Hel

To be honest, I really like this name. So what if it sounds like "hell"? It would only sound horrific in the English language, but in other languages, it would sound just fine. Besides, Hel wasn't evil like people make her out to be; she was just hurt and betrayed which made her fury grow as time went on, and I can't blame her. Anyhow, I personally find this name to be quite lovely!

Add an "l".

I feel very sorry for Hel. She apparently was a freak. Half her body and face was gorgeously beautiful, the other half horribly deformed. She could hardly walk after being thrown down to the underworld. She seems to have been so horribly lonely...
I'm glad it's just an old story.

It irks me that people are calling this name stupid. Sure, in America people will be shocked, but honestly, it's a mythological name. This website is for all names, not necessarily good names for children.

Why would you want to name your kid after a place where the bad go when they die? I don't know. Simply put, this name is just stupid.

I must admit that I would feel a bit tempted to name my daughter Hel in America and always tell them that hey, there's nothing wrong with it, as it's a mythological name, but people would still think it was a statement made to piss off the religious right, just spelt with one 'L' instead of two to pretend it's not the same as 'hell'. Kind of like if you named your son Saytan, ha ha. Having said that, I find the name too plain and minimalist, and I wouldn't want people to think I'm some sort of hostile contrarian whose mission in life is to annoy people and rub my gloomy attitude on everyone's face at the expense of my poor child's sanity.

I have always liked this name and cannot understand why so many people dislike it. It's simple and beautiful. Hel sounds very feminine to me. I also love Norse mythology, and Loki, so I just like this name.