We’re going to start round two of IVF at the end of this year. Our plan for a boy is [name_u]Rhodes[/name_u]. I’ve been hung up on [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] and [name_f]Elena[/name_f]. I live in Australia and all the Aus forums keep reiterating nobody will pronounce [name_f]Elena[/name_f] as Eh-LAY-Nah, my husband is American and this is the spelling he wants. I too prefer it.
The combo we wanted was [name_f]Elena[/name_f] [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]. Sibling to [name_m]Jonas[/name_m] and [name_f]Abigail[/name_f] .
I also really love [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] and especially the Hebrew meaning, but I feel like if we commit to it we have to ditch both middle names that I am so attached to
I have considered [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]. But even that still doesn’t feel like it works.
I need a [name_f]Mary[/name_f] name as an honour name and [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is to honour our love of [name_u]New[/name_u] Orleans.
I’m so torn. What would you do? Thanks!
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] and [name_f]Elena[/name_f] are both good names. I don’t know much about Australian pronunciation (I’m American and didn’t know there were any ways other than Eh-Lay-Nah to say that name), but I think that [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] is probably the better choice if you think no one will pronounce [name_f]Elena[/name_f] how you want them too.
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] is beautiful, and if [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] doesn’t work for you, what about [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u]? (Maggie as a short form of Magnolia) I think that has a nice sound to it. If you’re going to use [name_f]Elena[/name_f], [name_f]Elena[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] [name_f]Mary[/name_f] is nice.
I see your dilemma! Would you like the [name_f]Elaina[/name_f] spelling to make pronunciation more clear?
How is [name_f]Elena[/name_f] typically pronounced in Australia?
Yeah, I’d pronounce [name_f]Elena[/name_f] ‘el-leh-nuh’
A different spelling could work- Elaina/Elayna?
[name_f]Elle[/name_f] [name_f]Marielle[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] maybe? To get both [name_f]Elena[/name_f] and [name_f]Eliana[/name_f]?
I’m Australian too and I would definitely pronounce [name_f]Elena[/name_f] the same way as you. If the spelling was [name_f]Ellena[/name_f], I would pronounce it as Ellen-uh.
[name_f]Elaina[/name_f] would get your desired pronunciation, but imo it loses some of Elena’s charm.
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] would work too. Could you use [name_f]Nola[/name_f] as a shorter middle to reference [name_u]New[/name_u] Orleans (it being the short version of [name_u]New[/name_u] Orleans, Louisiana). [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] [name_f]Nola[/name_f]? Sounds good to me!
What about [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]?
I love both names!
I have slight preference to [name_f]Eliana[/name_f]. I think [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] has a more lyrical sound and less pronunciation issues. I think [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] is just easier to figure out. Whereas [name_f]Elena[/name_f] has a lot of different pronunciation which can make the name challenging. Personally I really like [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]. I think the name sounds very melodic and pretty. Also I do feel that yes as berries we focus on flow a lot but the reality is it’s more important to choose a name we love rather than overly think about a slightly off flow.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps
i love both names! i think your elena combo works well! 🫶🏻
i grew up with a name i’ve always had to correct. my name is emilia, and i would get the strangest things. eh-mil-yuh, em-il-lee-yuh, em-il-eel-uh the list goes on. but it never has hugely bothered me, once i correct someone the first time they never (usually) get it wrong again.
I like [name_f]Elena[/name_f] but not [name_f]Eliana[/name_f]. [name_f]Elena[/name_f] is very elegant. Why don’t you think about [name_f]Elaine[/name_f]? I feel it’s closer to the desired pronounce.
[name_f]Elena[/name_f] [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] is gorgeous - warm and bright! I think it depends on how frustrating you think correcting the pronunciation will be/become - it might be worth asking the people around you how they’d instinctively say it, to gage how they will actually say it!
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] is light and beautiful too - contemporary but established. [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] sounds fine to me
A few other combos:
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Maren[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Maris[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Polly[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Molly[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Mitzi[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
I realize this is not what you’re asking for, but would you consider [name_f]Nola[/name_f] as a first name, in place of [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]? I think it works wonderfully with your children’s names! [name_f]Nola[/name_f] [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] [name_f]Elena[/name_f] maybe.
[name_f]My[/name_f] inclination with the names you mention is to go with what you love, [name_f]Elena[/name_f] [name_f]Mariel[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]. This is dependent on how much it would bother you if people pronounce or spell your child’s name wrong. The people close to you would catch it very quickly I’m sure.
Why would you need to ditch the two middle names you love if you went with [name_f]Eliana[/name_f]?
Most people would pronounce it phonetically EL-LEN-A
I agree with you about [name_f]Elaina[/name_f]. It loses its charm, it makes me think of the [name_f]Elaine[/name_f] pronounciation EE-Layne and doesn’t reflect the [name_u]Eh[/name_u] sound I hear with [name_f]Elena[/name_f], plus I have an ex-student by that name so I don’t want it to look like an honour name.
Thank you for the positive comments on my [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] combo! I’ll keep it on my list and see
I‘m glad you don’t think it sounds bad, that makes me feel a little better!
[name_m]Just[/name_m] worried the flow is off.
Your children have beautiful names! I love the sound of both [name_f]Elena[/name_f] and [name_f]Eliana[/name_f]. I’m from NZ and would pronounce [name_f]Elena[/name_f] as Eh-Lay-Nah. I don’t think pronunciation would be too big of an issue because once corrected, people would know. The middle name combos you have chosen are also lovely.
[name_f]Hope[/name_f] this helps
I do think that [name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Mary[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f] will work, but here are a few other options for both first and middle name(s)
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_u]Marie[/name_u] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Margot[/name_f] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_f]Maggie[/name_f] [name_f]Mariel[/name_f]
[name_f]Eliana[/name_f] [name_u]Maria[/name_u] [name_f]Magnolia[/name_f]
If you wanted the name to sound like Eh-lay-nah, maybe [name_f]Elayna[/name_f], or [name_f]Elyana[/name_f]?