Help me name my Sleeping Beauty!

Hey guys!

I’m currently working on a couple projects that take place in a world loosely based off of fairytales. By that, I mean that there are elements, plot points, and characters that mirror certain fairytales but the stories themselves are different.

One of my characters is based off of Sleeping Beauty and I’m stumped for her name. I’ll give you the backstory…

When I first thought of this character, her name was [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. Her story, before I knew she would end up mirroring Sleeping Beauty, was that her family’s home caught on fire. She went out one way and her family went out another, so she was thought to be dead. She decided to go with it because she is trans and wanted to start a new life where she could be herself. She changed her name from [name_u]James[/name_u] to [name_f]Jane[/name_f], grew out her hair, bought new dresses, and moved to a different kingdom.

Recently, for one reason or another, I’ve started to picture her looking like [name_f]Elle[/name_f] Fanning. I think the recent Maleficent movie influenced that ([name_f]Elle[/name_f] Fanning plays [name_f]Aurora[/name_f]) but now, I go back and forth between calling the character [name_f]Jane[/name_f] and [name_f]Elle[/name_f].

I really like both names for her, which is the problem. They’re sleek and simple yet feminine, which really works for her. I believe that when she renamed herself, she would’ve wanted something that would help her blend in because she didn’t want to risk being caught and have people realize she (accidentally) faked her own death.

The character herself is spunky, lively, friendly, and stubborn, and acts as a protective older sister type to one of my MCs (before she, well, falls asleep). She’s a bit of a hippy but in a down-to-earth sort of way. She is also one of the only people in this world who can still manipulate magic.

Which do you think is best: [name_f]Jane[/name_f] or [name_f]Elle[/name_f]?

If you need/want more information, don’t hesitate to ask! Thanks!

I can see the appeal in both, but I think I’d go with [name_f]Jane[/name_f]. Because that was the original idea, but also because it… “mirrors” [name_u]James[/name_u] in a way? Because they are both a standard, go-to name? Does that make sense?
Also iirc elle is the french word for “she” so that would be a point to consider, although I couldn’t say if it’s a pro or a contra. Does french even exist in your world?

If I use [name_f]Elle[/name_f], I’d likely change the birth name to something else, possibly something that starts with L? That’s not super important at the moment tbh.

There is a language that is inspired by [name_m]French[/name_m] because I’m learning [name_m]French[/name_m] in school but [name_m]French[/name_m] itself does not exist lol. The [name_f]Elle[/name_f] = she thing is a non factor for me. Not positive but not negative.

Thank you for the feedback!

Ooh [name_f]Elle[/name_f] Fanning was my first celebrity crush!!

[name_f]Elle[/name_f] is a lovely name and the “she” thing is kind of a cool coincidence? I’d love to read this story by the way, if you ever need a beta reader I’m your gal!

[name_f]Jane[/name_f] is great too though!

Thanks for the votes and comments!

@auroracallista, I’m actually second drafting the first story I’ve written set in this world so I might take you up on that when I’m finished lol!

I like [name_f]Jane[/name_f] better, [name_f]Elle[/name_f] is pretty too but I knew a very feminine [name_f]Elle[/name_f].

All tied up haha! Thank you for all the votes. Anyone else want to help break the tie?

I’d definitely go with [name_f]Ella[/name_f] if I were you.
I’m trans and when I changed my name I wanted to get as far away from my birth name as possible. I know some people who have chosen a name similar to their deadname but it’s pretty rare.

Also [name_f]Elle[/name_f] is a really lovely name in general.