What do you think of these girls' names?
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What do you think of these girls' names?
| Tue, 11-14-2006 - 12:38pm |
What do you think of these girls' names?
- Elisabeth Ann (nn "Elsie")
- Lydia Jean
- Eleanor Shaine (nn "Lani")
- Adalia Jenell (nn "Addie") [means refuge of God; understanding, kindne
- another combination of these names (please post a reply w/ your ideas)
You will be able to change your vote.


Honestly, I like them all.
AJ, enjoying life with C.
Are mn family names??
Elisabeth Ann (nn "Elsie")
I do like Elisabeth and Elsie, but Elisabeth Ann is an extremely typical combo. It is almost boring, although I hesitate using that word because I do find the names beautiful. I would use one, but not the other. I love Elisabeth nn Elsie, but I would use a more unique mn.
Lydia Jean
I really like this one. The flow is beautiful and I love Lydia- so classy and feminine. It GMV.
Eleanor Shaine (nn "Lani")
I also love this, although prefer the nn Nora. Could have gotten my vote except for the nn Lani, as I don't really see where you're getting that from Eleanor.
Adalia Jenell (nn "Addie") [means refuge of God; understanding, kindne
Adalia is beautiful and I Love nn Addie (Adeline nn Addie is one of my top choices) but Jenell is really nms.
-Nikki
Elisabeth Ann (nn "Elsie") -- as a pp stated, I wouldn't use both of these together, although I like them both. It's just such a common combo, I'd pair either one with a more unique fn or mn.
Lydia Jean -- Jean also strikes me as a bit of a unisex filler mn, and I much prefer the very-similar related name Jane, so unless it's a family name I might reconsider (or even if it is, I suppose, since Jean is a form of Jane, after all ). Lydia is a fine name, but since the meanings seem to be important to you I thought it was worth mentioning I've only ever seen this as a place name, meaning, obviously, from Lydia. And of course there's the Biblical "seller of purple" reference, but the name itself wouldn't actually mean that (just happened to be the Biblical Lydia's occupation). And of course Jean means God is gracious, but I'm guessing you just shortened it for poll purposes.
Eleanor Shaine (nn "Lani") -- again, I'm not sure where the "beautiful" meaning comes from, but I'm guessing some form of John is a family name for you? Only asking because Shaine looks like a variation of the masculine name Shane. I don't mind it as a mn, especially if it's a family name, but it's not my favorite combo -- although I do love Eleanor! ;) Maybe Eleanor Jane or Eleanor Adalia (or even a form of Elisabeth as a mn -- Bethan, Ilse, etc.). I also prefer Nora over Lani, as a pp mentioned (but that's just personal preference), or you might also like Nell, since I see you have "Jenell" as a mn option below. Just a thought! ;)
Adalia Jenell (nn "Addie") -- love Adalia (would you be using the ad-a-LIE-a or a-DAL-ya pronunciation?), but the nn Addie seems to cheapen it a bit, what with all the names currently using Abby/Addy nns. I'd love the nn Ada, but the name gives you plenty of other options. I'm not familiar with Jenell spelled this way (although I have known a few Janelles), so it looks misspelled/incomplete to me. Not my favorite mn, again. Adalia is different enough to get away with a more common mn, however, so maybe Adalia Jane?
HTH
~Kelli
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Lydia and Eleanor are pretty close for my faves of your first names, but I voted Lydia Jean as I'm not fond of either Shaine or the nn Lani. Eleanor Jean or Eleanor Ann, with Nora, Ellie or my favourite, Nell, as nn, would be first place contenders for me. I quite like Adalia, a classic-sounding name but underused and hence distinctive, but Addie is very, very common right now (short for Addison, Adeline, and others, some overly trendy), and Jenell is not for me. I also like Elisabeth, and prefer the S spelling as well (unless the intended nn is Eliza), and love Elsie as a nn (but also love Elise, Eliza, Betsy). I agree with the previous comment, though, that Elisabeth Ann is a bit too standard of a combination. Elisabeth (and Elizabeth), while not hugely popular or trendy, is a name familiar to everyone, and I think it would benefit from being paired with a more unusual middle name.
I'm also curious how important the meanings of these names are to you, since you mention them all? Some are quite accurate, but others sound like average poorly-researched baby name book/site fare and are highly questionable. I've been studying names for many years and have read a number of scholarly works on the subject, so in case it is a big factor for you, I'll respectfully offer some ammendments:
"Consecrated to God" for Elisabeth (from the Hebrew Elisheba), and "grace" for Ann (equivalent to Hannah, from Hebrew forms such as Chana), are both standard, acceptable definitions. My most credible source gives "he (God) has favoured me" for Ann, which is really just a more precise way of saying "grace of God" is upon the bearer, and "my God (is) satisfaction" for Elisabeth, which is doesn't quite sound the same as "consecrated to God" but is probably just a different interpretation of what the original Hebrew meant to convey.
Lydia, in Greek, means simply "a woman from Lydia," in ancient and Biblical times a region of Asia Minor. The Biblical character appears in a Greek context and is literally a woman from Lydia; it may have been a by-name (a descriptive nickname used to distinguish individuals before surnames) rather than her actual given name. Similar names are Adrian/Adrienne etc., Dorian/Doris, etc., indicating roots near the Adriatic Sea or in the Dorian tribe, respectively, as well as Barbara, from the same root as the word barbarian, meaning simply, "foreigner." As far as I can tell, the meaning of the original place name, Lydia, is unknown; most likely the language in which it arose is long-extinct.
The meaning of Eleanor is debated. It is usually considered a Provençal form of Helen, which is Greek, but here again there are two possible root words, one meaning "light" (the most commonly given definition), the other "mercy" or "clemency" (so your definitions have precedence, though they are uncertain, but it is one or the other, "light" or "mercy," not both). Alternatively, some believe that Eleanor is a native Provençal name from an unknown root and that the resemblance to Helen is coincidental (the oldest spellings were with an A, as in Alianor, while other early forms of Helen begin with H or E, as in Elaine, Eleni, Elena).
Adalia does indeed mean "God is my refuge" in Hebrew, and is also often considered a name related to Adelaide, Adeline, Alice, Ada, etc., the ade- element of which refers to "nobility" in Germanic languages (it is not impossible that the name arose separately in both contexts, or the resemblance may be coincidence as with the aforementioned Ada and the Hebrew Adah, meaning "ornament, adornment"). If you're thinking of the name as an old-fashioned name used in English contexts, along the lines of Olivia, Isabella, Eleanor, etc., it would probably be more accurate to derive it from the German, as non-Biblical Hebrew names were uncommon until quite recently.
Jean, Shaine and Jenell should all be ultimately derived from feminine forms of John, from the Hebrew Johanon meaning "God is gracious," "Jehovah has favoured," etc. Joan, Jane and Jean each came into English at different times from French forms, Jean being particuarly associated with Scotland. Shane (and therefore Shaine, Shayne, etc.) is an anglicized form of Sean, in turn the Irish Gaelic cognate of John. The traditional Irish Gaelic feminine forms are Sinead (Janet), Siobhan (Joan), and Sine (Sheena), all sharing the sh- sound of Shane, and Sian (pr. shan) is a Welsh feminine form. Jenell is a modern variant which, other than being simply a made-up name, can best be interpreted as a spelling of Janelle, from Jane or Janet and hence going back to John. If you prefer to derive Jenell from Jenny, this was for centuries a nickname for Janet (both name and nickname mostly associated with Scotland), long before Jennifer spread out of being a very localized Cornish name in the 20th century. So through Jenny it can also go back to John through Janet. Jenny from Jennifer, which is the Cornish form of Guinevere, stems from Welsh roots meaning "white" and "smooth". I can't find any way to connect any of these names to the meanings "merciful," "beautiful," "understanding" or "kindness."
Lani means "sky" in Hawaiian, more common in compounds such as Leilani, "flower from Heaven," but this is obviously not etymologically related to Eleanor or Shaine.
Hope some of this is helpful, or at least interesting,
Josie
The middle names Ann and Jean are family names. The others I chose for meaning and flow (I prefer middle names that are either single syllable or have the stress on the second syllable. The combination Elisabeth Ann is for family sentiment. She would be named after three grandmas -- Elisabeth is my grandma's middle name, Ann is dh's grandma's middle name, and Elsie is my great-grandma's name. Since both dh's grandma and my great-grandma passed away in the last year, this would be a way to honor them.
Thanks for the input!
I don't think I mentioned it in my original reply, but I think Elsie is a great nn for Elisabeth! Even more-so now that I've read it's for your great-grandma. ;)
~Kelli
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