[Opinions] Re: Alaina
in reply to a message by Lily
My favorite is Elaine. I love it. It's so Arthurian, so half sick of shadows and looking down to Camelot, and yet nicely mid-century at the same time. Imo, that's a neat mix.
The rest of them don't appeal to me. Lana, nn Lainie, doesn't work for me at all. Every Lana I've met was a LAH-na not LAY-na. Lani or Lonny (LAH-nee) would be a more intuitive nickname.
"Trendy and made up" pretty much sums up my feelings for Alaina and Elaina. I'm not a fan. There are so many similar names with real history and heft, like Alana, Elaine, Elena, that I like so much more. Alaina and Elaina look like faux names by comparisons, like knock-offs of the originals.
I definitely would not change the spelling of a proper name to match the spelling of a nickname. Not ever. Would you change Michael to Mikeal just because you intended to call him Mike? Does a Jenny need to be short for Jennyfer? No nickname needs to be spelled out in the proper name to be usable.
Eta: I pronounce Alaina as ah-LAY-na.
The rest of them don't appeal to me. Lana, nn Lainie, doesn't work for me at all. Every Lana I've met was a LAH-na not LAY-na. Lani or Lonny (LAH-nee) would be a more intuitive nickname.
"Trendy and made up" pretty much sums up my feelings for Alaina and Elaina. I'm not a fan. There are so many similar names with real history and heft, like Alana, Elaine, Elena, that I like so much more. Alaina and Elaina look like faux names by comparisons, like knock-offs of the originals.
I definitely would not change the spelling of a proper name to match the spelling of a nickname. Not ever. Would you change Michael to Mikeal just because you intended to call him Mike? Does a Jenny need to be short for Jennyfer? No nickname needs to be spelled out in the proper name to be usable.
Eta: I pronounce Alaina as ah-LAY-na.
This message was edited 3/19/2012, 6:56 PM