Madeleine or Helena

[FiFiER]

Struggling to find a girls name I love! Madeleine is probably my top at the moment but I wouldn’t say I love it. DHs favourite by far is Helena (pronounced Hel-ay-na) which i don’t hate, but again don’t love, I think as I don’t like Helen as a name. What are people’s thoughts on those?
I’d like something usual and not too ‘pretty’, plus something that works with Felix which is our DSs name - any suggestions welcome!

Felix and
Madeleine, Helena (I love both) or ...

Magdalen - Maggie or Lena
Eleanor
Alanna
Aline
Victoria Helene
Johanna
Jane Madeleine
Claudia
Rose Madeleine

I like both, but only if Helena is pronounced Helen-uh. So in your case Id go for Madeleine.

Violet isn't for me. It took easily auto-corrects to violent for one!

Eliza, Elodie, Eloise, Lydia, Clara all seem a similar style to me?

I much prefer Madeleine to Helena.

How about:

Ophelia
Florence
Isabella
Sophia
Paloma
Eloise
Estella
Xanthe

LOVE Violet 💜

They are both fantastic names. I would opt for Helena out of the two

I would go with Madeleine.
I like Helena but many people will mispronounce it.

You get a few different pronunciations with Madeleine too, as well as different spellings.

Both are lovely but I think you will have more variant pronunciation issues with Helena than Madeleine. I’ve never met a little Helena, but it’s not a dated name at all.

Don't like either that much

With Felix I would suggest

Margot
Alicia
Nina
Verity
Beatrice
Claudia
Serena
Natasha
Lyra
Louisa

Sadly Madeleine will not stay Madeleine so that one would be out for me
Helena is nice and Lydia is beautiful

I like Madeleine, Helena and Violet. I do like He-lay-na pronunciation thou. Do you like Elaine? But if I have to choose, I would choose Violet.

Sadly Madeleine will not stay Madeleine so that one would be out for me

Do you mean you think it always becomes Maddy, because it often doesn’t. I’m one and know a couple more. We all use the full name for the most part. (Please ignore username! I chose it because it’s not really me iyswim 😁)

Elena would give you the pronunciation similar to Helena...

That’s El-ay-na vs Ellena too though isn’t it?

I've never heard Helena pronounced anything but Helen-a

Don't understand where the AY sound would come from

@bluebunnys , It's an international name. I had older relatives with the name and they were Heleena, the model Helena_Christensen is Helayna, as is Baroness Helena Kennedy.

Elena can be El-enna, Ellen-a or Elaina

The island St Helena is pronounced Hel-ee-na too I believe.

It is.

Hard no on Lydia. Lydia at school was, from the age of 13, knows as “Clammie” as Lydia rhymed with Chlamidia.

Lydia Dustbin
Lydia Teapot
Lydia Yoghurt-Pot

I like both these names. Hard to choose. I prefer full name to Maddie. Helena only reminds me of Helen due to spelling. Pronounced your way the sound it is very different and I prioritize sound over spelling. I see nothing wrong with correcting people. Here are other names I like:
Eloise
Margot
Audrey
Isabelle
Matilda
Genevieve
Violet
Hazel
Caroline

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Helen itself, it's just not very fashionable right now. Very classic name which will probably have a revival before too long.

I do love Helena though. Just use the pronunciation you prefer and people will learn it. Although in the UK you will find people assume it's 'Helen-uh' to begin with.