# Baby Name Thread - Which Long Form of Elly? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 20, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324 "2010-11-20T11:28:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/1 "2010-11-20T11:28:14Z")
I’ve been meaning to start this for a while. We’re expecting in April and we’re not planning to find out what we’re having, so we’ve picked out names for either gender. I’m going to keep a lid on the boy name we’ve chosen because other posters here know me and are pregnant (you know who you are), but I’ve decided to unveil the girl names because we’ve been debating which to choose. One thing we agree is that we want the “short” version of the name to be Elly. The “long” version is where we don’t entirely agree. One of us wants Eliahna, the other wants Eloise. Which do you prefer? Only two options in the poll because it is going to be one or the other so your other opinions don’t count. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/2 "2010-11-20T11:48:56Z")
> [@Cazzle](#): > > Only two options in the poll because it is going to be one or the other so your other opinions don’t count. 😛 Eleanor. 😛 “Eliahna” sounds made-up-for-the-sake-of-it. So I vote Eloise. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/3 "2010-11-20T14:00:23Z")
If you spelled it Eliana I could vote for that, but you don’t, so Eloise. ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/4 "2010-11-20T14:07:32Z")
My cousin’s daughter’s nickname is Elly - her given name is Elliot. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/5 "2010-11-20T14:08:24Z")
I agree with Eleanor (or Elanor as a _Lord of the Rings_ fan) being the best choice, but if other options are not welcome, then I vote Eloise. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/6 "2010-11-20T14:09:27Z")
I like Eleanor, but it isn’t on the table 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/7 "2010-11-20T14:13:01Z")
Lol - I was going to recommend Eleanor too. It’s my grandmother’s name and I’ve always liked it. I voted Eloise, which is a good name, but asking for trouble. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/8 "2010-11-20T14:18:20Z")
Eloise. But then again I’m partial to that because that’s the name of the old insane asylum/poor house in the city. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/9 "2010-11-20T14:29:42Z")
I love love love the sound of Eliahna, because I love delicate lacy princess names (especially if they end up on rough and tumble kickass girls!) But I’m not fond of the spelling - that h looks clunky and awkward to me. Might I suggest (not a different name, just a different spelling!) [Elliana](http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/meaning_of_Elliana.html)instead? ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/10 "2010-11-20T14:33:04Z")
Ellie? Isn’t that short for Elizabeth? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/11 "2010-11-20T14:42:18Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > Eleanor. 😛 > > “Eliahna” sounds made-up-for-the-sake-of-it. So I vote Eloise. What I was going to say. Word for word. Also, I would spell it “Ellie” if that matters. You could go all Spanish and make it “El Lee” with reference to [Waiting for the Robert E. Lee Lyrics 🎬 Babes on Broadway](http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/babesonbroadway/waitingfortherobertelee.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/12 "2010-11-20T14:51:10Z")
Ellen or Helen. But I don’t like the spelling of the other name in the poll, so Eloise. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/13 "2010-11-20T14:52:02Z")
Elinor. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/14 "2010-11-20T14:53:31Z")
I case this is interesting to you, according to the [Baby Name Voyager](http://www.babynamewizard.com/name-voyager#prefix=elia&ms=true&sw=f&exact=false), Ellie, Eloise, Eleanor and Eliana are all increasing in popularity right now in the US. If the trend continues, you may end up with other Ellys in your daughter’s circle of friends. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/15 "2010-11-20T15:03:19Z")
Elena isn’t available, so Eloise. (I like the way Eliahna sounds, but the spelling is awkward. How about Elianna?) ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/16 "2010-11-20T15:33:13Z")
I want to vote for Eliahna, but that spelling is awful. I looked at it for several seconds trying to figure out what pronunciation you were going for. And actually, I’m still not sure. Would it be pronounced ee-layna (which is what I’m assuming) or elli-anna? Either way, with a clearer spelling, I prefer that name to Eloise. Didn’t vote in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Dusty\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba8739/32.png) [@Dusty\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dusty_Rose)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/17 "2010-11-20T15:37:07Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > I want to vote for Eliahna, but that spelling is awful. I looked at it for several seconds trying to figure out what pronunciation you were going for. And actually, I’m still not sure. Would it be pronounced ee-layna (which is what I’m assuming) or elli-anna? Either way, with a clearer spelling, I prefer that name to Eloise. Didn’t vote in the poll. I voted without reading the thread, but I agree with what **Renee** is saying here, right down to having to take time to figure out pronunciation. Then I read the post with “Elliot” as the full name, and LOVE that name. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/18 "2010-11-20T15:38:42Z")
I picked Eloise because I dislike that spelling of Eliana, which I love normally. Eloise is a cute one as well, and I don’t hear it that often. I know two Eliana’s under 5 years old. Most names shortened to Elly are classic and pretty. I like Eleanor and Elena too. Elliot is still fully a boy’s name to me, as I grew up in an area with many Jewish families and many male Elliots. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/19 "2010-11-20T16:30:24Z")
I chose Eliahna, but it really depends on the last name and how they sound together. p.s. -=- I agree with the comments asking to simplify the spelling! ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324/20 "2010-11-20T16:40:26Z")
Eloise. Although it has that cachet of “classic/old-fashioned without sounding like an old lady” thing going on, so I suspect it is going to surge in popularity. Expect many more Eloises in your child’s age cohort, if that matters to you. I do not care for the made-up Eliahna spelling at all, but even with a more “legit” spelling, I prefer Eloise. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-name-thread-which-long-form-of-elly/561324.md?page=2)