I’ve recently started to really like the name [name]Mila[/name] (my-la/me-la), but would prefer it as a nickname for a more formal forename… the only one I can come up with is [name]Milena[/name], but this poses an issue as my all time girls name is [name]Eleanor[/name]. [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Milena[/name] are a) totally different styles and b) sound quite similar! Can you give any suggestions of other names which could use [name]Mila[/name] as a nickname? Is [name]Amelia[/name] nn [name]Mila[/name] (would have to be ‘me-la’ here I guess) a bit of a stretch?
Also, are [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Mila[/name] a bit too matchy as siblings?
Thanks!
Before I even finished reading your post, I thought [name]Amelia[/name] would be perfect as a formal name for [name]Mila[/name]! [name]Ella[/name] and [name]Mila[/name] aren’t too matchy-matchy, and from [name]Eleanor[/name] you can also get [name]Nora[/name] as a nn–[name]Mila[/name] and [name]Nora[/name] make a cute sibset!
Thanks for your super-fast response! :lol: I do love [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Amelia[/name], I think they’re lovely together. I wonder if [name]Mila[/name] (MEE-luh) seems more natural as a nickname for [name]Emilia[/name]? But then are [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Emilia[/name] too samey?
I had thought about just plain and simple [name]Mila[/name], but [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Mila[/name] don’t sound like harmonious siblings to me (I’m hoping at some point I will definitely be using [name]Eleanor[/name]!) which is an issue. I wouldn’t hesitate to use [name]Milena[/name] except for the fact that [name]Milena[/name] and [name]Eleanor[/name] share similiar sound and really don’t seem to ‘go’ together stylistically. I’d even considered [name]Elena[/name] (prn. [name]ELL[/name]-en-a) and [name]Milena[/name] (mee-[name]LEN[/name]-uh) but I think that’s getting a little too matchy.
Google “[name]Melena[/name]” if you want a good reason why not to call your daughter that! It’s pronounced exactly the same and I have it on good authority that a lot of healthcare professionals cringe when they meet a lovely little girl with that name…It’s a shame because it does sound so pretty!
The association might not bother you though, but I feel I should warn you 
I agree that [name]Mila[/name] would be a good nn for [name]Emilia[/name], but I really do like it on it’s own.
I think [name]Emilia[/name] and [name]Eleanor[/name] would be fine together. I like the nns [name]Mila[/name] and [name]Nell[/name] together
I’m of the midset that nicknames don’t need to be iron-clad rooted to the formal name. So both [name]Amelia[/name] and [name]Emilia[/name] would be easy to nickname [name]Mila[/name]. I would choose [name]Amelia[/name] over [name]Emilia[/name] b/c of your daughter [name]Eleanor[/name]'s name. Because I think “looser” associations are OK, I would add:
[name]Matilda[/name] / [name]Mathilde[/name]
[name]Camille[/name] (I think this works best)
[name]Millicent[/name]
And I think any of these could work nicely with [name]Eleanor[/name].
@lauren-kay: Oh dear, I’d never heard of that! That does sort of ruin the potential of the name, and I now can’t ever picture myself using it. Thanks for the warning!
@moxielove: I also love [name]Camille[/name] and think that it’s a great idea. [name]Just[/name] to be clear, I don’t have any kids - [name]Eleanor[/name] is just the name we’ve decided on for our first girl and I like to muse about sibling names a lot!
I somehow think [name]Camila[/name] (pronounced [ca-MEE-la] I guess?) could work too to get [name]Mila[/name] [MEE-la], but not sure that it matches stylistically with [name]Eleanor[/name]. [name]Eleanor[/name] & [name]Amelia[/name], and [name]Eleanor[/name] & [name]Camille[/name] are both cute together though.
Anyone have any suggestions for name combos for either [name]Amelia[/name] or [name]Camille[/name]? My favourite for [name]Eleanor[/name] is [name]Eleanor[/name] [name]Katharine[/name] [name]Rose[/name] (personal family meanings!) and the only other family names are [name]Elizabeth[/name], [name]Marianne[/name] and [name]Lynne[/name] so if anyone could work those in there (or some variant, I’m not great with variants!) it’d be great!
Some I’ve thought of:
[name]Camille[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]June[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name] [name]Grace[/name]
[name]Amelia[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] [name]Claire[/name] ([name]Amelia[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] too hard to say?)
Also anymore suggestions of ways to get the nn [name]Mila[/name] are welcome!
Sorry to be a bubble buster about [name]Milena[/name]!
I prefer [name]Camille[/name] over [name]Amelia[/name], only because [name]Camille[/name] is less common. I know a whole heap of Amelias. [name]Eleanor[/name] [name]Katharine[/name] [name]Rose[/name] is so pretty! I like that [name]Madeleine[/name] is kind of a mix between [name]Marianne[/name] and [name]Lynne[/name]. What about something like [name]Camille[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name]? [name]Camille[/name] [name]Elise[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name]? [name]Camille[/name] [name]Elsa[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name]?
[name]Camille[/name] [name]Bessie[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name]?
I’m probably in the minority, but I like the unexpectedness of siblings named [name]Eleanor[/name] and [name]Milena[/name]. But then, I also don’t put much consideration into naming style.
The OP’s suggestion of [name]Milena[/name] and any of the names posted as alternatives will be suitable names. But, somehow, I think [name]Mila[/name] is going to be a rising star in the next few years, given [name]Mila[/name] Kunis’s rise (who was born [name]Milena[/name]). I’ve been seeing [name]Mila[/name] in people’s lists, suggestions, and in other name site’s posts much more. Something else to consider.
@lauren-kay: I adoreee [name]Camille[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name], thankyou so much for that suggestion. It’s gorgeous! I just worry that [name]Camille[/name] and [name]Eliza[/name] may run into one another slightly?
@teacherma: I had considered that, but I don’t think it will skyrocket as much in the UK (where I live) as it may in the US. Although having said that, us Brits do have a penchant for nicknames at the minute, with [name]Evie[/name] being in the top 10 so you could be right. Either way, I still love it. Plus, [name]Eleanor[/name] is fairly popular here (I think it’s at number 54) and it hasn’t put me off… thanks for the heads up though!
[name]How[/name] do [name]Eleanor[/name] [name]Katharine[/name] [name]Rose[/name] and [name]Camille[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name] sound as sisters? Also, could [name]Mila[/name] work as a nickname for [name]Camilla[/name] or would it automatically become MILL-uh? I think [name]Camila[/name] looks too exotic next to [name]Eleanor[/name], much the same way [name]Milena[/name] does, yet I slightly prefer [name]Camilla[/name] to [name]Camille[/name].
This would be a lot easier if I wasn’t so stuck on [name]Eleanor[/name] being my (future) first (hopefully) daughter’s name!
[name]Glad[/name] I could help!
It did cross my mind that [name]Camille[/name] and [name]Eliza[/name] run into each other a little bit, but I’m of the opinion that if you really love a name and/or it means something to you little things like that don’t matter too much, so long as it’s not bordering on the ridiculous (like [name]Jessica[/name] [name]Jessamine[/name], or [name]Millie[/name] Vanilli for example 
).
I think [name]Camilla[/name] is really nice and I don’t think it looks too exotic next to [name]Eleanor[/name] at all - I think of [name]Camilla[/name] [name]Parker[/name] Bowles and while I’m not a huge fan of hers she is responsible for making the name a bit less exotic and a little more British in my mind at least.
Having said that, I do think that you’d run the risk of Mee-luh becoming Mill-uh which it sounds like you’re strongly against!
I adore the french variant of [name]Millicent[/name], [name]Melisende[/name]. It doesn’t have the me sound but i think it still works
@lauren-kay: That’s true, it’s not ridiculous or anything! I think of [name]Camilla[/name] [name]Parker[/name] Bowles too (I’m British) haha. I’m not exactly strongly against [MILL-uh] as I do think it’s nice, but [MEE-luh] is softer sounding to me. Plus, I think [name]Milla[/name] may be a bit similar pronunciation wise to [name]Ella[/name]?
@katielea: Oooh [name]Melisende[/name] is so pretty! I think it might be a little too ‘French’ to work where I live though!
Oh yeah if you’re going to call [name]Eleanor[/name] [name]Ella[/name] then [name]Milla[/name] is definitely too matchy! [name]Do[/name] you like the nn [name]Nell[/name] for [name]Eleanor[/name]? It’s my favourite!
[name]Camilla[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name] sounds a bit stilted to me with all the vowels, but [name]Camilla[/name] [name]Elise[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name] sounds pretty I think!
I like:
[name]Camille[/name] [name]Eliza[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name]
[name]Camilla[/name] [name]Elise[/name] [name]Madeleine[/name]