Message: "Helena?" - Behind the Name

[Opinions] Helena?

by Link (Link.old)

6/10/2006, 10:21 AM

Looking for a mn that is reflective of Eleni. WDYT of Helena?
I would pronounce it He-LAY-na. Or maybe He-LEN-a?

#Helena

Replies

- Lillian (LillianAMS) +1

6/11/2006, 9:12 PM

I love Helena

I use it sort of interchangeably with Elena, because they are both usually mn choices for me, and sometimes you want a consonant first, sometimes you don't. My personal pronunciation is actually somewhere between hehLAYnah and hehLENah.

~Lillian~
Proud daughter of Ann and John
Proud sister of Lauren and Leah
Proud wife of David
Proud mother of Alexander, Scarlett, Sophia, and Gideon

- Link (Link.old)

6/11/2006, 10:22 PM

Thanks Lillian, glad you like it!

- PrettyElke

6/11/2006, 12:25 PM

I LOVE that name! It is a really great song by My Chemical Romance, and the girl in the music video who plays Helena is so gorgeous.

- Isla

6/10/2006, 10:39 PM

Definitely could work. I like the heh-LAY-nah pronounciation best, but I also like HELL-eh-ah.

~Heather~

"Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?" - Ernest Gaines

- gypsy +1

6/10/2006, 5:28 PM

I think it's a very pretty name. I pronounce it He-LAY-na.

- Link (Link.old)

6/10/2006, 5:40 PM

thanks!

- D (guest) +1

6/10/2006, 4:13 PM

My sister-in-law pronounces it "Eh-LAY-nuh" (silent H). Her MN is Mercedes. I have always liked her name - Helena Mercedes.

- Link (Link.old)

6/10/2006, 5:38 PM

I like that too.

- Array (WeloveyouJesseLacey)

6/10/2006, 2:18 PM

Helena is very nice.

As for pronunciations...Helen-uh sounds stuffy and pretentious to me, so that's my least favourite pronunciation. My favourite is he-LAY-nah, and after that, he-LEE-nah. I also like the similar Helaine (heh-LAYNE); I think it's really pretty without being overly fanciful, and it would make a good middle name (like Nicole but not Nicole, you know? :).

Array

Mick Jagger is older than:
1. Velcro
2. Cake mix
3. Israel
A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having.

- V. (ars musica) +1

6/10/2006, 12:09 PM

I absolutely adore the name Helena. It's so elegant and not overly popular. It would certainly work well on an individual of any age. I personally pronounce it HELL-uh-nuh.

- Link (guest)

6/10/2006, 12:51 PM

Wow, I didn't think it would be so well received! Though it seems to have so many different pronounciations. I don't mind that though. Thanks for the input.

- kahurema

6/10/2006, 11:52 AM

I pro. it Hel-ee-nuh or Huh-lee-nuh. Its was my g-ma's name and thats how she pro. it.

- Julia (JuliaF) +2

6/10/2006, 11:19 AM

I love it only said HEL-eh-nah. The other ones sound funny to me.

Eleni Helena is terrible, though. Is that what you mean?

- Link (guest) +1

6/10/2006, 12:48 PM

Yikes!

No, that's not what i meant, that is terrible :) I'm looking for an alternate to Eleni, which is a family name.

- Julia (JuliaF)

6/10/2006, 2:13 PM

Ah, good. What a relief!

- Bear (guest) +2

6/10/2006, 10:58 AM

I love Helena, but only if it's pronounced "helen + a," like Helena Bonham Carter.

- link (guest) +1

6/10/2006, 12:46 PM

How do you think it would be pronounced by the majority? without provocation?

- Bear

6/10/2006, 1:29 PM

I generally see a preference for "heh-LAY-na" on these boards, like Elena. While I love Elena, I can't take the "heh-LAY-na" pronunciaiton of Helena. Don't ask me why.

Occasionally, I'll see, "heh-LEE-na," like Helena Rubenstein cosmetics.

Other forms of Eleni:

Ellen
Helen
Eileen
Eilidh (EYE-lee)

I'm not sure, but sometimes I see Eleanor / Lenore / Lenora as a form of Ellen / Helen. I'm suspicious though. They both share the traditional nn Nell.

- LimeGreen +1

6/10/2006, 10:40 AM

I like it pronounced He-LAY-na. (3 sylobols). I like it.

- Link (Link.old)

6/10/2006, 10:42 AM

Yah, I think the long 'A' sound in He-lay-na reduces the choppiness. Thanks for the input!

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