Pronunciation Help Please! (Lena)

OoSparkly

DH and I are considering the name Lena for the little girl we're expecting in April. I grew up with a name nobody could spell or pronounce and do not want the same for her.

I'd appreciate your first reaction on how you would pronounce the name Lena. TIA!

[Poll]

shannm

I voted Lee-na but I hesitated because I have a friend with a little girl who is Leana (Lay-a-na).  This pronounciation has never been natural for me so similar names always make me take a pause.

MarchABC

I picked Lee-nuh because the e is long at the end of a short, open syllable. I can see how Lena would be Lay-nuh (like elena) but in American English you'd have to have a /long a/ spelling like ai or ay to guarantee that it would be said with a /long a/ sound. I think I like it better as Lay-nuh - short for Elaine.

LMS05

I used to know a Lena and she pronounced it Len-uh. 

LiebeMama

I can imagine it two ways:

 

L-ee-na

or L-eh-na.

OoSparkly

Thanks ladies! It seems like the majority pronounces it LEE-na. We prefer the pronounciation LAY-na (or LEH-na), but may be signing her up for a lifetime of correcting people.

We thought about changing the spelling to be more pronunciation-friendly, such as Laina or Layna, but feel it looks "unique" or made up since the name Lena is a form of Elena (e-LEH-na) and can be pronounced correctly either way (according to Baby Names World... although it seems different on other sites depending on origin).

Cheekie4

I think Heidi Klum's daughter is Leni (Lainey). 

When I see Lena, I think LEE-nah.  I think a lot of ppl would do the same.  However, I like the LAY-nah better!

Allie30

I always pronounced it lay-nuh, until I was corrected. The singer Lena Horne, the actress Lena Headey... they both pronounce it LEE-nuh. I think Lena is the standard. It's also a nickname for my daughter's name, and we would, if we used it, pronounce it Lee-nuh. It's also a common Eastern European name/nickname (possibly for ELena) and most people of that background with that name I know still pronounce it Lee-nuh.

I don't think Laina looks made up. It looks like a variant of Elaine to me, same as Lena pronounced the way you want it looks like a variant on Elena. I think you're much more likely to get the pronunciation you want if you spell it Laina.

BellaKelsey

If you like "LAYna," I would suggest spelling it Leyna or Layna. In Minnesota, where "Lena" is a classic Swedish name, she would be referred to as "Lee-na" every time.

sunnyday016

I'd say LAY-nah or LEH-nah (almost the same) like the character in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. She's Greek.

I'mAcrossThePond

LMS05:

I used to know a Lena and she pronounced it Len-uh. 

The only Lena I have met pronounces it this way too.

msmerymac

lrachelle80:

I honestly can't imagine anyone pronouncing it anything but Lee-nah.

 

I can see pronouncing the name Magdalena either Magdaleena or Magdalayna. But in English, it's the former. 

stahlop

It's definitely regional. My great-grandmother and a friend of mine pronounced it Lee-na, and they are both of Russian decent.  If it's from the Spanish pronounciation it's more like Lay-na.  I have also seen it as Leh-na from different regions in Europe.

ajdubya126

If our baby is a girl, we are naming her Lena/Lina (still trying to decide how we want to spell it) pronounced Lee-na. However, I could see both pronunciations being used, especially in other parts of the world. It's a name that travels well around the world. I would keep it Lena (I love how it looks more than Laina or Layna) and submit to correcting people.