[name]Hi[/name] everyone!
My husband and I are probably going to start ttc in the next year, so we have been discussing baby names. We have the boy name picked out: [name]Declan[/name] [name]Leighton[/name] ([name]Leighton[/name] is a family name, pronounced ‘[name]Lay[/name]-ton’). But, we are having trouble agreeing on/finding a girl name that we both like. We really want to use his mom’s middle name somehow ([name]Elaine[/name]). I want a name that is not very popular, but that is not too ‘out there’ either. We live in the southern US, so I am afraid that some of the names I like will be mispronounced or spelled incorrectly, etc.
Our last name is really long, starts with a V and ends in a Y.
Here is what we have liked so far:
[name]Violet[/name] [name]Elaine[/name]
[name]Elena[/name] [name]Catherine[/name]
[name]Aurelia[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] (pronunciation nightmare in the south?)
[name]Catherine[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] (However, I hate the nicknames for this name, it would be [name]Catherine[/name] only)
[name]Charlotte[/name] [name]Elaine[/name]
We both really like [name]Elena[/name] (e-lane-ah), but my niece’s name is Delana (Duh-lane-ah). I’ve also read a lot on how this name is pronounced and spelled so many different ways…
Other names that have caught my eye include:
[name]Arianna[/name]
[name]Emelia[/name]
[name]Emmaline[/name] (While [name]Emma[/name] is a lovely name, it is SO popular that I would never use it, but I don’t hate this name…)
Does anyone have any suggestions??
Thanks in advance!!
I really love [name]Violet[/name] [name]Elaine[/name], and [name]Catherine[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] is lovely too. I like the idea of an alliterative last name with [name]Violet[/name] as well, especially one that is long and interesting. 
Thank you for replying shieldsc!
[name]Violet[/name] [name]Elaine[/name] is the one that feels most like ‘my daughter’ to me and my husband likes it, but doesn’t love it, so I am just trying to see if we can find something we both love but, if I had to decide today, that would be my pick too. Although, I do worry about its rising popularity?
Firstly, I say I would pronounce [name]Elena[/name] as “a-len-uh”. [name]One[/name] of my very close people is named this and I love her name.
[name]Elena[/name] [name]Catherine[/name] is so beautiful and feminine, my absolute favorite from your list. I am not crazy about [name]Aurelia[/name] though I can pronounce it, [name]Charlotte[/name] is really popular and don’t recommend to use [name]Catherine[/name](she will almost for sure get a nickname in school when people will feel lazy to pronounce her full name even if you don’t like her to have one) or [name]Violet[/name](it has lost almost all its vintage gem appeal after being used by [name]Ben[/name] Afflec(sp?) and if your last name starts with V, she will be [name]Violet[/name] V). From your other choices I like [name]Emeline[/name](spelled this way) and [name]Emilia[/name](again, this spelling). [name]How[/name] do you feel about [name]Amelie[/name], [name]Amelia[/name], [name]Amalia[/name], [name]Amabel[/name], [name]Mabel[/name], [name]Evelyn[/name]?
If you would like to honor [name]Elaine[/name], what about [name]Eleni[/name], [name]Alina[/name], [name]Helene[/name], [name]Eleanor[/name], [name]Elle[/name] or [name]Leonie[/name]? They all have either similar sound or spelling.
I think [name]Violet[/name] is lovely and [name]Emaline[/name] has a nice sound to it as well. I prefer [name]Emelia[/name] to [name]Amelia[/name].
What about [name]Eleanor[/name]/a/?
I really like [name]Elena[/name] [name]Catherine[/name], [name]Emelia[/name] (though I prefer the [name]Emilia[/name] spelling), and [name]Emmaline[/name].
Thanks everyone!
So you guys don’t think [name]Elena[/name] [name]Catherine[/name] would be a problem since my niece’s name is Delana?
Any thoughts on the [name]Elena[/name] and Delana issue??
Thanks!