Consider if you will ...

[emilybrianne.livejournal.com]

... the name Ellison.

Now, consider it for a girl. Because really, it's just Allison with an E, isn't it?

ETA: It would be pronounced as it reads - Ellis-son, not Allison - I didn't mean to imply that it's an alternate spelling for Allison. I just meant that Allison is a feminine name, despite the -son, and that Ellison is only one letter off. ;)

This is the name my husband has decided he wants for our baby girl, due in February. Which means I have between now and then to either fall in love with it or talk him out of it.

Nicknames could/would be Ellie, Ella, or Ellis (my husband's favorite).

And if you would consider using it, would you (at the risk of getting silly or ridiculous) feminize the spelling at all? Or vary it in any other way? Elison? Ellyson? Elyson? Elisonne? or...?

Add to that the likelihood that the middle name will be "Monroe" after my late father-in-law whose death we learned of literally minutes before I discovered I was pregnant.

My husband is thoroughly in love with "Ellison Monroe" as a name. Right now I'm indifferent. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either. I'm not going to decide based on your opinions, but I AM curious. :)

Her sister is Katherine Frances (Kate/Katie), in case anyone finds that relevant.

Comments

[glitterberrys.livejournal.com]

I like it. I also like just "Ellis" for a girl, but that doesn't sound so good with Monroe.

I'm not nuts about Ella as a nickname, though. Sooooo tired of that.

[emilybrianne.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's why in conversation this morning we agreed on (or rather, I agreed to consider) Ellison with the nn Ellis because it works much better with Monroe.

I also considered Monroe as a first name, but I can't come up with any credible nicknames. Not that they're necessary, but ya know...

[redriotroses.livejournal.com]

I would really feel sorry for a child with that name, but that's just how i feel about it.

To me it's far too masculine for a girl. Ellis is a boy's name, 'son' has masculine connotations and Monroe is a girls name. I also read Ellison as 'Ellie-son' not as Alison.

I don't know, it just sounds all wrong for a baby girl =/ But that's just me.

[emilybrianne.livejournal.com]

No, it wouldn't be pronounced Alison, it would be Ellis-son. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. :)

[redriotroses.livejournal.com]

Oooh, ok, that makes more sense then, i was thinking of pronouncing it out loud from what you said in your original post. Also, congratulations on your future little one!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_toasterhead/]

i really like it. Ellie is a cute nickname. :)

[farting-nora.livejournal.com]

I like it.

[indicinderelly.livejournal.com]

I actually love the idea of Ellison (nn Elli/Ella) for a girl. I never thought of it before. If you want to feminize the name I'd use a fem. MN but I understand the meaning behind using Monroe so I'm not going to try to talk you out of it. Ellison Monroe _____ really sounds like a boys name, but it seems to be one that grows on you. I've never seen Monroe as a girls name either so it's probably going to be difficult for people to get used to. I really seem to like it though..

Just my 2cents :)

[lustdumpster.livejournal.com]

i actually like it, i think it has a nice sound to it. i'm usually not one for ~made up~ names but i like ellison enough to use it myself, even. it sounds very nice with monroe, and makes a good sounding sibset with katherine. i wouldn't change the spelling, though.

[emilybrianne.livejournal.com]

It's definitely not a made up name. Ellison is legit, it's just a boy's name. :) So many masculine names are crossing the gender barrier these days, though, so hey, maybe it would work.

[lustdumpster.livejournal.com]

lol i wasn't sure about it, but the allison with an E made me think it was. regardless though, i'm not one to be bothered by switching the genders of a name as long as i don't feel like the name is too obviously one gender over the other. my name is ashley and i'm a girl, and i actually had no idea it had been a boys name until a few years ago.

ellison isn't very common so i don't think that'd be a problem.

[ex-londonso.livejournal.com]

I like Ellison Monroe, it's quite cool for a girl, but not so creative or trendy that it's amusing/unserious.

[luvahs.livejournal.com]

I don't like the name alone, but like it as a combo with Monroe. Plus I like the nn Ella.

Congrats =]

[decembermalice.livejournal.com]

Ellison is not my favorite but I do love the nicknames Elle and Ellie, and I like Ellis as well. And please, keep the spelling as is - I believe there was a post about an Ellasyn in this community and I prefer your spelling.

The only thing I would do is something that I'm not normally a big fan of: two middle names. I imagine middle names as alternate choices if people do not like their first name. I don't think Monroe would work as an alternate first name for a girl. So, Ellison (name) Monroe (Last name) would be great, in my opinion.

I'm also a fan of the names Eliana, Elina, Elisa and Eleni, which are similar.

[emilybrianne.livejournal.com]

My sister's name is Elena (prn. Ellen-ah (vs Elaine-ah)), the names you suggested are all very similar. :)

I'll run the idea of a 2nd MN to the hub, as you make a good point. I, too, am worried about how masculine the name is. I think it's a classic enough sounding name that she could grow up with it, and still respectably use the feminine nicknames as well.

Thanks for your thoughts. :)

[decembermalice.livejournal.com]

I love the name Elena as well. :)

I read through some more comments and thought of something. I have a female friend who goes by Leo. A problem she faces is being called on the phone, and hearing, "Is Mr. Leo...." there?

So, adding that other middle name, when Ellison grows up, she could have business cards using her first name and middle name. For example, Ellison Jade (lastname). That would eliminate any confusion, and Monroe could stay as the second middle name.

I knew a young girl named Charlie and I am afraid she'll face the masculine name problem her whole life.

[ivegotbaggage.livejournal.com]

I actually really, really like it. :-)

[invisiblepet.livejournal.com]

This.

[th3-unicorn.livejournal.com]

Ellison Monroe is sassy, but there was once an Ellison in a book I was reading, and he was a male (australian, if it matters). Also, all names ending in -son mean "son of something", so not properly a girl's name.

Ellison and Allison sound differently to me.
One is EHL-ison, the other is AL-ison

Ellis is very pretty. I also read a book with an Ellissa in it, I thought that was cool!

[emilybrianne.livejournal.com]

I apologize for not making it clear in my original post - i'll edit it. It wouldn't be pronounced like Allison, it would definitely be EHL-ison.

As I mentioned in an earlier comment, a lot of masculine names are crossing the gender barrier, so that doesn't trouble me too much. I was curious to know if it just sounded too out there.

I have this block against 'lissa' names like Melissa and Alissa and Ellissa. I must have known someone in childhood that I can't remember that went by 'Lissa,' or something. :)

Anyway - thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[batting0.livejournal.com]

I like Ellison Monroe. Quite nice. And I'm not opposed to Elyson as an alternate spelling--in fact, I think I prefer Elyson--looks more like a girls name, especially with Monroe as a middle (which is to me a bit masculine).

[subluxate]

I think it's a really pretty name.

[sleepy-tears7.livejournal.com]

I like it a lot! =D

[sarapod.livejournal.com]

I like Ellison Monroe. I don't think Ellison is OMFG OVER-THE-TOP masculine so it would work for a girl. And after all, there are more masculine names than that being put on little girls these days! But either way, I like it. :)

[kaysylynn.livejournal.com]

I didn't think I would - but I really like it :) Ellie is cute too.

[lovetokate.livejournal.com]

Okay....being brutally honest, here. :)

I don't really like it. My first thought was "Ellis Island" for some reason. I do LOVE the nicknames for it...but not Ellison. I also don't think it goes well with Katie's name as a sibset.

Ellie or Ella, though? *swoon*

[emilybrianne.livejournal.com]

I'm actually surprised by how well it's been received here...

I keep going back and forth on it. My friend's daugter's name is Emerson and at first I was like... eh... but it suits her and she has made the name adorable. And so Ellison is growing on me. I think about how often I call Katie Katherine (NEVER), so I wonder how often I'd even use Ellison, falling more likely to Ellie or Ella. Ellie more likely, I think. I dunno, I dunno. It needs to stew.

Thank you for the brutal honesty. ;)

[lovetokate.livejournal.com]

I actually like Emerson...don't know if I'd use it...but I like it. Good point about Katie's given name vs. what she's called most often. I mean, I'm Katherine but no one EVER calls me that. I've been Kate since birth...the Katherine part was just mandated by the Catholic church in order for me to be baptized.

I want an Ellie so bad...but it's far too close to Emilie.

[fondriki.livejournal.com]

I really like it! And the middle name is a nice tribute.

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

Cool, hip and slightly steely... I like it a lot, but the child may have trouble living up to it. OTOH, Ellie or Ella will be useful if she does :)

[laminy.livejournal.com]

I just think that Ellison Monroe is way too masculine for a girl. When I first read Ellison, it immediately jumped out to me as a surname, but if it were a first name, it would definitely be a boy. Don't change the spelling though, that would just make it worse.

[sarahness.livejournal.com]

I'm with you. I don't love it, but I don't hate it.

I agree with a previous poster about adding a second middle name, just to feminize it a bit more. Although I don't feel Ellison is so masculine, especially if you're planning on calling her Ellie/Ella (Ellis, to me, sounds masculine, too).

[ifancylust.livejournal.com]

it's alright. i prefer ellis though.

[ironqueen.livejournal.com]

I think Ellison Monroe is really pretty. If it were me, I'd use Elle as a nickname. Good luck. :)

[chirpygirly.livejournal.com]

Can't say I'm a fan, not of the first nor middle name. I also don't like the name Allison for a girl, especially after hearing of so many guys named Allison.

I think neither Ellison nor Monroe sound feminine at all. To me they seem distinctly masculine. I think though more people here seem to think it would be an OK girl's name, I think in the real world, most people would think it was a boy with that name. Both are more commonly known as last names too, which I think more often than not, aren't good for first names, particularly not for girls.

Also, I had a guy friend named Ellis, and so I can't ever see Ellis as a nn for a girl. =/

[bmwbabe007.livejournal.com]

I really like it for a girl, despite the fact that I went to elementary school with a boy named Ellison. I don't think the -son ending necessarily deems it a boy's name, think of all the Allison's out there!

Also, I went to high school with a girl named Carson Ellis, who went by Carly. Pretty close to Ellison Monroe!

[sxylilwitch.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I like it or not. I like the sound of it, and it's definitely unique without being cre8tiv. But it's so masculine. Could Elise be a possibility? It's similar, and could still have the same nicknames of Ellie/Ella. I'm totally bias cause Elise is my daughter's name XD

[ollivander.livejournal.com]

I would pronounce Elison as Ell-eye-zon

[ollivander.livejournal.com]

So Ellison all the way!

[lilg82882.livejournal.com]

OMG I so considered this for my youngest daughter!!!!!
We knew we wanted Ellie for a nn. I loved the name Allison anyways so I considered Ellison since it was perfect! It was close enough to Allison and I could still call her Ellie. Ya hubby didn't like it :(

FWIW we named her Elaina and call her Ellie :)

[ex-bluebonn.livejournal.com]

I think Ellison Monroe is quite lovely. I'd worry she may be called Allison though by ... default? and because people won't know any better. I first read it as Allison as well.

Also, re: spelling - it would have to be Ellison and not Elyson or any other creative spelling.

[0o-faerie.livejournal.com]

I don't understand the difference in pronunciation between Alison & Ellison (English is not my native language).

The way I say it, Ellison & Alison sound exactly the same.