I have never heard of the actress would this deter you from using the name?
I think the repeat of ann in [name]ShANNon[/name] and in [name]ANNabel[/name] makes it unusable, although [name]Shannon[/name] [name]Isobel[/name] would work.
[name]Cosette[/name]- [name]LOVE[/name]
[name]Erin[/name] - just ok. seems dull next to other choices
[name]Shannon[/name] - NO NO NO
[name]Elizabeth[/name] - a beautiful Classic
[name]Renee[/name]/[name]Renae[/name] - it feels dated
[name]River[/name] - It’s a boys name to me and i feel like it’s not really your style
annabel- [name]LOVE[/name]
[name]Cecelia[/name]- [name]LOVE[/name]
[name]Jill[/name] - I think it started the ball rolling! Thanks for sending out the mental waves! Although [name]Cosette[/name] is the only one that he has semi-agreed to, I’m happy!
[name]Rollo[/name] - You bring up a good point! To be honest, I had to look up [name]Shannon[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] (the actress), and apparently she is in American pop culture movies like “American Pie” (never saw it, myself). I think we’d be safe going with the name since it seems unlikely that her name will remain in people’s minds long, and my daughter’s generation won’t know about these movies for a very long time, if ever.
Merylp - thanks for weighing in!
All - At this point in time, [name]Cosette[/name] is my front-runner. [name]Cosette[/name] [name]Elizabeth[/name] and [name]Cosette[/name] [name]Annabel[/name] are both beautiful to me, just different. [name]Elizabeth[/name] sounds classic and timeless, [name]Annabel[/name] spunky and fun. Because [name]Cosette[/name] is a pretty unique name in the US, is it “safer” to use [name]Elizabeth[/name], or should I bite the bullet and give her a truly one-of-a-kind name?
So my pregnancy-influenced brain just threw a wrench into my short list! I just woke up from a very vivid dream where I was talking to my great-grandmother, whom I grew up being very close to and who passed away only 2 years ago. Now I’m thinking I should honor her in naming my daughter.
Here’s the problem (and I’ve posted on this topic before): my GG’s name was [name]Elinor[/name], which she absolutely despised. She went by [name]Babe[/name], the name her father called her in childhood. I know that if she were here now, she would probably tell me to NOT name my daughter [name]Elinor[/name]. What to do?
I have considered variations on the name: [name]Nora[/name]/[name]Norah[/name], [name]Ella[/name]/[name]Ellie[/name], even [name]Helen[/name] (same root), but none seem right. (And [name]Babe[/name] is just not an option as a real name!) Does anyone have any suggestions or wisdom for this situation? Should I simply remember her in other ways, and not worry about naming a child after her?
That’s a really hard question. I love the name [name]Eleanor[/name] (spelled like that), so I would have no prob using that name. Hah! My m-i-l’s middle name is [name]Eleanor[/name], and she hates it. But I love it! Plus my mom’s name is [name]Helen[/name] and my favorite aunt’s name was [name]Elaine[/name]. All three names come from the same root and mean light. So if I were young enough to have another baby, and if it were a girl, I would be tempted to use some form of [name]Helen[/name]. [name]Love[/name] [name]Helena[/name] and [name]Eleanor[/name] the most for first names. [name]Love[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] and [name]Helen[/name] for middle names. Oooh, love [name]Eleanor[/name] as a middle name as well. [name]Leonora[/name] comes from [name]Eleanor[/name], too. NN [name]Nora[/name] is lovely.
Many times I regret not naming my son after my favorite relative - my Grandpa [name]Bernard[/name]. But I didn’t really love his name. His middle name was [name]Marmaduke[/name] - an odd name. But many times I wish I had named my son [name]Peter[/name] [name]Bernard[/name] after him. But [name]Peter[/name] [name]Bernard[/name] isn’t gorgeous like [name]Peter[/name] [name]Sebastian[/name] which is what I actually named my son. The sad thing is that [name]Peter[/name] is rueful that he wasn’t named after one of his grandpas or great grandpas. He did have a great great great or even slightly greater grandpa named [name]Peter[/name]. That makes him happy. But nobody in my family was ever named [name]Sebastian[/name].
To me [name]Babe[/name] sounds like [name]Barbara[/name]. You could use [name]Barbara[/name] as a middle name.
If I were you, I might name my daughter [name]Eleanor[/name] Kick and call her [name]Nora[/name]. So pretty!
That’s a really hard question. I love the name [name]Eleanor[/name] (spelled like that), so I would have no prob using that name. Hah! My m-i-l’s middle name is [name]Eleanor[/name], and she hates it. But I love it! Plus my mom’s name is [name]Helen[/name] and my favorite aunt’s name was [name]Elaine[/name]. All three names come from the same root and mean light. So if I were young enough to have another baby, and if it were a girl, I would be tempted to use some form of [name]Helen[/name]. [name]Love[/name] [name]Helena[/name] and [name]Eleanor[/name] the most for first names. [name]Love[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] and [name]Helen[/name] for middle names. Oooh, love [name]Eleanor[/name] as a middle name as well. [name]Leonora[/name] comes from [name]Eleanor[/name], too. NN [name]Nora[/name] is lovely.
Many times I regret not naming my son after my favorite relative - my Grandpa [name]Bernard[/name]. But I didn’t really love his name. His middle name was [name]Marmaduke[/name] - an odd name. But many times I wish I had named my son [name]Peter[/name] [name]Bernard[/name] after him. But [name]Peter[/name] [name]Bernard[/name] isn’t gorgeous like [name]Peter[/name] [name]Sebastian[/name] which is what I actually named my son. The sad thing is that [name]Peter[/name] is rueful that he wasn’t named after one of his grandpas or great grandpas. He did have a great great great or even slightly greater grandpa named [name]Peter[/name]. That makes him happy. But nobody in my family was ever named [name]Sebastian[/name].
To me [name]Babe[/name] sounds like [name]Barbara[/name]. You could use [name]Barbara[/name] as a middle name.
If I were you, I might name my daughter [name]Eleanor[/name] Kick and call her [name]Nora[/name]. So pretty![/quote]
[name]Susan[/name] - thanks for the input. I wonder, too, if I will regret not naming my daughter after her. She was an amazing woman and someone I would personally feel honored to be named after. And I know that on my side of the family (which is quite extensive), the name would be very well received. Oddly enough, it hasn’t been used yet! I just talked to my mom about it, and she felt that it would be an honor to name the baby [name]Elinor[/name], despite my GG’s feelings toward her name.
That’s a really hard question. I love the name [name]Eleanor[/name] (spelled like that), so I would have no prob using that name. Hah! My m-i-l’s middle name is [name]Eleanor[/name], and she hates it. But I love it! Plus my mom’s name is [name]Helen[/name] and my favorite aunt’s name was [name]Elaine[/name]. All three names come from the same root and mean light. So if I were young enough to have another baby, and if it were a girl, I would be tempted to use some form of [name]Helen[/name]. [name]Love[/name] [name]Helena[/name] and [name]Eleanor[/name] the most for first names. [name]Love[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] and [name]Helen[/name] for middle names. Oooh, love [name]Eleanor[/name] as a middle name as well. [name]Leonora[/name] comes from [name]Eleanor[/name], too. NN [name]Nora[/name] is lovely.
Many times I regret not naming my son after my favorite relative - my Grandpa [name]Bernard[/name]. But I didn’t really love his name. His middle name was [name]Marmaduke[/name] - an odd name. But many times I wish I had named my son [name]Peter[/name] [name]Bernard[/name] after him. But [name]Peter[/name] [name]Bernard[/name] isn’t gorgeous like [name]Peter[/name] [name]Sebastian[/name] which is what I actually named my son. The sad thing is that [name]Peter[/name] is rueful that he wasn’t named after one of his grandpas or great grandpas. He did have a great great great or even slightly greater grandpa named [name]Peter[/name]. That makes him happy. But nobody in my family was ever named [name]Sebastian[/name].
To me [name]Babe[/name] sounds like [name]Barbara[/name]. You could use [name]Barbara[/name] as a middle name.
If I were you, I might name my daughter [name]Eleanor[/name] Kick and call her [name]Nora[/name]. So pretty![/quote]
[name]Susan[/name] - thanks for the input. I wonder, too, if I will regret not naming my daughter after her. She was an amazing woman and someone I would personally feel honored to be named after. And I know that on my side of the family (which is quite extensive), the name would be very well received. Oddly enough, it hasn’t been used yet! I just talked to my mom about it, and she felt that it would be an honor to name the baby [name]Elinor[/name], despite my GG’s feelings toward her name.[/quote]
I thought about [name]Elinor[/name] and decided it’s a beautiful name, too!
What a fun question!
[name]Elizabeth[/name] and [name]Annabel[/name] are truly classic. I have to disagree with a few of the posters though. I really like the name [name]Shannon[/name]! I think it strikes just the right balance between softness and strength. A friend has been considering this name (I’m actually helping her research names – it’s fun!) and it’s really grown on me and become one of my favorites.
I also think [name]Cosette[/name] is gorgeous! It might be one of those names, however, that will be fun to have as an adult but a bit tougher when she’s younger.
Best of luck to you and DH!
[name]Hi[/name]! I just saw your [name]Elinor[/name] question, and I love [name]Elinor[/name]/[name]Eleanor[/name] so much! I understand that your grandma didn’t like her name, but if you do, and if it would bring you joy to honor her memory, I personally think you should go for it!
I love the flow of [name]Elinor[/name] Kick, and think that [name]Elinor[/name] is fantastic with your son’s name. 
I know how much you love [name]Cosette[/name], and you could always use it as a middle with [name]Elinor[/name].
I’ve been working on my subliminal message skills, so if you’d like me to send anymore messages to your husband, I’m at your service.
Have a good night!
[name]Jill[/name] - thank you for the encouragement with the name [name]Elinor[/name]! I’m really liking the idea, however, I want to give it some time to make sure that it’s the right choice.
Thanks, too, for your subliminal-messaging service! I’m sure it’s starting to work!
No problem! I really excited to see what you choose!
Take care!
My vote goes to [name]Shannon[/name], which is one of my favorites as well! I agree that if you use [name]Elizabeth[/name] as a mn with [name]Shannon[/name] the actress connotation shouldn’t be a big issue.