MedicMom Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 (I will delete this later on as it has my kid's names in it. Just fyi) One of my pregnancy quirks is I like to have both names picked out before finding the gender. Due to being high risk we are having multiple high resolution ultrasounds to measure the uterine walls, so we likely will find out before 20 weeks. I am 13 now. We have our boys name but the only girl's name that i like and my husband can tolerate is Elena. My grandmother's name was Helen, and his grandmother was Eleanor, so it seems like a nice tribute and seems to flow nicely with our other kid's names(Joshua and Olivia). However, I want to spell it Elaina. I think it's easier to pronounce and flows with the other names. My husband thinks it looks made up. What say the hive? And second question, I prefer a longer middle name with a shorter first name. DD's middle name is Katherine. Any suggestions for Elaina/Elena? (I can't make a poll off my phone) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeAndTheBoys Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I like the name a lot, I don't love the spelling Elaina. But it's okay :) I also like Helena (rhymes with Elaina) and Alana and Elaine. Wow, now that I type it out, even "Elaine" looks unusual to me, and that's the typical spelling for that? so maybe Elaina isn't as unusual as my eye originally thought. So--good name! :) All good, IMO-- B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tangerine Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 For what it's worth I said it the same way in my head on both spellings. I wouldn't have any trouble pronouncing it the way you want it either way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Elaina seems like a normal very name to me. It would not surprise me at all to see it on a list or name tag or whatever. (Honestly, Elena seems a touch odd to my eye. It's one that seems a tiny bit made up, which it is, as a combo of two other names.) I would pronounce them differently though: "E-lay-na" vs "El-eh-na". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicMom Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 The pronounciation is primarily why I'm leaning towards Elaina. I would pronounce Helena Helen-a, and i think a lot of people pronounce Elena as Ellen-a. Which is the proper pronounciation in some countries. I was sort of thinking with the rise in popularity of Elliana it wouldn't look so strange in a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 My parents wanted to name one of my sisters Elena in the early 70s, but they were moving a few weeks after she was born from a state where the name was familiar to one where they thought it wouldn't be pronounced correctly so they spelled it Alayna. People still didn't always pronounce it correctly though. I think either Elena or Elaina will end up with some mispronunciations (your spelled would get confused with Eliana, I think). I personally like Elena better than Elaina. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I'm not sure that I've ever seen either of those names as English names, though it's pretty. I've met a woman from Eastern Europe--not sure which country--named Elena, and I've seen it as a Spanish name. I don't believe I've seen the name Elaina before, though it must be real enough because my spell check isn't catching it :) I did know a non-hispanic, white-with-who-knows-what-ancestry American woman named Alaina, though (which my spell check tells me is wrong). I think I like the simplicity and clean look of Elena, though ... but I also can see it being mispronounced with the second "e" being long, too. I think the name sounds nice with the middle name Rachelle, though again we get into mispronunciation issues, because I can see that being pronounced Rachel, whereas I mean it to be "Rah-SHELL." Elena Rachelle / Elaina Rachelle. I'm sure others will have suggestions that I'd love as well, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicMom Posted January 7, 2015 Author Share Posted January 7, 2015 I'm not sure that I've ever seen either of those names as English names, though it's pretty. I've met a woman from Eastern Europe--not sure which country--named Elena, and I've seen it as a Spanish name. I don't believe I've seen the name Elaina before, though it must be real enough because my spell check isn't catching it :) I did know a non-hispanic, white-with-who-knows-what-ancestry American woman named Alaina, though (which my spell check tells me is wrong). I think I like the simplicity and clean look of Elena, though ... but I also can see it being mispronounced with the second "e" being long, too. I think the name sounds nice with the middle name Rachelle, though again we get into mispronunciation issues, because I can see that being pronounced Rachel, whereas I mean it to be "Rah-SHELL." Elena Rachelle / Elaina Rachelle. I'm sure others will have suggestions that I'd love as well, though. If it makes any difference, the maternal great grandmother she would be named after was from the Czech Republic. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I like the name. Either spelling, but the second would cause more people mispronounce around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magic Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 My daughter's middle name is Elaine. Changing the e to an a would be just fine and it is not made up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Elaina is how I would spell it. Ds' Russian/Ukrainian girlfriend is Elena, pronounced with a long a. So either one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I know two girls named Elaina although one goes by Lainey. I've never seen the spelling Elena. I think it's a pretty name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I've seen it as both Elena and Alayna. I don't think I've seen it as Elaina, but I think it's really pretty! I'd have no trouble pronouncing any of those spellings the same way. I think Elaina is more likely to be mispronounced/misspelled as Elliana, thiugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 If it were just you I'd say spell it how you want it. But since it's you vs. husband I have to say that I think Elaina looks "creative" to me and Elena is, in my mind, the traditional spelling. But I'm not a professional name etymologist or anything. Good luck. All those names are lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Also, Elaina Nicole Elaina Anne Elaina Joy Elaina Grace Elena Noelle (that's a lot of "l" and "eh" sounds, though) Elena Rosemary (I don't know why that popped into my head.) Elena Rose Elena Ruth Elena Christine Elena Stephanie I think the tricky part is that a lot of the longer names have an "a" or "e" sound on the end, and so I don't like them as much with Elena, since it ends with a vowel sound. And since it also starts with a vowel sound, I don't like it much with things like Elizabeth or Abigail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 My oldest daughter's patron saint is St. Helen, and she goes by Eleni (pr uh-LEN-ee), which is the Greek version of Helen .... just throwing another option out there. Her middle name is Isabelle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Of your two spellings, I think I like Elaina better. I have heard that name before, but it was spelled with an A. I can't remember the exact spelling though. I think it is a very pretty name and it goes well with your two kiddos' names. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carriede Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Elaina. Elaina Charlotte Elaina Sophia Elaina Margaret Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I like Elaina better and think it would be easy for people to say when reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 it would depend on what pronunciation you want. Elena is a common Greek/Italian/Spanish/ etc version of Helen & I think it's commonly pronounced with short e's. I know an Elena and she pronounces it that way eh - leh - na (like Helen without the H and add an a)Elaina would be eh lay na to me.... I'd go either Elena or Eliana (which I pronounce el ya na) or Elaine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessed2fosteradopt Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I like Elaina. The pronunciation is clear. I feel that Elena can be pronounced many different ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I've known several people with the name Elaina. Definitely not just made up. It's just a variant of Elaine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I prefer Elena, but I think either is okay. Elena is ranked #132 for girls in the US, and Elaina #310, in case popularity/familiarity matters to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southern Ivy Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 The pronounciation is primarily why I'm leaning towards Elaina. I would pronounce Helena Helen-a, and i think a lot of people pronounce Elena as Ellen-a. Which is the proper pronounciation in some countries. I was sort of thinking with the rise in popularity of Elliana it wouldn't look so strange in a few years. I would actually pronounce Elena as E-lean-uh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I've known local kids named Elena, Elaina, Alaina, and Laina, all pronounced with the long A emphasized. I would go with Elena if that is the traditional spelling for an ethnicity you wish to honor (like our former neighbors with a partial hispanic background). Personally I like Elaina equally well if capturing a particular culture isn't important. The spelling with the initial A (Alaina) always throws me a bit--takes my brain a second to figure out it's the same name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I like Elaina. I think the pronunciation is more clear because it is a variant of Elaine. I think Elaina Rachelle is beautiful, but I would not pronounce the middle name that way without being told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 I have seen Elena before, but had to consider the pronunciation in my head for a moment. Elaina needed less processing time, but I hadn't seen that spelling before. If you look at name popularity on the Social Security website (http://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/rankchange.html), Elena is higher than Elaina, but I was surprised at how high Elaina was for a name unfamiliar to me. Maybe it's up and coming? Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aiden Posted January 7, 2015 Share Posted January 7, 2015 Elaina. Elaina Charlotte Elaina Sophia Elaina Margaret Ooh, Elaina Sophia! Or Elena Sofia! Or however you chose to spell it--I think it's beautiful! Especially if you have a fun, flowing, vowel-y last name like "Carrera," but even if you have a more typical one. (But I do still like Elena Rachelle, too :) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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