Lena/Leena and namesake/sib set questions

[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone!

We have twin boys [name_m]Vincent[/name_m] & [name_m]Leo[/name_m] - [name_m]Vincent[/name_m] is DH/FIL’s name and [name_m]Leo[/name_m] is after our grandmother from Greece named [name_u]Lee[/name_u]. We are expecting a little girl! DH is of Italian and Greek descent and we want to choose a Greek name for our daughter!

We were stuck until last week when Grandma told me a story of how her given name was [name_f]Lena[/name_f] and she changed her name upon coming to [name_u]America[/name_u] to be more “American”. Now I am in love with the name!

Questions:
[name_f]Lena[/name_f] or [name_f]Leena[/name_f]? I am 90% sure her given name was the [name_f]Lena[/name_f] spelling.
[name_f]Sib[/name_f] [name_m]Set[/name_m]? [name_m]Vincent[/name_m] (he goes by [name_u]Vinnie[/name_u] right now), [name_m]Leo[/name_m], [name_f]Lena[/name_f]? [name_m]Leo[/name_m] and [name_f]Lena[/name_f] too close?
Namesake issues? My mom is [name_f]Eileen[/name_f], so [name_f]Lena[/name_f] is a take on that as well. However, it is odd to use the same person, Grandma [name_f]Lena[/name_f]/[name_u]Lee[/name_u] for two of your kids namesakes ([name_m]Leo[/name_m] and [name_f]Lena[/name_f])

Our other option is [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] who is not named after anyone!

Thank you!!

I personally think that [name_m]Leo[/name_m] and [name_f]Lena[/name_f] are too close in sound to each other, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve heard. I would choose a longer first name and then call her [name_f]Lena[/name_f] as a nickname. Some suggestions:

[name_f]Selena[/name_f]
[name_f]Evelina[/name_f]
[name_f]Carolina[/name_f]
[name_f]Catalina[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Paulina[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalina[/name_f]
[name_f]Angelina[/name_f]

I personally think that [name_m]Leo[/name_m] and [name_f]Lena[/name_f] are too close in sound to each other, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve heard. I would choose a longer first name and then call her [name_f]Lena[/name_f] as a nickname. Some suggestions:

[name_f]Selena[/name_f]
[name_f]Evelina[/name_f]
[name_f]Carolina[/name_f]
[name_f]Catalina[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Paulina[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalina[/name_f]
[name_f]Angelina[/name_f]

[name_f]Lena[/name_f] is pn Leh-nuh. So [name_f]Leena[/name_f]

Hm, I don’t completely agree that [name_f]Lena[/name_f] is pronounced Leh-Nah. I saw it and immediately thought it was pronounced [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-nah. I like that spelling better, anyways, and [name_f]Leena[/name_f] doesn’t look appealing. Point in fact: Actress [name_f]Lena[/name_f] Horn - pronounced [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-nah.

I really like the suggestion of having [name_f]Lena[/name_f] be a nickname for a longer name. That would make the [name_f]Lena[/name_f]/[name_m]Leo[/name_m] connection less pronounced and give you and option of finding a name that could have meaning in another way.

I say it Leh-nuh, but I’ve heard [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-nuh before too. I think the [name_f]Leena[/name_f] spelling looks a bit tacky, to be honest. I also don’t think that [name_m]Leo[/name_m] and [name_f]Lena[/name_f] seem to similar to be siblings at all, although I might think that they were twins, since the names do sound sort of matchy.

I second the suggestion of Magdelena as a full name for [name_f]Lena[/name_f]! Here are a few more:

[name_f]Alena[/name_f]
[name_f]Helena[/name_f]
[name_f]Rosalina[/name_f]
[name_f]Celine[/name_f]

[name_m]Leo[/name_m] and [name_f]Lena[/name_f] do seem kind of close to me so I suggest moving [name_f]Lena[/name_f] to the mn position or incorporating it into a longer name as suggested above. [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], [name_f]Helena[/name_f], [name_f]Alena[/name_f], or [name_f]Elena[/name_f]/[name_f]Eleni[/name_f] would be my top choices with your sibset. Since the other siblings are also saints names, I particularly like [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f], but [name_f]Helena[/name_f]/[name_f]Alena[/name_f]/[name_f]Elena[/name_f]/[name_f]Eleni[/name_f] are very Greek. I like [name_f]Penelope[/name_f] too-- what about [name_f]Nell[/name_f] as a nn and kind of the reverse of [name_m]Len[/name_m]?

Some other possibilities:

[name_m]Vincent[/name_m], [name_m]Leo[/name_m], and

[name_f]Agatha[/name_f]
[name_f]Agnes[/name_f]
[name_f]Alice[/name_f]
[name_f]Athena[/name_f]
[name_f]Catherine[/name_f]
[name_f]Daphne[/name_f]
[name_f]Esme[/name_f]
[name_f]Imogen[/name_f]
[name_f]Irene[/name_f]
[name_f]Iris[/name_f]
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f]/[name_f]Margot[/name_f]
[name_f]Melita[/name_f]
[name_f]Minerva[/name_f]
[name_f]Pamela[/name_f]
[name_f]Phaedra[/name_f]
[name_f]Phoebe[/name_f]
[name_f]Sophia[/name_f]/[name_f]Sophie[/name_f]
[name_f]Sybil[/name_f]
[name_f]Teresa[/name_f]
[name_f]Thalia[/name_f]

[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f] it is!!! So we will have. vincent, [name_m]Leo[/name_m] and [name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]!!

I still say it with the [name_f]Leena[/name_f] sound - do you think the more proper pronunciation is magda-[name_f]Layna[/name_f]? It’s not a mispronunciation I would mind because it is also beautiful!

[name_f]Lena[/name_f] has 3 valid pronunciations as far as I know: leh-na, lee-na, and lay-nuh. I pronounce it [name_u]Lee[/name_u]-na unless told otherwise, and I love it. I do find it quite close to [name_m]Leo[/name_m] ([name_m]Vincent[/name_m] and [name_m]Leo[/name_m] are two of my faves by the way!), so I love the idea of a longer name, with the potential nickname [name_f]Lena[/name_f].

[name_f]Milena[/name_f]
[name_f]Helena[/name_f]/[name_f]Helene[/name_f]
[name_f]Lenora[/name_f]/[name_f]Leonora[/name_f]
[name_f]Elena[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]

However, if you love it, go for it! I wouldn’t say the similarity to [name_m]Leo[/name_m] is a deal-breaker.