Looking for a traditional name with a bit of spunk/freshness to it. We originally liked [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] but aren’t going to use it since we don’t love the natural nicknames. We are considering [name_f]Elena[/name_f] but I worry it sounds too stuffy. Thoughts on this name? Recs for others?
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[name_f]Elena[/name_f] is actually rather casual to my ear honestly.
[name_f]Vanessa[/name_f] comes to mind first when I think of “traditional yet spunky” with the nicknames of Nessa/Nessie, Essa/Essie, or even Vannie"
Others:
[name_u]Sasha[/name_u]
[name_f]Odessa[/name_f] “Dessa/Dessi, Odie”
[name_f]Susanna[/name_f] “Sooz, [name_f]Anna[/name_f], Susie”
[name_f]Rhea[/name_f]
[name_f]Anneliese[/name_f] “Anne/Anna, [name_f]Lissy[/name_f], [name_f]Liesl[/name_f], [name_u]Lisa[/name_u], Essi/Essa”
[name_f]Jacqueline[/name_f] “Jackie, Linny”
[name_f]Liora[/name_f] “Lia/ LiLi”
Hopefully these help 
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Out of curiosity, how are you pronouncing [name_f]Elena[/name_f]?
Eh-lay-na? Ellen-uh? El-een-uh? Eh-len-uh?
Each of these gives me different impressions.
But overall, it’s a gorgeous name and far less stuffy to me than [name_f]Eliza[/name_f].
If you want to deter from the [name_f]Eliza[/name_f] nicknames of [name_f]El[/name_f] / [name_f]Elle[/name_f] and [name_f]Ellie[/name_f] (if you weren’t meaning Liza), I think the Eh-lay-na pronunciation would be best, although that would open you up to the possibility of [name_f]Lainie[/name_f] / [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] / [name_u]Laney[/name_u] as a nickname (which I love, but isn’t for everyone).
Good luck!
When I think of [name_f]Elena[/name_f] I pronounce it “uh-lay-nuh” but you bring up a good point that maybe everyone pronounces it differently and that might be something to avoid?? I don’t want her to correct people her whole life!
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If you’re American, I think that pronunciation will be the most common!
I don’t think of [name_f]Elena[/name_f] as too proper at all. It’s such an international name, and it fits girls from any background.
I think it’s a beautiful name! Doesn’t seem stuffy to me at all!
i don’t think it sounds too proper, i quite like it. i’m really like ellena (eh-len-uh) right now and elena is very appealing to me right now, i don’t think it sounds stuffy at all! the girl i know wears it gorgeously!
I think it’s beautiful.
[name_f]Elena[/name_f] feels warm and fresh and bubbly to me - established but sunny!
A few others:
[name_f]Natalia[/name_f]
[name_f]Beatrix[/name_f]
[name_f]Lydia[/name_f]
[name_f]Pippa[/name_f] / [name_f]Phillipa[/name_f]
[name_f]Dorothy[/name_f]
[name_f]Clara[/name_f]
[name_f]Felicity[/name_f]
[name_f]Verity[/name_f]
[name_f]Vita[/name_f]
[name_f]Keziah[/name_f]
As someone whose name is [name_f]Elena[/name_f], I must say I love it dearly! I love having this name so much, where I live it wasn’t too popular when I was born and has been gaining traction in the last few years but I don’t mind, I always love meeting others with the name! It’s recognizable but not overused, and people often comment on how beautiful it is. I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way. It travels really well, which is great when you live in Europe! [name_f]My[/name_f] preferred pronunciation is eh-LEH-nuh, which is how it’s said in my country, and I personally dislike the eh-LAY-nuh pronunciation. If I wasn’t named [name_f]Elena[/name_f], I’d seriously consider giving the name to a future daughter, that’s how much I love the name 
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So I quite like names that might be described as stuffy, but I knew an [name_f]Elena[/name_f] said el-lay-nuh who mostly went by “Lena”. Having heard this name in usage I don’t think it’s stuffy at all. I definitely favour multi-syllables like [name_f]Eleanora[/name_f] and I know for some people it’s hard to picture these grown up sounding names on little children , so to me [name_f]Elena[/name_f] feels a simple, sweet, feminine name that feels quite care-free and it could be shortened to [name_u]Laney[/name_u] or [name_f]Ellie[/name_f].
I like [name_f]Elena[/name_f]! I don’t think it’s too stuffy. It’s fairly popular now and still fits into that traditional name you want.
Some other ideas…
[name_f]Leila[/name_f]
[name_f]Vanessa[/name_f]
[name_f]Tessa[/name_f]
[name_u]Rory[/name_u]
[name_f]Regina[/name_f]
[name_u]Dana[/name_u]
[name_f]Heidi[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosie[/name_f]
[name_f]Lorelai[/name_f]
[name_u]Holly[/name_u]
[name_f]Helena[/name_f]
[name_u]Jordan[/name_u]
[name_f]Cecilia[/name_f]
I don’t think [name_f]Elena[/name_f] sounds too stuffy. It’s a beautiful name
How is [name_f]Elena[/name_f] stuffy. It’s pretty and would work on almost any girl.
I’d pronounce it eh-LAY-nah. I also like [name_f]Lainey[/name_f] (check my uc. It’s in there).
@MontanaMama92 I absolutely love this name! I think it’s beautiful and I don’t find it stuffy at all. If you’re concerned about the various pronunciations of [name_f]Elena[/name_f], you may also consider [name_f]Alanna[/name_f]. I know someone in her mid-30’s who uses this spelling and your preferred pronunciation. It’s beautiful on her, and to my knowledge, she’s never had any pronunciation problems. [name_m]Just[/name_m] a thought! I also completely understand if you have your heart set on the [name_f]Elena[/name_f] spelling.
I hope this helps!
Also, @krijesnica it makes my heart so happy to read about how much you love your name! I find that so refreshing because I don’t think it’s very common anymore to find people who like their own names. I hope as time goes on, you grow to love it even more than you do now. It’s such a classic and joyful name to me, and I love it.
Wishing you both the very best!
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[name_f]Elena[/name_f] definitely doesn’t sound stuffy! It does feel more formal and elegant to me than [name_f]Eliza[/name_f], but in an energetic, fun sort of way. I’ve met quite a few young people named [name_f]Elena[/name_f] so I think of it as pretty modern-sounding.
Other ideas:
[name_f]Francesca[/name_f]
[name_f]Alicia[/name_f]
[name_f]Raina[/name_f]
[name_u]Alexis[/name_u]
[name_f]Camilla[/name_f]
[name_f]Alana[/name_f]
[name_f]Emilia[/name_f]
[name_f]Erica[/name_f]
[name_f]Nadia[/name_f]
Not at all! I’ve known several people named [name_f]Elena[/name_f]. I think it’s really far from stuffy!