Greek connections so I don't see why Eleni can't be used. Lovely name!

Prefer Elena.

Eleni is lovely but I immediately think Greek.

Eleri is similar but Welsh if you have any Welsh heritage…

Elena seems more international

I don't see anything wrong with it . It's a lovely name. You might get people asking you or your child if they have any connection to Greece though ! It's fine to use a name from another culture if you don't mind fielding a lot of questions.

Elena a beautiful name. I much prefer it to Eleni.

We named our dd Elayna but I love all variations of the name.

There's also Alayna, but it's not that common.

Eleni is a beautiful name. My daughter has a Greek name and we're not Greek - lots of Greek names are very easily usable in an English context without sounding contrived.

I know two Elenis and both are British - I’m not in the UK either.

Yes, but be prepared for people saying Elainy not Elenny.

It's a beautiful name and works good in English so I say go for it.

I think it’s fine, Penelope is Greek and become very popular, no one blinks an eye at that.

It’s a beautiful name, can’t imagine how anyone could say it wrong.

Lovely name, see no issue with using it. Dd has a typically Spanish name and it's never caused any issues

I love the name but I might be biased 😉it definitely is very greek (I have a greek grandparent) but no issue with that!

The only Eleni I have known personally was the daughter of a Greek co-worker living in England, and she went by Ellie. While it's a personal preference, I wouldn't choose a name from a culture that is not mine, just like I like some Welsh names but won't use them as a non-Welsh person. However, with globalization and cultural mixing on the rise, traditional naming conventions seem to be evolving. People are using names from various cultures more frequently now, such as Dua, Gigi and Luna. If Eleni is a name that speaks to you, I can't see harm in using it.

I knew an Eleni. Lovely kind woman. Lovely name- go for it!

Of course you can. My sister is Eleni although she doesn’t use it. We’re Greek but if you like it go for it.

I know 3 Elenis (ages 1-13) and only one has Greek heritage.
The two non-Greek Elenis are known as Leni though.
I think it's a lovely name.

I don’t know if it’s pronounce Elenni or Elaini but I do like it. Elena is my very favourite girls’ name though.

@Idratherbepaddleboarding , it's pronounced El-ENN-y

I don't see why not but i'd assume the child had Greek heritage. I love the name too.

Yes but the trouble is she’ll end up one of a billion Ellies..

I just want to say, there is a difference between Anglicised/Latinised Greek names like Helen, Chloe, Phoebe, Philip, George etc and modern Greek names like Eleni, Irini, Kyriaki, Konstantinos, Dimitris, Giorgios etc. The latter have a specific cultural vibe and I would assume some connection to the modern country of Greece.

That said, I don't particularly think it is offensive to use a modern Greek name if you are not.

Lovely name. I’d assume a Greek connection but I don’t think it’s unusable if you’re not Greek, as long as you’re prepared to be asked about it. The Eleni I know gets called Leni.

Gorgeous name, of course it is fine to use it!