(no subject)

[drunkontea.livejournal.com]

Wdyt of the name Helen, and are there any good nicknames for it?

My boyfriend says that he likes it but that it sounds too pretentious to him--something I don't get... but maybe that's because I grew up with an Aunt Helen. Helena, on the other hand, sounds pretentious to me, but I like the nickname Lena.

Comments

[sarahrose.livejournal.com]

Helen and Helena both sound sweet to me. My grandmother is Helena.

I don't think there are any good nicknames that don't deviate from the integrity of the name.

[glitterberrys.livejournal.com]

Ellie
Leni

I actually knew a Helen who went by Hel(ly), but that's not a nickname I'd want to stick on a little kid ;)

[shortbutfast.livejournal.com]

i was also thinking leni for a nn and i do prefer helena to helen.

[cherrysorbet.livejournal.com]

I have a friend called Helen, it really suits her but I don't like the name in general... although I DO like many variants of Helen such as Elene, Elaine, Elaina, Alene and Eleanor.

[fleckerbug.livejournal.com]

I prefer Helena--> pron. Hel eh nuh

[slang-jockey.livejournal.com]

I have a friend named Helen. It's nice; not something I'd ever use, but it's not bad. We've never called her anything but Helen, though, so I have trouble imagining nicknames.

Helena, however, is the sh-thole of a capital out here in the sucking black hole of a state that is Montana ((I'm allowed to say that, I live here)) and therefore, it will never mean anything but that to me.

Lena I like though. You could just go with Lena.

[drunkontea.livejournal.com]

I've always liked the name Lena (pr. "leen-a"), but it just seems like a nickname to me. I wonder if there are any "full" names for Lena..

[lustdumpster.livejournal.com]

i don't like it. it reminds me of teachers or something.

[songspell.livejournal.com]

Well, other "forms" of the name could be:
Helaine (heh-LANE)
Helene (heh-LEEN)
Ellen
Elena (e-LANE-ah)
Eileen (i-LEEN)
Elaine
Lena (LEEN-a or LANE-a)
Lane
Laney


... but I've never really been big on nicknames... although, I guess those last three could be nicknames.

[waitingonsunday.livejournal.com]

I love the name Helen. It's always been on my list, but it's gotten closer to the top lately. For nicknames, I like Nell and Nelly, but they both have their problems for me. Nell reminds me of, "A tayyyyy in da winnnnnn," and Nelly reminds me of annoying musicians. So. Hmm. I'd probably say, "Screw it" (that's what I always say), and go with Lena anyway.

[rorylareina.livejournal.com]

I really like Helen.

[tokudama.livejournal.com]

I like Helen *and* Helena pretty much equally. nicknames that I know of are Nell, Nelly/ie, Elly/ie, Lena.

[rubytitania.livejournal.com]

I quite like it. It's my mother's name and I had a few friends at school called Helen. My mother generally just goes by Helen or occasionally 'H'. Other Helens I've known have gone by Len, Lena (LAY-nuh), Lenny, Nell, Nelly, Hel and Hels.

[duckduckcaboose.livejournal.com]

My middle name is Elena, which was my grandmother's name.
She went by Helen because when she was a child, her parents wanted to "Americanize" the children's names.

I don't think Helena sounds pretentious, just Shakespearean... but Elena is another option. I love it.

[raptorgirl.livejournal.com]

Helen sounds old lady to me, but I like Helena and Helene. I can't think of any good nicknames.

[freezemyazaleas.livejournal.com]

I don't like it, it reminds me of this bitchy girl I know.

[hotchpot.livejournal.com]

I love the name Helen. It screams 1940s and 1930s glamor to me.

Ellie, Lena, Leni, Nell, Nellie.