Eva & Ella - Stuck between two! Please Help.

Girl Names
1

We’ve finally decided on these two. But now we’re stuck!

Which is better overall? Please explain your answer!

[name]Ella[/name] or [name]Eva[/name] (EY-va, not EE-va)

If you want to know more about our trouble deciding, here are the details:

Pro’s & [name]Con[/name]'s for [name]Eva[/name] (EY-va):

Pro - [name]Love[/name] the nicknames [name]Eve[/name] and [name]Evie[/name].
Pro - I love how glamorous it sounds. It’s like an Old Hollywood name.
Pro - Sounds better with our last name, [name]Olson[/name].
[name]Con[/name] - Husband insists on spelling [name]Ava[/name] with an E, making it [name]Eva[/name] instead of [name]Ava[/name]. He refuses to have it any other way - this is the European spelling and pronunciation.
[name]Con[/name] - I think people will call her EE-va her whole life, when her name is supposed to be pronounced like [name]Ava[/name]. We really don’t like pronouncing it EE-va, but we love EY-va ([name]Ava[/name])
[name]Con[/name] - [name]Ava[/name] (how we would pronounce [name]Eva[/name]) seems to be [name]WAY[/name] too popular. I don’t want my daughter to be known by her last name! I want her name to be somewhat unique to her.
[name]Con[/name] - I already have a second cousin named [name]Eva[/name] - and she really isn’t the kind of person we’d like to name our daughter after. She makes the name seem very plain and boring.

Pro’s & [name]Con[/name]'s for [name]Ella[/name]:

Pro - [name]Love[/name] the nick name [name]Elle[/name] (like the letter L)
Pro - I love how feminine and sweet this name is
[name]Con[/name] - I hate the nickname [name]Ellie[/name] - it reminds me too much of country girl ellie-may from [name]Beverly[/name] [name]Hill[/name] Billies.
[name]Con[/name] - My mom, aunts and uncles all tell stories of how horribly mean my great-great aunt (who died before I was born) was, and her name was [name]Ella[/name]. My cousins, and brothers & sisters never met her, though, so it’s just the older generation in my family who have a really bad image of the name [name]Ella[/name]. Is it wrong of me to name my daughter the name of a ancestor who was very mean?
[name]Con[/name] - It’s not awful, but it doesn’t sound as good with our last name, [name]Olson[/name].

2

I love both names, but I would go with [name]Ella[/name], since most people would pronounce [name]Eva[/name] EE-va, not AY-va. And if you say [name]Ella[/name] [name]Olson[/name] outloud, it sounds really pretty!

3

I think that [name]Eva[/name] (which nearly every American will read as [name]EEva[/name]) pronounced as [name]Ava[/name] (”va) will cause more problems than it will solve. If there is another girl in her class called [name]Ava[/name], the teacher would still have to find a way to distinguish between them when she calls the name and most likely your daughter would still be [name]Eva[/name] O. Plus your [name]Eva[/name] (EYva) would constantly have to explain how her name is pronounced and spelled. If you want to call her “Eyva”, I recommend that you spell her name the usual way. [name]How[/name] about using a middle name that could be combined with it if there are two Avas in her class? A friend’s daughter is [name]Ava[/name] [name]Jane[/name], and a name like that – the full [name]Ava[/name] [name]Jane[/name] – could be used instead of [name]Ava[/name] O. I like the sound of [name]Ava[/name] [name]Olson[/name].

[name]Ella[/name] [name]Olson[/name] doesn’t flow quite as well: [name]EL[/name]/[name]OL[/name] – kind of a tongue twister if you say the names together quickly. And if you’re concerned about popularity, there may not be much gain with [name]Ella[/name] instead of [name]Ava[/name]. [name]Ella[/name] is very popular too. SSA baby name data for 2009 won’t be released until [name]May[/name], but some of the states are starting to release the most popular names in their state in 2009. In Nebraska [name]Ava[/name] ranked 3 and [name]Ella[/name] 7. [name]Ella[/name] may not make the overall Top 10 in the SSA list for 2009, but it’s on its way up.

[name]How[/name] about [name]Isla[/name] (ranked 623 in 2008)? I think it flows better than [name]Ella[/name] with [name]Olson[/name], and there’s probably no mean Aunt [name]Isla[/name] on your family tree to be concerned about.

4

I just looked at [name]Linda[/name] and [name]Pam[/name]'s predictions for the most popular names in 2020:
"1. [name]AVA[/name] ” Glamour Girl name beats out [name]Eva[/name] along with other A names for top spot. Runner up: [name]AVERY[/name] or [name]ADA[/name].

  1. [name]ELLA[/name] ” All names ”ella ” [name]Isabella[/name], [name]Gabriella[/name], [name]Stella[/name] ” have been popular, but [name]Ella[/name] itself gets the most attention. Runner up: [name]ELLIE[/name]."

If popularity is a concern for you, unfortunately both [name]Ava[/name] and [name]Ella[/name] are super popular. (I forgot about the "[name]Ella[/name]"s whose given name is [name]Gabriella[/name].)

[name]Little[/name] names ending in “a” are appealing to parents right now. ([name]Emma[/name], [name]Maya[/name] and [name]Mia[/name] come to mind too.) Again, I would suggest [name]Isla[/name], which is fairly popular in the UK (#39 in 2008 in [name]England[/name] and [name]Wales[/name]), but hasn’t caught on in the US (yet).

5

First of all they are both VERY PRETTY!
Bearing in mind your last name, [name]Eva[/name] would be best suited…
The repeat of “l” sound with [name]Ella[/name] and your lN doesnt flow as well as with [name]Eva[/name].

6

I think based on your list [name]Ella[/name] is the best choice. I think [name]Ella[/name] is gorgeous and will never be mispronounced. It’s also much less common than [name]Eva[/name]/[name]Ava[/name]. I actually think [name]Ella[/name] [name]Olson[/name] sounds nice. [name]Ella[/name] is a great name, any girl would be lucky to have it!

7

If you are going to prononce [name]Eva[/name] as [name]Ava[/name] then I think you should go with [name]Ella[/name].

This will drive your daughter NUTS forever correcting people.

I actually love [name]Eva[/name] (ee-va). I prefer [name]Eva[/name] (ee-va) over [name]Ella[/name].

What if you made [name]Ella[/name] a double name? Such as [name]Ella[/name]-[name]Kate[/name] or [name]Ella[/name]-[name]Grace[/name] or [name]Ella[/name]-[name]Rose[/name] - this kind of breaks up all the vowel sounds nicely with your last name.

8

SunKissed,

I’m going to choose [name]Eva[/name], because, honestly, I don’t see [name]Ella[/name] as a complete name. I feel like it needs to be [name]Arabella[/name], [name]Gabriella[/name], or [name]Isabella[/name] to be complete - it sounds and looks like a nickname to me. Plus, the flow is slightly better in [name]Eva[/name] [name]Olson[/name].

Is it just me, or does [name]Eva[/name] Mendez, the actress, say her name like [name]Ava[/name] Mendez? And, I think many - though certainly not all - people pronounce it correctly. There are issues with many names and pronunciations, but I think people will catch on to [name]Eva[/name] being like [name]Ava[/name], not EE-vah, after you - and she - introduce her as [name]Eva[/name] (A-vah)…

I love L’s, too! My name is [name]Lauren[/name], so I get to write them a lot. Maybe [name]Lola[/name] or [name]Lyra[/name], [name]Leila[/name] or [name]Lana[/name] would be up your alley?

Good luck!

[name]Lemon[/name] :slight_smile:

9

Which countries/languages pronounce [name]Eva[/name] (EE-vah in English) as “[name]Ava[/name]”?

That got me wondering, [name]Lemon[/name]… It seems that [name]Eva[/name] Mendes pronounces her name the Spanish way: EH-vah. A [name]Cosmo[/name] interview with Mendes confirms this: “[name]Eva[/name] (pronounced with a soft E, like [name]Evan[/name])”. [name]Eva[/name] (EH-vah) Mendes was born in [name]Florida[/name] of Cuban parents.

BehindTheName.com gives these pronunciations for [name]Eva[/name]:
Pronounced: E-vah (Italian, Spanish), EE-v? (English), E-fah ([name]German[/name]), AY-vah (Dutch)

So it’s the Dutch who say AY-vah for [name]Eva[/name]. Anyone else? [name]Olson[/name] is a Norwegian name. Is [name]Eva[/name] also pronounced as “AY-vah” in Norway? I found a post that confirms that it is: “My wife is from Norway, and her family is still there, so we decided to choose names that would work in both countries.
#1: [name]Eva[/name]. (pronounced ”[name]Ava[/name]”)…”
http://blogfreespringfield.com/why-did-you-name-your-baby-that

Knowing now that E-v-a is pronounced as “[name]Ava[/name]” in Norway, I think that [name]Eva[/name] is an okay spelling for your little “AY-vah” whose last name is [name]Olson[/name]. And it will provide her with an explanation when others ask her why her name isn’t pronounced “EE-va” or why it isn’t spelled “A-v-a”.

What would her middle name be? Something Scandinavian as well?

10

My vote is for [name]Eva[/name] - so gorgeous and distinguished, yet adorable for a little girl.

By the way, I am from the US (the Great Northwest!), and I pronounce it A-va, not EE-va. I think it’s because I see the E on the end of [name]Eve[/name] as making the first one long, and because it’s missing on [name]Eva[/name], I shorten the first E. (Similar to the A sounds in [name]Cate[/name] vs. [name]Cat[/name]).

Good luck!

11

My vote is for [name]Ella[/name]. I think [name]Ella[/name] [name]Olson[/name] sounds like a bit of a tongue twister, but is also VERY memorable and almost has star quality.

We have [name]Eva[/name] in our top (prn: EE-va) and I’ve had several people ask me if it’s pronounced like “[name]Ava[/name]” who are from the US. Although, I still think the majority will end up saying “Ee-va” instead of how you are wishing.

12

Forget [name]Eva[/name] unless you are ready for EE vah.

[name]Ava[/name] is so lovely but there will be many of them.

[name]Ella[/name] while lovely I am tiring of it.

13

I think you should forget [name]Eva[/name] and [name]Ella[/name] and go with [name]Eve[/name]! You mentioned you liked it as a nn, but it’s actually a beautiful, classic name it its own right, and sounds great with your last name (better than the other choices, which end in a and therefore sort of run into [name]Olsen[/name]). [name]Eva[/name] (pronounced however you like) could be the nn.

14

Best idea yet. [name]Eve[/name] [name]Olson[/name] is so much easier to say than eva, ava, or ella! And is way more original. Very sophisticated.

the one-syllable eve sounds much better than the two-syllables.

15

Which countries/languages pronounce [name]Eva[/name] (EE-vah in English) as “[name]Ava[/name]”?

That got me wondering, [name]Lemon[/name]… It seems that [name]Eva[/name] Mendes pronounces her name the Spanish way: EH-vah. A [name]Cosmo[/name] interview with Mendes confirms this: “[name]Eva[/name] (pronounced with a soft E, like [name]Evan[/name])”. [name]Eva[/name] (EH-vah) Mendes was born in [name]Florida[/name] of Cuban parents.

BehindTheName.com gives these pronunciations for [name]Eva[/name]:
Pronounced: E-vah (Italian, Spanish), EE-v? (English), E-fah ([name]German[/name]), AY-vah (Dutch)

So it’s the Dutch who say AY-vah for [name]Eva[/name]. Anyone else? [name]Olson[/name] is a Norwegian name. Is [name]Eva[/name] also pronounced as “AY-vah” in Norway? I found a post that confirms that it is: “My wife is from Norway, and her family is still there, so we decided to choose names that would work in both countries.
#1: [name]Eva[/name]. (pronounced ”[name]Ava[/name]”)…”
http://blogfreespringfield.com/why-did-you-name-your-baby-that

Knowing now that E-v-a is pronounced as “[name]Ava[/name]” in Norway, I think that [name]Eva[/name] is an okay spelling for your little “AY-vah” whose last name is [name]Olson[/name]. And it will provide her with an explanation when others ask her why her name isn’t pronounced “EE-va” or why it isn’t spelled “A-v-a”.

What would her middle name be? Something Scandinavian as well?[/quote]

Thank you for doing all of that research! That is extremely helpful!

16

Best idea yet. [name]Eve[/name] [name]Olson[/name] is so much easier to say than eva, ava, or ella! And is way more original. Very sophisticated.

the one-syllable eve sounds much better than the two-syllables.[/quote]

We both adore the name [name]Eve[/name], however when I say it with our last name, all I hear is Evil son… it’s so sad! I know it’s a very absract way of viewing it, but I can’t help but hear that every time!

17

DH had an interesting idea of putting an aigu accent over the E to show it is pronounced as [name]Ava[/name]. What are your opinions on that?

18

My granddaughter went through a similar accent mark or not dilemma when she was considering Chlo”, which for those who understand the dieresis (“the dots”) is a better indication of the pronunciation of the name than [name]Chloe[/name] (Klow?, like toe?).

The problem is that many English speakers [name]DON[/name]'T understand accents from other languages, so I’m not sure it would help to write the name as ”va rather than [name]Eva[/name]. Still that might indicate that there is something ‘unusual’ about the pronunciation of the name.

But before doing that I would research in which languages that accent mark is correct. I came across this reference to movie star [name]Eva[/name] (pronounced [name]Ava[/name]) Gabor, who was born in Hungary: “The native form of this personal name is G”bor ”va.” I also came across – somewhere – the accent mark with the Czech ”va.

I don’t know anything about Eastern European languages and associate the accent aigu only with French. A French babyname website (I found the link in a Nameberry blog) doesn’t use an accent with [name]Eva[/name] (which probably is a borrowing from another language), but does use an accent grave with ”ve, which is given as the source of [name]Eva[/name]. So in [name]France[/name] ”ve would be pronounced as EHV, and most likely [name]Eva[/name] as EH-vah, the same as in Spain and [name]Italy[/name].

I just came across what appears to be a very comprehensive discussion of Nordic names - http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/[name]Eva[/name] - and it seems that no accent mark is used over the E in [name]Eva[/name] in Norway or any other Nordic country.

So my conclusion is that I wouldn’t recommend using the accent mark: most English speakers won’t understand it; it may not be authentic in any languages except those of Eastern Europe; it just adds to the hassle for your daughter of having to explain how her name is spelled and pronounced; and it won’t be used on many official forms anyway.

It seems to me that both you and your husband need to consider whether YOU would like to have a name that is pronounced and spelled the non-standard English way. If you both agree that you wouldn’t mind the pronunciation and spelling hassles and always being ‘the “[name]Ava[/name]” whose name is spelled with an E’, then I think it’s fine to spell your daughter’s name that way.

But otherwise, I’d stick with the usual spelling - [name]Ava[/name] - or the usual pronunciation of [name]Eva[/name] - EE-vah. I can’t recall why you don’t like the latter, but it would seem to solve your dilemma of wanting the [name]Eva[/name] spelling and your concern about the huge popularity of [name]Ava[/name].

Here’s an interesting discussion about the pronunciation(s) of [name]Eva[/name] that you may not have seen. http://www.babynameshub.com/baby-names-girls/[name]Eva[/name].html
As a [name]Nana[/name] myself, I was particularly interested in this comment: “Comment left Feb 28, 2008: My granddaughter’s name is [name]Eva[/name], but it is pronounced [name]Ava[/name], the Spanish pronunciation [incorrect]. I think this is going to be a problem when she gets old enough to go to school! She’ll probably just go by “[name]Eva[/name]” or change the spelling to [name]Ava[/name].” "

Best wishes!