There are quite a few pairs of names (typically variations of the same root name, though sometimes not) that sound almost exactly alike except for the fact that one starts with a “H” and one doesn’t.
I hadn’t thought of endings! I think I prefer [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] to [name_f]Sara[/name_f], but with [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and [name_f]Norah[/name_f] I change my mind every day
I like [name_f]Eloise[/name_f], [name_f]Esther[/name_f] and [name_m]Adrian[/name_m] more than their H counterparts, but I prefer [name_f]Helena[/name_f] and [name_f]Helene[/name_f] to [name_f]Elena[/name_f] and [name_f]Ellen[/name_f] (though I couldn’t tell you if I liked [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f] less than [name_f]Helena[/name_f]/e).
I prefer [name_u]Hayden[/name_u] to [name_u]Aiden[/name_u], but I don’t mind (or have a preference) about [name_u]Hadley[/name_u] and [name_u]Adley[/name_u].
For names ending in h it’s similar. I like [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] better than [name_f]Sara[/name_f], but couldn’t decide between [name_f]Nora[/name_f] and [name_f]Norah[/name_f]. For me, they both elude such different perceptions and feelings - [name_f]Nora[/name_f] is sweet and vintage-y and [name_f]Norah[/name_f] is effortless and cool ([name_f]Norah[/name_f] [name_m]Jones[/name_m]!) while still being elegant.
Generally I seem to prefer the more well-established spelling when it comes to names like [name_f]Sarah[/name_f] or [name_u]Noah[/name_u], but when it comes to less well-known names, I’m not sure. I’m not an [name_f]English[/name_f] native, so having an h at the end of names ending in a often seems a bit unnecessary to me. When it’s a common name like [name_u]Noah[/name_u], I don’t mind, but if it’s a name like [name_m]Hezekiah[/name_m] or [name_m]Nehemiah[/name_m] the h bothers me a little. With that said, I think a lot of names ending in h are originally quite biblical and that book is not a central part of my life, so those names are often not familiar to me, and the names differ from country to country. [name_m]John[/name_m] becomes [name_m]Johannes[/name_m], [name_m]Juan[/name_m] or [name_m]Ivan[/name_m], for example and where I’m from, a lot of the names are just cut short of the h.
For me it really depends on the name. I prefer [name_f]Helena[/name_f] to [name_f]Eleanor[/name_f], and [name_f]Elena[/name_f] to [name_f]Helena[/name_f], and [name_f]Hallie[/name_f] to [name_u]Allie[/name_u]. I don’t think the H sound plays a big part in whether I like the name or not. For me it’s more about familiarity, associations, imagery etc.
I prefer [name_m]Adrian[/name_m] and [name_f]Esther[/name_f], but mostly prefer [name_u]Hayden[/name_u], [name_u]Hadley[/name_u] & [name_f]Helena[/name_f]
Long story short: I don’t like "H"s. (Except for [name_f]Helene[/name_f]. I don’t even like [name_u]Hayden[/name_u] and [name_u]Hadley[/name_u], but I had to choose one.)
