I recently came across the name [name_f]Elke[/name_f] at work. I knew I liked it on paper but wasn’t sure how to pronounce it initially. I think it’s pronounced [name_f]Ell[/name_f]-ka.
With names like [name_f]Esme[/name_f], [name_f]Elsa[/name_f], [name_f]Ella[/name_f], [name_f]Elena[/name_f], [name_f]Elle[/name_f], etc. picking up in popularity, would [name_f]Elke[/name_f] fit right in? Does it have that whimsical Scandinavian sound that [name_f]Freya[/name_f] and [name_f]Astrid[/name_f] have or is it the odd one out?
[name_m]Just[/name_m] wanted to get some opinions on it before it shoehorns its way onto my list.
I like it. I knew a woman with this name who went by “Elkie.” It does connote the megafauna in the deer species a bit, however. That is, even though it has not etymological connection with elks. I don’t know if that association is too much. If so, some of its variations like [name_f]Ilka[/name_f] might help. I like [name_f]Ilka[/name_f] a lot.
[name_u]Love[/name_u] love love [name_f]Elke[/name_f]. I have always thought it has a whimsical sound to it! I actually know a 13 year old [name_f]Elka[/name_f] and I can’t say enough good things about her, so that of course makes me love the name even more. Although it is different it is easy to say and like you said, has many of the same sounds as some of the currently trendy names right now. Very cute!
I like it. I think of the vintage [name_m]German[/name_m] actress [name_f]Elke[/name_f] [name_f]Sommer[/name_f]. My only concern is that you might have to correct people on the pronunciation.
I love [name_f]Elke[/name_f], said [name_f]Ell[/name_f]-kuh. It’s a beautiful name, and I think it’s definitely got that whimsical quality to it. It reminds me of forests, snow, and castles. The elk thing doesn’t bother me, it’s odd but just that additional ‘a’ sound at the end completely changes it from a slightly harsh sounding word into an elegant name; at least for me anyway!
I couldn’t find anything about a Scandinavian background, though it might be used there, too. Here, it’s rather dated.
If you want to ensure the [name_f]El[/name_f]-ka pronunciation, there’s always [name_f]Elka[/name_f], since [name_f]Elke[/name_f] is more [name_f]Ell[/name_f]-keh (eh has a similar sound to a short English A as in Amelia- depending on your pronunciation of course). Here’s the pronunciation: http://de.forvo.com/word/elke/#nl
I love the name [name_f]Elke[/name_f]. The first time I heard it was on the Real World ([name_m]Boston[/name_m]? There was also a [name_u]Genesis[/name_u] which I thought was so cool :P) back in the 90’s and I thought it was gorgeous. If you’re in the US, I think [name_f]Elka[/name_f] is the better spelling.
I went to school with an [name_f]Elke[/name_f] (she pronounced it [name_f]Ell[/name_f]-ka) I like the name and she wore it well. I remember thinking it was a good thing she was the confident type though because it might have been hard on her to have such a distinguished and kinda clunky name if she were more shy and less popular. Name times have changed though and unusual names are much more common than they were twenty years ago of course.
I’d never heard of it before. At first read I thought it was a boys name in the same line as [name_m]Wolfe[/name_m] or [name_m]Bear[/name_m]. Definitely feels like a nature name. It’s not terrible, but it’s certainly going to stand out outside of Scandinavia.
I love [name_f]Elke[/name_f] - she’s simple, fresh, fun and zesty and does certainly have that Scandinavian whimsy type of feel. I also like it spelled [name_f]Elka[/name_f], which would certainly help pronunciation should that be of concern.
A really lovely name- I met an [name_f]Elka[/name_f] a few weeks ago, and she was really lovely too. I would go with the [name_f]Elka[/name_f] spelling to avoid confusion though.