Elsje

[elsh.livejournal.com]

My name is Elsje. Aside from the fact that anyone reading my name [only] before trying to call me by it calls me 'Elsie', I love my name! I should say I hate the name Elsie though. I wouldn't hate it quite so much if people didn't so often try to call me that.

Anyway, I've decided to post a poll about my name because, in my experience, it has always provoked strongly positive reations from people. This happened all the time when I worked in retail where every second person would ask how to say my name. Then they'd act overjoyed and say how beautiful it was (I am not exaggerating or kidding!). Plenty of them could have just been acting polite though. I am not sure. However, I did, more than once, get this reaction and then have someone write down my name because they knew someone who was pregnant and they wanted to suggest my name. I was beyond flattered by this. I know I didn't create my name or anything, but it really feels like an honour when someone acts that way.

Along the way, in many other circumstances, people have told me they love my name. My name is extremely uncommon here, but in Holland and Belgium (maybe even Germany) it's not that uncommon. It's not terribly common those places either. I like the uniqueness of my name, even if it means I have to explain my name all the time. I really do love my name that much!

Now's the time to explain how you say it. The correct pronunciation sounds something like Elsh-yeh. Many people here pronounce it somewhat incorrectly by calling me El-sha. I actually don't mind that at all. It can be easy to miss the y sound in the name. Anyway, the more 'mature' form of my name is Els (pronounced like the word else), which I actually dislike. Elsje literally means Little Els. Elsje is the Dutch form of Elizabeth. However, I still have a nickname (even if people who live in Holland and such might cringe at my technically incorrect nickname). Most people call me Elsh. I actually found out that Elsh is a man's name somewhere, somehow. I don't find it too masculine at all. Not any more so than a girl named Ashley going by Ash. I've also met another Elsje online who goes by Elsh. My aunt's name (and this is 100% by coincidence) is Elsje. She goes by Els though.

Anyway, I didn't mean to ramble so much before getting to the actual poll, but my name isn't very well known. Considering all the positive reactions I've gotten from my name, I thought I'd conduct an online poll. People are always more honest online. :p I am just curious to see the results, so here we go..

[Poll #847166]

Feel free to discuss/explain your answers in comments. :)

Comments

[bloomingtulip.livejournal.com]

I can definitely relate- I've never met anyone who didn't gush over my name. It's Celestia and everyone thinks it's beautiful.

(now that I've said that, there's bound to be someone in this comm who doesn't like it, and that's ok too)

[elsh.livejournal.com]

Hehe, I know what you mean...I'm expecting some people to bash my name now that I've posted this! XD Your name is pretty...do you have any nicknames?

[bloomingtulip.livejournal.com]

No, I don't really. I go by Celeste usually (in pronunciation only) because no one could say it correctly when I was younger. I was called Lester by one friend in middle school but that's definitely hyper-masculine and I wouldn't want to be called that on a regular basis. If people insist on giving me a NN, it usually ends up being C. Just C. Which is cool in it's own way. :)

[elsh.livejournal.com]

That's nice! :) I used to know someone named Celeste, but never anyone named Celestia.

[krosp.livejournal.com]

So do most people still call you Celeste? Do you introduce yourself as Celestia?

[bloomingtulip.livejournal.com]

I still go by Celeste because that's what I'm used to hearing and responding to. If anyone sees it written down they ask how it's really said and I tell them but I think it'd be too confusing for me to switch back now.

[anapology.livejournal.com]

I mentioned Celeste to my expecting friend & she said 'urghh makes me think of moleste!' That never ever crossed my mind.
Celestia is prettier though, heh i already told you i loved it once this week! :-)

[bloomingtulip.livejournal.com]

yeah, the middle school boys on the bus would say "molest celeste" a lot to make fun of me. that didn't want anyone to actually molest me, it was more of a taunting chant.

[queen-mab.livejournal.com]

I love your name. Once you told me it I wrote it on my list, lol. =)

[bloomingtulip.livejournal.com]

aww, yay :)

[in-the-starlite.livejournal.com]

My name is Kiersten, and 80% of the time, people pronounce my name kur-sten or kris-ten, even after I say it. *sigh* I've even had people make a game out of it. I work at a bar, and I had one group of people all night just shouting random variations of my name just "trying to get it right" before asking me if I had any nicknames. *grumble*

Long story short. I love my name. Most other people do, too. But I absolutely hate the names Kirsten (kur-sten) and Kristen, probably because I get called by them so often.

[in-the-starlite.livejournal.com]

P.S. My name is pronounced: KEER-sten.

(Which leads to another annoying thing people do and that is call me "Keeeeeeeeeeeeeersten.")

[elsh.livejournal.com]

Your name looks like how it should be said. I figured it would be said that way. Some people are just dumb, I guess.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I like the way you've spelled your name. There are two Kristens in my church, and one of them is Kur-stin and the other is Kris-ten. THAT is confusing.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

No I got it wrong. There are two Kirstens, and one in Kur-sten and the other is Keer-sten, like you. There is also a Kristen. Hehe.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I like the way your name looks, but I am not crazy about the sound. I find -sh to be kind of harsh. It IS unique, though, which I really like.

[elsh.livejournal.com]

Hmm..would you feel that way about Marsha? I don't like Marsha, but not because of the sh sound. There are a lot of names with sh sounds. It's also hard to type how to say my name and think people are hearing it right in their heads. Typing the pronunciation probably makes it sound harsher in people's heads. I think it could be more like Elsh-yeh. Anyway, either way, there are many Dutch names that end in je that don't have a sh sound in them.

[mrsduryee.livejournal.com]

I am sure I would like it if I heard it because my initial reaction is that it's pretty.

I like Marsha spelled Marcia, but I don't really like the name at all.

[aintlifesosweet.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say I gave it an 8. It reminds me of Finnish names, which I adore being finnish and all, but I would use Elle as a nn over both of the ones you have listed.

Where did your name originate, and what is your middle name, out of curiosity.

[elsh.livejournal.com]

Elsje is a Dutch name. I don't like Elle or Ellie at all for nicknames for me. They don't fit me. Elsh is perfect for me. My middle names: Renee Michelle.

[aintlifesosweet.livejournal.com]

Fair enough!

I dispise Ellie, but love Elle for some reason. LOL.

I think your name is gorgeous, and my mn is Michelle, too.

[elsh.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Elle is okay, just not for me. Kind of sounds like L. I am surprised so many people are voting for Els as my nickname because I kind of don't like it for the same kind of reason: it is said just like the word else. That sounds so weird to me. I can't imagine being called that in an English-speaking country.

[bezigebij.livejournal.com]

Oh, didn't read this before suggesting El / Elle as nickname.

[xcuore.livejournal.com]

as being dutch i *ofcourse* voted for Els being your nickname^^

I love the -je part in the end. that makes names sound more cute :D

[bezigebij.livejournal.com]

El (prounounced like the letter) would also be cute nickname, though actually the diminutive je on the end of a name makes it a nickname. :)

The Dutch form of Elizabeth is acutally Elisbet - prounounced El lies bet
Els or Elsje are derived from this and are nicknames for it.

Another cool fact you might enjoy is that Els is the name of a tree, the alder or Alnus glutinosa which is quite common in Holland and Belgium.

I think it is a very pretty name. I know quite a few people called Els, but not so many Elsjes, which I agree is much nicer.

[yukonsally]

K, I'm late but! My name is Elise and I've been called Elsie my entire life. I hate that name as much as you, if not more. So I automatically veto any name that could be misread into Elsie. I'm not sure how to pronounced Elsje, but save it for a middle name. :)

[elsh.livejournal.com]

Well, despite the Elsie thing, I actually love my name and it's *my* first name!

[katiesthoughts.livejournal.com]

My sister is Elyse and she too complains about people calling her Elsie.

I'm Kathleen and go by Katie and I HATE, HATE, HATE when people assume my name is Kathy. Ug.