My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

Is this an accepted spelling?

31 replies

signuptoday · 30/12/2012 17:44

Hi, we are considering names for DD and one of the ones we both like is Ellena spelt like that. Does anyone know if this is an accepted spelling? I don't want to give DD a 'creatively' spelt name!

OP posts:
Report
SecretSantaFix · 30/12/2012 17:45

it is a creative spelling.

Do you mean Eleanor? or Elena?

Report
DharmaBumpkin · 30/12/2012 17:46

Have known Elena's, but not Ellen sorry!

Report
DharmaBumpkin · 30/12/2012 17:50

Elena's obvs!

Report
DharmaBumpkin · 30/12/2012 17:51

Ellena's... If spell check is auto correcting that many times it must tell you something!

Report
mrz · 30/12/2012 17:57
Report
SleighbellsRingInYourLife · 30/12/2012 17:58

I know an Elina (Ell-inn-a).

Report
FrostyTheSnowSlut · 30/12/2012 18:17

I think Eleanor is the standard British spelling but then I've known an Elena and an Elina but both were foreign and that seems to be the standard spelling in lots of places.

I think the extra L is unnecessary. Just go with Elena?

Also all the spellings I've listed haven't been autocorrected, the one you have has.

Report
KnifetyForks · 30/12/2012 18:23

I thought Elena was pronounced 'Elaine-a'?

Report
SamSmalaidh · 30/12/2012 18:24

How are you pronouncing it? El-en-a or El-ay-na?

Report
TheSecondComing · 30/12/2012 18:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

toomuch2young · 30/12/2012 18:29

I know an Elonor and an Elenor!! It seems Eleanor is becoming a name with a hundred spellings. If you like it go for it, it's a pretty name.

Report
TheMonster · 30/12/2012 18:30

I would have thought it was pronounced el-ay-na as opposed to it being a misspelling of Eleanor.

Report
Alisvolatpropiis · 30/12/2012 18:32

I've never seen that spelling before.

Ellen
Elena
Eleanor
Elinor


Which are you going for?

Report
MrsWolowitz · 30/12/2012 18:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrz · 30/12/2012 19:32

If you put Ellena into google search it comes up with a whole host of Ellenas

Report
signuptoday · 31/12/2012 16:33

Thanks for the replies. I think we'll avoid this spelling then. We haven't quite decided on a name for DD yet and it was just one idea DH and I are considering. We also like Ellen (and prefer it to Eleanor/ Elinor) but I know some don't like it as they think it sounds too plain.

OP posts:
Report
forgetmenots · 31/12/2012 17:04

I love Ellen (probably not helpful!)

So classy.

Report
heidipi · 31/12/2012 17:12

My DD is an Ellen! I'm too biased to be helpful, but I'm so pleased we chose it now. I think it's pretty without being fussy, haven't met any other little Ellens at all but it's familiar enough that everyone can spell it (apart from occasionally people think it's Helen with a dropped H). And I like the thought that out 2yo sticky toddler is classy!

Report
GreatCongas · 31/12/2012 17:17

I know a welsh elena but never come across ellena

Report
bluebiscuit · 31/12/2012 17:19

I think Ellena is a minefield of difficult spellings and pronounciations.

Ellen is a lovely name that is easy to use and pretty. I would definitely go for this rather than Ellena.

Report
forgetmenots · 31/12/2012 17:46

Grin heidipi, I'm sure she will thank you when she is older!

Only Elena I know is El-ay-na, and I know an Eleana pronounced the same way. Like Elin too (would assume Scandinavian heritage possibly). Ellen definitely my favourite (and like Nell as a potential nn as well).

Report
nickelbabylyinginamanger · 31/12/2012 17:53

i don't see the problemn of ellena
if you like it.

ps the traditional English way is Elinor.
eleanor is French

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

TheApprentice · 31/12/2012 17:55

I had an Ellena in my class once. Nobody had any trouble pronouncing it.

Report
mrz · 31/12/2012 17:59

It's a perfectly acceptable spelling judging by the number of people with the name. Just because MSword doesn't recognise it means very little.

Report
stickygotstuck · 31/12/2012 18:14

I am pretty sure that Eleanor (& variants) and Elena are completely different names Hmm.

Altough I have met a couple of Eleanors and what I initially heard was "Elena" (pronounced like Helena without the "h"), so I assume that's why many people think they are the same name.

I have just looked it up on the Oxford Names Companion, and it says:
"Eleanor (variants Elinor, Ellenor) - English: from and Old French spelling of the Old Provençal name Alienor, which has been taken to be a derivative of Helen, but is probably of Germanic derivation (with a first element 'ali' - other, foreign). The names was introduced to England by Eleanor of Aquitaine".

Elena is simply defined as "Italian and Spanish verson of Helen". This one is Greek in origin and is pronounced 'ehn-LEH-na'

Ellena does not appear at all and it is a comprehensive book, so OP, to answer your question no, it's not a 'standard' spelling. To save hassle to your DD I'd go for 'Elena'.

Now Helena, Ellen, Elena, Helen are all the same name.

HTH

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.