View Message

Helena
Thoughts? Combinations?
I can't decide if I like it or not. I like the nickname Lena for it. Do you pronounce it HEL-en-uh or he-LAY-nuh? I much prefer the latter.
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

I pronounce Helena HEL-en-uh but Lena LAY-nuh so the nickname doesn't work for me.I don't like the name but that could be because of someone I know with it.Helena Ariel
Helena Chandra
Helena Europa
Helena Io
Helena Lusine
Helena Miranda
Helena Phoebe
Helena Rhiannon
Helena Tanith
Helena Titania
vote up1
I really like the name. I think it would suit any age group. I could see a young girl, teenager, young woman, or older woman wearing this name very well. It seems sexy, and professional without being too exotic or stuffy.
Would anyone who likes this name consider an alternate spelling? Being that the pronunciation could go either way Hel-e-na or He-len-a ( i like the latter) but maybe if it was spelled as Heleyna that sould end the confusion. I like the alternate spelling but it doesnt seem as classic as Helena.
Does Helene have the same allure? I like it as well probably about equally.
Possible combos:
Helena Ammarose
Helena Arielle
Helena Ammabeth
Helena Brielle
Helena Corinn
Helena Elyse
Helena Grace
Helena Genevieve
Helena Isabel
Helena Leone
Helena Lizette
Helena Marjorie
Helena Natalia
Helena Yasmeen
Helena Aileen
Helena Crystal
Helena Christian
Helena Pauline

This message was edited 11/2/2013, 7:53 PM

vote up1
My name, and I love it (go parents!). Lena is my nickname, too :)The Portuguese pronunciation, which is also mine, is something like ay-LAY-na, but not quite. The e's sound like the French é, if you're familiar with that sound, and the h is unvoiced.Helena Zoe
Helena Faye
Helena Bevin
Helena Cait
Helena June
Helena Jade
Helena May
Helena Camille
Helena Daisy
Helena Georgia
Helena Saskia
Helena Tamsin
Helena Ruby
Helena Morgan
Helena Pearl
Helena Claire
Helena Niamh
Helena Mia
Helena Macy
Helena Ruth
Helena Scarlett
Helena Daphne
vote up1
I like it when pronounced he-LAY-nuh, not so much when pronounced HEL-en-uh. As far as how I pronounce it, it would go either way, depending on how the bearer of the name pronounces it. I've only known one Helena, whom I went to vocational school with. I had been aware of her name, but not sure how she pronounced it, and finally asked her. It turned out she pronounced it he-LAY-nuh. If she'd pronounced it HEL-en-uh, I would not have persisted in calling her he-LAY-nuh because I prefer it.
vote up1
I like it. I do prefer it pronounced he-LAY-nuh, b/c that's what I'm accustomed to, it's DH's great aunt's name.
vote up1
I pronounce it He-LAY-nuh, and have always preferred that pronunciation. My favorite combo is Helena Felicity and my favorite name combo of all time is Zoe Helena. Love it. Helen is a family name for me, it was my great grandmother's name, my aunt was named after her (Ellen), I was named after (Eleni), and my cousin's middle is Ellen, so I love that connection, so it makes the name even better to me. And its a spunkier version of the much loved and slightly boring Helen.
vote up1
How do you pronounce your name? Eleni? Is it El-eni almost sounding like Melanie? Or E-leni? I like it either way, had never heard it before and such family history behind it
vote up1
I agree with you. The nn Lena is great and I much prefer he-LAY-nuh. Well, really it sounds like hu-LAY-nuh. HEL-en-uh sounds so ugly.
vote up1
I've only known one person named Helena (growing up) and she pronounced it he-LAY-nuh so that's my default pronunciation although I actually prefer HE-leh-nuh. I think it's pretty though I prefer Elena as it seems lighter.Combos:Helena Katherine
Helena Joy
Helena Rosemary
Helena Sophia
Helena Victoria
Helena Eve

This message was edited 11/2/2013, 4:11 PM

vote up1
I like it, especially because it's a Shakespearean name as well. But the associations in general aren't very good; supposedly, Helena was the cause of the Trojan war; and in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Helena's jealous. And I've got some bad personal associations, too.
I can also imagine the "hel" part bothering some people. Not me, though.
As far as nicknames go, I don't like any of them. Just Helena. I pronounce it HEL-en-uh, by the way. (Side note: I pronounce Elena "e-LAY-nuh")

vote up1