Hi Swistle! It is finally my turn to email you, as I have read your blog for a long and time love love love your advice. We are expecting a baby girl in March of 2015 and although we’ve had a list since before we started even THINKING about kids (literally, it was something we discussed on our first date, what a topic, huh—“What are you planning on naming your future children?!”) we now cannot make a decision. I have two step sons, Kyle and Joshua (Josh.) This is my first, and we’re super excited to be adding a girl. I’m named after my grandmother, Mary Louise, and carry her middle name. I’d like to continue this trend. My mother’s middle is Lynne. Here’s where our dilemma comes in…
We love the name Eleanor. But, does Eleanor Lynne sounds too lin-lin to you? Some people hear Ella-nor and others hear El-lynn-or. Do you think it is too repetitive to use Lynne as a middle? We’ve also considered Amelia, Hannah (He loves, I’m ehh) Harriet and Charlotte. I don’t love them as much as I love Eleanor, but I could be swayed. We’re also super open to other suggestions!
I pinky swear that if you help name our baby, I will absolutely update you and the readers as soon as she arrives!!
Our last name is M0ntre@l, pronounced exactly like the city. For the record, we’re Dave and Rachel. Thank you in advance!
I do notice the repeating “lin” sound, but I’m not sure how quickly I would have noticed it if you hadn’t mentioned it, and it doesn’t bother me. There was recently a news story about a little girl named Brooklyn Lynn, and that is a much more serious repeating-“lin” issue—and yet after a moment of noticing it, I found I shrugged and thought “Who cares?” If their favorite name is Brooklyn and they want to honor a Lynn or even they just LIKE the name Lynn, is there any reason in the whole wide world they shouldn’t go right ahead and do that? No, there really isn’t.
Coming from that line of thought to your Eleanor Lynne issue helped me to clarify things. It doesn’t seem like a problem, and in fact I suspect some people would find the repeating “lin” sound increased the appeal of the name—and as you’ve noted, some people wouldn’t hear a repeating “lin” sound at all. I also see the potential for cute around-the-house nicknames such as Linnie-Lynne.
Name update!
Hi Swistle! I’m Rachel. I wrote to you last year after learning we were having a girl. Eleanor Jane arrived on April 7th (TWO WEEKS LATE!) and just reminded me that I had yet to share her picture and name with you even though I promised.
Thank you and your readers for your suggestions!! We love her name and it fits her perfectly.
I hope you’re ready to help name #4 someday!
I don’t hear the repitition at all. I have to change the way I say Eleanor to get it at all (I hear El-a-nor). I think the flow is lovely! :)
This is my thought exactly. I had to say it repeatedly to even hear the Lin-Lin.
And as Swistle so often points out, middle names primarily matter at birth announcement time and then a lot of people forget what the middle name of the child is.
I think it’s pretty. Eleanor is one of my favorite names!
I don’t see any problem with Eleanor Lynn. The R ending and the stress pattern of Eleanor I think is actually a real plus with Lynn in the middle. Amelia Lynn runs together a bit to me (I get something that almost but doesn’t quite rhyme with mammalian), and Hannah Lynn turns to Hannalin’ but Eleanor Lynn is clear and distinct and very pretty.
I also really like the possibility of Linnie as a nickname.
I adore Eleanor and am always for using the name you both love… but am one of those who sadly hears the Eleanor Lynne as “lyn-lyn”. :( I hear it very strongly (El-LYNN-or, LYNN) and when saying it aloud find the two names kind of jumble together. Maybe a name honoring Lynn would flow a little better? Something like Eleanor Linnea or Eleanor Lindsay or Eleanor Roselyn. Anyway, just a thought! Congratulations on your new baby! :)
I mean Eleanor Rosalyn (like Rah-za-lynn) :)
I don’t really hear a repeat tbh. I say Eleanor much more like “Elle – eh – nor” and never “Elle – Lynn – Nor” – but no idea if that’s a regional/accent type of thing.
I might consider if you are going to call her “Eleanor” or is it going to be Elle, Ellie, or Nora (or something else)? because imo that makes Lynne even less of an issue/not an issue at all.
I also might consider if you would plan on calling her “Eleanor Lynne” often? because if you’re not, again I think it’s even less of an issue/not an issue at all and you should go ahead with it.
Hope that helps!
Eleanor Lynne is beautiful – go with the name you love! Congrats!
I pronounce Eleanor as El-leh-nor. Didn’t see the “Lynn-Lynn” until it was pointed out. I love Eleanor and I hope you use it!
I say Eleanor as Ella-nor, so Eleanor Lynne sounds fine to me. Even Elinor Lynne sounds all right to me because the ‘lin” syllables are separated by ‘nor’. Changing Lynne to some other name that has “lin” in it doesn’t really solve the problem of repeating “lin” in the full name for those who pronounce Eleanor as “Elinor”
eLINor LINdsay
eLINor RosaLYN
I would suggest that you go with the two names you most love — Eleanor and Lynne: Eleanor Lynne. I don’t think most people are going to see anything questionable about the pairing, and the two names certainly -look- well together in their written form. You love the name Eleanor; you want your daughter to have her grandmother’s name as her middle name, as you do. Eleanor Lynne is perfect!
I just read Christine’s post above mine. I probably say the name closer to El-eh-nor too. Vowel sounds often aren’t ‘pure’ or consistent.
I say it “El-la-nor,” so Eleanor Lynne sounds perfectly fine to me. I also agree that even if someone pronounced it “El-lin-or” that the syllable in between the “lin” sounds breaks it up so that it does not bother me one bit. I think it is a great name. Best of luck to you!
I hear “elle-ah-nor.” No “lyn” sound there.
I don’t pronounce the LYNN in Eleanor either (I say EL-A-NOR), and never thought that was a pronunciation variation. Now I am interested to know if this is a regional thing? It would be interesting to know, because if you aren’t in that region, then you would have even less to worry about. :) I like Eleanor Lynne (and my middle name is spelled “Lynne” and my grandmother is Mary Louise!)
The repeating sound is subtle, which I think makes it more pleasing than a drawback. I’d go ahead and use it.
Ditto to pronouncing it El-la-nor so I don’t see a problem with it at all. I think Eleanor Lynne is lovely :)
Eleanor is one of those names/words that I know is probably ‘properly’ pronounced El-lyn-or, but I also always say Ella-nor. Based on the above comments, looks like 95% of people agree.
You’re in a great place – you and your husband have found a name you LOVE (not an easy task for some) and you have a great honour middle name (not something more clunky and awkward.) And those two names sound perfectly fine together. I love the tradition you’re starting of passing on the middle.
I can’t speak for everyone, but I have said my daughter’s first and middle name aloud maybe three times since she was born? You’ll use Eleanor or whatever adorable nickname you give her many many times a day, so that’s the important part.
I pronounce it El-lin-or, but don’t think the repeating lin sound is an issue at all. I think it flows really nicely together and is actually kind of fun to say.
Would you consider Eleanor Louise?
Thats MY middle name, and since I’m named after my grandmother, Mary Louise, I’d like to carry the tradition to my daughter. My mother’s name is Donna Lynne.
Use Eleanor Lynne! Its wonderful. My grandmother was Helen Eleanor and I always loved the little rhyme-y-ness of her name.
Like other commenters, I pronounce Eleanor ella-nor and I think it goes great with Lynne! I’m going to throw out my great-aunt’s name of Elnora as another option that lends itself well to the nicknames Elle/Ellie or Nora :)
I hear a rhyme but I find it charming. Ellie-Lynn is a really cute nickname, too.
I love the names together and love the above nickname suggestion :) Go with it!!
I think it sounds great. I think the importance of the tradition outweighs any conflicting “Lin” issues- of which I barely hear!
I love it! Go for it! Congrats on your new addition.
Use Eleanor Lynne! My daughter is Eleanor Anne (with Anne being a honor name) and we’ve never thought of the repeating “An” sounds in her name. She goes mostly by Ellie and fwiw we pronounce her name “Ella-nor”.
It’s a wonderful name – perfect mix of sass and class!
That is so pretty, too! I say it the same way, but someone pointed out to me the El-Lin-or pronunciation, and it hit me that maybe I was the *only* one who didnt hear it. I appreciate it! Look for a photo in March/April!
I hear the slight sound repetition (which I hear not at all as “lin-lin” but just a second short “i” sound) as being altogether pleasing to the ear — a plus, not a minus. I think it’s perfect!
I love the flow of Eleanor Lynne.
I don’t see any problem, it sounds fine to me. I think of the sound in Eleanor as a “schwa” – unstressed sound – and would say it the same way whether spelled Eleanor or Elinor.
I don’t hear it either, I have an Aunt Eleanor and we say it Ella-NOR. But what about Eleanora? Now that I type it it looks funny but Elanor-ah Lynne removes any possibility of repetition.
Congratulation! She’s gorgeous and so is her name.
Beautiful baby girl and beautiful name! I’m just dying to know why and when you switched over to Jane in the middle!? Don’t get me wrong, I love it! But just wondering since you seemed to have your heart set on Lynne.
Yes – I neeeeeed to know too :)
Darling baby, darling name! LOVE the name Eleanor Jane!
That picture is so great. Love Eleanor Jane and add me to the list who’d love to know how you got to Jane!