[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone,
After 7 months of carefully considering a name for our soon to be born baby girl, we’ve managed to both agree on the name [name_f]Elena[/name_f]. Now, there will be middle names referincing family members (as is tradition in my family), but that means that her given name would be [name_f]Elena[/name_f] [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m].
Unfortunately, this is an exact match to the name of one of the main characters in a popular series: the Vampire Diaries.
Should we therefore reconsider choosing another name? We’ve given this a lot of thought and we like the name because it doesn’t rank too highly (it’s not too common) and is close to her grandfather’s name. Also, the name needs to both work in Dutch and English for family reasons.
What do people think?
That’s tricky! I realised the connection straight away. Certainly some people could connect her name to Vampire Diaries. I think it’s a beautiful name. I guess it just depends on whether it would bother you if anyone realised the connection and bought it up. Perhaps they may ask you if you named her after the character. Have you considered similar names:
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]
[name_f]Alayna[/name_f] [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m]
Or even spelling it differently might dampen the similarity?
[name_f]Elaina[/name_f]
There are some shows that are timeless and some are a flash in the pan–I would consider Vampire Diaries the latter. I’m almost certain her classmates would never make the connection. Some of her classmates’ parents might see it, but there’s a simple explanation and I think the chances of that happening will fade dramatically with each passing year.
I’ve never seen the show, so I had no idea on that connection.
As a previous viewer of the now-ended show, I immediately made the connection. Since it was a teen drama, most of the people who will make a connection will be aged 12-25. I don’t believe this show will completely fade away (as with most vampire related film) because of Netflix. It’s possible that future generations will rediscover the show, as I have watched many shows that aired when I was a baby or before I was born. I doubt though that she will ever be bothered by the connection (even if her classmates watch the show or read the books in the future). If this reference bothers you, maybe reconsider your choice, but if it is the name you love, then you should use it. Plus, [name_f]Elena[/name_f] is a lovely choice!
Although I immediately made the connection, I wouldn’t not-use the name if it’s ‘the one’ for you. That said, however, I personally would not use [name_f]Elena[/name_f] if my last name was [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] unless I loved the name to the moon and back and I couldn’t consider any other for my baby. It depends on how much you love the name, and how willing you are to overlook the connection and deal with those who make it. Also consider how your daughter would feel through her life, though I doubt it will be that big of an issue – I don’t know many who watch the show or have read the books like I have, and even if they’ve heard of [name_f]Elena[/name_f] from The Vampire Diaries in passing, they likely wouldn’t be able to place her last name. However, like @bohomamma suggested, you might consider some variations if the connection is too big for you. Maybe [name_f]Eleni[/name_f]?
It’s a lovely name, and I am not familiar with the Vampire Diaries. I think you probably wouldn’t have any issues, since [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m] would be her middle name, not her last name.
However, if it does bother you, and alternative I would suggest would be to name her [name_f]Elena[/name_f] [name_f]Giselle[/name_f]. [name_f]Giselle[/name_f] means “pledge” as does [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m], so it could still be a reference to your family depending on how flexible you are.
I know nothing about The Vampire Diaries, but if I were a girl (which I am), I would not want my middle name to be [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m].
[name_u]Leslie[/name_u]
I think there’s some confusion in the last posts as the surname will indeed be [name_m]Gilbert[/name_m], not the middle name.
However, I want to thank you all for your input because with this I feel confident enough to go ahead. I haven’t really watched the series either and I’m sure that in 10-15 years it won’t be in the forefront. Moreover, changing the spelling to something such as [name_f]Elaina[/name_f] seems like a viable option as well.
So thank you all for your comments; much appreciated!