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Its better than Helen, but I don't see the appeal much.

I love Ellen. It's simple, has a Medieval vibe to me, and it's a strong name.

Actually I like this.

This message was edited 12/28/2023, 7:15 PM

Ellen was the name of one of my great grandmothers, and as a kid I always hated it. I thought it was so boring and abrupt, there was no music in it. I almost found it embarrassing somehow.

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I saw it in a new light once, when I met a super cool, nice teenager named Ellen. It suited her perfectly: she was one of those rare teens who had lots of breezy, down to earth, casual confidence. She was so effortlessly comfortable with herself it somehow encouraged other people to relax and accept themselves, too. It was magical. I spent a single day with her and by the end of it I had a kind of crush on her, the way a kid does when they meet someone they really admire. So then, Ellen took on those qualities, and I liked the name.

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Then the comedian got famous and Ellen became like a byword for awkward cringe, kind of a "loser" name (and now, a bully). Such a shame!

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I hope Ellen can be appreciated again.

I appreciate Ellen's staid calm, though I prefer Helen.

It makes me think of the kind of 19th century housemaid whose excuse when she dropped or broke anything was 'It came apart in my hands'.

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I much prefer Eleanor and Helen; of the two I like Helen better. On both sides of my family tree there is a 19th century Nellie person whose full name was, indeed, Nellie. If I wanted to honour them, I'd use Eleanor; if I went on preference it would be Helen. I wouldn't use Ellen at all.

It's a bit bland and still suffers from the whole Ellen DeGeneres scandal.

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I don't dislike it, but it just feels tired and bland. It would need a really nice namesake or something and then it could sparkle again. I doubt that will happen soon, because by now people are tired of Ella and Ellie, so Ellen will not sound any more exciting any time soon. In my opinion, the best things it has going for it are the nickname Ellie and the fact that it's down to earth. But Ellie is popular on its own and starting to feel tired and without a sweet nickname, Ellen is less appealing.

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I personally like Ella, Elinor, Eleanor and Ellie and am not tired of them, but many people seem to be. I also like Elena, but only as eh-LAY-na.

I always liked Ellen. It's so bright and down-to-earth and I'm mystified as to why it hasn't made any kind of comeback like Ella or Ellie.

It’s my middle name! I am very fond of it.

It’s ok, has no oomph to it though. I prefer Elena or Helena.

I love it.

It's ok