I can’t decide between two similar names, [name_f]Lina[/name_f] “lee-nuh” or [name_f]Lena[/name_f] “lay-nuh”. I love both names, I think they’re short and sweet, and roll off of the tongue nicely. The last name is Rums3y. Trying to chose between the two fuller names I have hasn’t helped either: [name_f]Alina[/name_f] [name_f]Mae[/name_f] or [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] [name_f]Cate[/name_f].
[name_m]Don[/name_m]'t worry, we’re not expecting a youth, so this isn’t affecting anything except my own sanity for right now.
Which do you prefer [name_f]Alina[/name_f] “[name_f]Lina[/name_f]” [name_f]Mae[/name_f] or [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] “[name_f]Lena[/name_f]” [name_f]Cate[/name_f]?
I know an adorable [name_f]Alina[/name_f] “[name_f]Lina[/name_f]” that made me like the name, so it gets my vote. I don’t like [name_f]Marlena[/name_f].
[name_f]Alina[/name_f] is gorgeous! The name [name_f]Lena[/name_f] (lay-nuh) is pretty, but I don’t care for [name_f]Marlena[/name_f]. [name_m]How[/name_m] about [name_f]Milena[/name_f] or [name_f]Elena[/name_f]?
I really like [name_f]Alina[/name_f] “[name_f]Lina[/name_f]”! I think [name_f]Lina[/name_f] is a bit sharper and contrasts better with your surname than [name_f]Lena[/name_f] does, and that [name_f]Lena[/name_f] would probably be mispronounced as [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-na a lot of the time.
I like [name_f]Cate[/name_f] better as a middle name than [name_f]Mae[/name_f]. [name_f]Alina[/name_f] [name_f]Cate[/name_f] would be my pick, if that’s an option.
Thanks for your opinions everyone. I’m sad there’s not so much love for [name_f]Marlena[/name_f], but I’m happy to see the love for [name_f]Alina[/name_f]. Thanks for weighing in!
Erm, haha, I love the sound of both! I dislike the spelling of [name_f]Lina[/name_f], though; it’s always seemed rather harsh to me. I love the [name_f]Lena[/name_f] spelling, and I like both [name_u]LEE[/name_u]-nah and [name_m]LAY[/name_m]-nah. I’d probably do [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] nn [name_f]Lena[/name_f] (or go straight to the Danish [name_f]Helene[/name_f] nn [name_f]Lene[/name_f] or the [name_m]French[/name_m] [name_f]Leina[/name_f], which I think is said like [name_m]LAY[/name_m]-nah), but that’s just my style. Of your options, I like [name_f]Alina[/name_f] [name_f]Mae[/name_f] the best, so I’d probably go with that. I think [name_f]Lena[/name_f]/[name_f]Leina[/name_f]/[name_f]Laina[/name_f]/however-you-want-to-spell it is perfection, though!
Well, I would pronounce both [name_f]Lina[/name_f] and [name_f]Lena[/name_f] as “lee-na” so I may not be the best judge, haha. Aside from that, I don’t care for [name_f]Alina[/name_f] [name_f]Mae[/name_f]. [name_f]Alina[/name_f] is one of those names I just irrationally hate and I find [name_f]Mae[/name_f] to be a total filler name. So from that, I would go with [name_f]Lena[/name_f] and in extension [name_f]Milena[/name_f] [name_f]Cate[/name_f].
I prefer [name_f]Lena[/name_f] over [name_f]Lina[/name_f], but I also prefer [name_f]Alina[/name_f] over [name_f]Marlena[/name_f]. Overall, I think [name_f]Alina[/name_f] gets my vote.
[name_f]Marlena[/name_f] [name_f]Cate[/name_f] is cute, although I’d instinctively nickname her [name_u]Marley[/name_u] and not [name_f]Lena[/name_f]. I [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] [name_f]Elena[/name_f] as a first name and so I’m obviously going to favour [name_f]Lena[/name_f] over [name_f]Lina[/name_f], but I prefer the combo [name_f]Alina[/name_f] [name_f]Mae[/name_f] over [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] [name_f]Cate[/name_f].
I much prefer [name_f]Lena[/name_f] but [name_f]Alina[/name_f] “[name_f]Lina[/name_f]” is prettier than [name_f]Marlena[/name_f] which is NMS. [name_f]Lena[/name_f] sounds sophisticated on it’s own, without a full name, but if you want a full name I love pp’s suggestion of [name_f]Elena[/name_f].
[name_f]Marlena[/name_f] [name_f]Cate[/name_f] is a great name! Beautiful, classic, strong. I would suggest thinking about people who you know or know of whose names have the lina/lena sounds in it. [name_m]How[/name_m] do you instinctually sound out an unfamiliar name with lina/lena?
Can I suggest [name_f]Alena[/name_f]? My friend has a niece with this name and everyone adores it. [name_f]Alena[/name_f] [name_f]Cate[/name_f] would be my top choice if you’re open for it, otherwise I’ll vote for [name_f]Alina[/name_f].
Thanks for all of the feedback everyone. It seems like [name_f]Alina[/name_f] is the clear winner.
Right now, I have [name_f]Mae[/name_f] as the middle to honor my best friend, but I don’t know if it will stay permanently. I haven’t been able to find a middle for [name_f]Alina[/name_f] that really wows me. Since [name_f]Mae[/name_f] is an honor name, it ranks above [name_f]Cate[/name_f] for me.