How would you spell this/ deal with this pronunciation?

GuitaristsGirl

When I first came across "Lena," it was listed as a nickname for Eleanor (which is my gram's name and we're considering using).  Because of the pronunciation of "Eleanor," and since I'd never heard "Lena" before, I assumed it was LEH-na ...

I've since realized that it's actually LEE-na (or, at least, it can be pronounced either way but most people think LEE-na).

If I told you that we like LEH-na (either on its own or as a nn for Eleanor)-- what would you suggest? 

A lifetime of correcting people? 

A different spelling (I've seen "Lenah," but don't care for it as much)? 

Get over it, LEH-na isn't even a name?

Etc?

dedekins1001

My first thought was Lee Na

I'mAcrossThePond

There was a girl at my HS named Lenna ("Leh-nah")...I think the double n helps give you the pronunciation you are looking for.

HAFranklin

I love the Leh-nah pronunciation! Very pretty. Have you considered Elena with the nn, Lena?

I do think it will be mispronounced Lee-nah. It's honestly what I thought you were going for at first. 

kmv68

Lee-na to me too!

It would be a lifetime of correcting people.

AmyLynn510

My sister's name is Lena (Lee-na).  
What spelling should you use to get "leh-na".... Lenna is all that comes to mind.

starlight8323

Where exactly did you read that it is a nickname for Eleanor? Next time, try our most trusted source for reliable etymology of names, www.BehindTheName.com:

LENA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Scandinavian, German, Russian, English, Italian

Other Scripts: ???? (Russian)

Pronounced: LE-nah (German), LYE-nah (Russian)  [key]

Scandinavian and German short form of HELENA or MAGDALENA, and a Russian short form of YELENA.

 

Nothing about Eleanor there. Why not use Eleanor, Ellen, Lenore, Lenora, Lorene, Nell, Nellie, Nora, Norene? All of these are actually related to Eleanor, whereas Lena is not.

krissyh21

IMO, if you are just using it as a nn, I would change the spelling to get the pronunciation you want, maybe add a N. For a given name it will be one of those names people are not familiar with, so I suspect a lifetime of correction. But keep in mind how lazy people are and realize this could happen with any name (I am a Kristine and people always call me Kristen...)

Blue1299

I pronounce it as Lee-na.

I suggest using Eleanor with the nn Lena, that way you can tell people her nn & how you want it pronounced vs. someone reading it off of a piece of paper & calling her Lee-na.

 

GuitaristsGirl

Eaglefoot23:

Where exactly did you read that it is a nickname for Eleanor? Next time, try our most trusted source for reliable etymology of names, www.BehindTheName.com:

LENA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Scandinavian, German, Russian, English, Italian

Other Scripts: ???? (Russian)

Pronounced: LE-nah (German), LYE-nah (Russian)  [key]

Scandinavian and German short form of HELENA or MAGDALENA, and a Russian short form of YELENA.

 

Nothing about Eleanor there. Why not use Eleanor, Ellen, Lenore, Lenora, Lorene, Nell, Nellie, Nora, Norene? All of these are actually related to Eleanor, whereas Lena is not.

www.nameberry.com  (which I learned about on this board): 

Nicknames & Variations for Eleanor

Aleanor, Alenor, Aleonore, Aline, Allinor, Eileen, El, Elaine, Elan, Elana, Elanee, Elaney, Elani, Elania, Elanie, Elanna, Elanni, Elanor, Elanore, Ele, Elea, Eleanora, Elen, Elena, Eleni, Elenie, Elenor, Elenorah, Elenore, Eleny, Elianora, Elianore, Elie, Elienora, Elienore, Ell, Ella, Elladine, Elle, Elleanor, Ellee, Elleigh, Ellen, Ellene, Ellenor, Ellenora, Ellenorah, Ellenore, Elleonor, Elli, Ellie, Ellin, Elliner, Ellinor, Ellinore, Elly, Ellyn, Elna, Elnora, Elnore, Elyn, Elynor, Elynora, Elynore, Enora, Heleanor, Helen, Helena, Helene, Helenora, Heleonor, Leanora, Lena, Lenora, Lenore, Leonora, Leonore, Leora, Lina, Nelda, Nell, Nelle, Nelley, Nelli, Nellie, Nelly, Nonnie, Nora, Norah, Norina

 

At any rate, we're not sold on using Eleanor, and my question is about LEH-na.

NellaJ

To me Lena= Lay-Na

Lina=Lee-na

I really love this name, we are considering Helena for when we get PG again, and would most likely use Lena as a NN for Helena if it fit! I do know a few women who are named Lena, just as a first name, I think it is just fine on its own.

Ashnmike528

The only Lena I know is a Kathleen. She pronounces it Lee-na.

starlight8323

GuitaristsGirl:

Eaglefoot23:

Where exactly did you read that it is a nickname for Eleanor? Next time, try our most trusted source for reliable etymology of names, www.BehindTheName.com:

LENA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: Scandinavian, German, Russian, English, Italian

Other Scripts: ???? (Russian)

Pronounced: LE-nah (German), LYE-nah (Russian)  [key]

Scandinavian and German short form of HELENA or MAGDALENA, and a Russian short form of YELENA.

Nothing about Eleanor there. Why not use Eleanor, Ellen, Lenore, Lenora, Lorene, Nell, Nellie, Nora, Norene? All of these are actually related to Eleanor, whereas Lena is not.

www.nameberry.com  (which I learned about on this board): 

Nicknames & Variations for Eleanor

Aleanor, Alenor, Aleonore, Aline, Allinor, Eileen, El, Elaine, Elan, Elana, Elanee, Elaney, Elani, Elania, Elanie, Elanna, Elanni, Elanor, Elanore, Ele, Elea, Eleanora, Elen, Elena, Eleni, Elenie, Elenor, Elenorah, Elenore, Eleny, Elianora, Elianore, Elie, Elienora, Elienore, Ell, Ella, Elladine, Elle, Elleanor, Ellee, Elleigh, Ellen, Ellene, Ellenor, Ellenora, Ellenorah, Ellenore, Elleonor, Elli, Ellie, Ellin, Elliner, Ellinor, Ellinore, Elly, Ellyn, Elna, Elnora, Elnore, Elyn, Elynor, Elynora, Elynore, Enora, Heleanor, Helen, Helena, Helene, Helenora, Heleonor, Leanora, Lena, Lenora, Lenore, Leonora, Leonore, Leora, Lina, Nelda, Nell, Nelle, Nelley, Nelli, Nellie, Nelly, Nonnie, Nora, Norah, Norina

At any rate, we're not sold on using Eleanor, and my question is about LEH-na.

Sorry for not addressing the original question in my previous post. An often-used tactic on this board is to divert the OPs attention away from one's negative opinion of a name (or in this case, pronunciation) by suggesting alternatives.

 

As for your source, I will say that Nameberry is only good for its blog, not for its name database.

It is extremely unreliable, and as you can see above, it groups "variations" and "nicknames" together. And it doesn't even mention "derivations". But it is important to know the difference. Variations are legitimate versions of the same name, often from another culture. Derivations are legitimate names that are derived from that name. And nicknames are names that are not on the birth certificate. They are just what a person is called for short, or as a term of endearment. Therefore nicknames are often more flexible in spelling.

One of the best things about www.BehindTheName.com is the family tree feature. You can look up any name, then click on "Related Names", and it will give you all of the legitimate names related to it (in list form). From that page, you can click on "Family Tree". This will give you a flow chart of how a name started originally, and you can see how the names derived from it. It's really cool.

As an example, here is the basic BTN page for Eleanor:

https://www.behindthename.com/name/eleanor

Then here is the "Related Names" list:

https://www.behindthename.com/name/eleanor/related

Then here is the "Family Tree":

https://www.behindthename.com/name/eleanor/tree

 

For more information about why www.BehindTheName.com is our most trusted source for legitimate baby names, read this previous Bump thread:

https://community.thebump.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/44050665.aspx

.

newbee36

Lena is a real name, slavic origin. It is common in my country (but not popular), I like it and it is pronounced something like Leh-na

Pookie's_Girl

It's a very pretty name when it's pronounced either way I think.

The only place I've actually heard this name was from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, it was the name of one of the main characters. She, and her friend all pronounced it Lee-na, but, when she went to Greece to visit her grandparents, they all pronounced it Leh-na. So, I think the pronunciation is just a cultural thing, as it is with a lot of names.

JaysonandKristin

HAFranklin:

I love the Leh-nah pronunciation! Very pretty. Have you considered Elena with the nn, Lena?

I do think it will be mispronounced Lee-nah. It's honestly what I thought you were going for at first. 

All of this.

You're going to correct people no matter what, so just prepare yourself for it now.  It's not a deal-breaker, IMHO. 

Bubbalub

If you are only asking about it as a nickname for Eleanor, then just call her Lena, pronounced how you like it, and people will catch on. Who cares how a NN is spelled?

 Or am I reading this incorrectly and you are looking at Lena as the given name, not a NN?

 

MilMom2B

I think Lena is beautiful pronounced both ways. I have known one person named Lena (that was her given name not a nn) and it was "lee na"

But, since you like the softer e sound, either prepare for corrections, or I would go with what pp suggested and add an n - Lenna.

I think the original spelling is prettiest, imo. But, I hate adding the h, I don't know why but it's less pretty to me PLUS I don't think it achieves the softer e, I'd still see it and think "lee nah" and wonder why her parents added a random h. 

Keri Marie

I read it as LEH-na. In my family it's short for Helena

CheriCO

I would say "lee-na" or "lay-na". I agree with pps that if it's her given name, you might want to spell it Lenna to help with pronunciation.  If it's a nn, spell however you like.

MeganAstra

what about "Lenna" for the spelling? If I saw  Lenah, I would still think "Lee-NAH"

 

WILDMOMMY

WHEN I SEE IT I THINK LYNN-AH, AND I LIKE IT BETTER LYNN-AH. BUT THAT IS JUST ME!

 

amber2718

NellaJ:

To me Lena= Lay-Na

Lina=Lee-na

I really love this name, we are considering Helena for when we get PG again, and would most likely use Lena as a NN for Helena if it fit! I do know a few women who are named Lena, just as a first name, I think it is just fine on its own.

This

zaramarie81

Of my family members wants to name her first daughter Lena (in honor of our grandmother, Helene, (pronounced Huh-LAY-nah). She wants people to pronounce it LAY-nah (which is very similar to the German pronunciation like the German Helene). That said, I think Lena with a long a will be a challenge for correcting some people. I think most people's instincts would first be LEE-nah. LEH-nah would not even come to mind for me.

Edited: for clarity. 

Tigger9662

Leighna

Leina

Lehna

i don't know.....just suggestions....... 

Bride7-7-07

My SIL's name is Lena.  She pronounces it Lee-Na

tetedefromage

I don't think Lenna would help with the confusion...doesn't look like Lay-na at all to me, but Len-na.  

I like Lena though, pronounced either way!   If I met someone with that name I'd just ask first how it's pronounced, since its one of those that can go either way, like Cara.  

dakota01

Tigger9662:

Leighna

Leina

Lehna

i don't know.....just suggestions....... 

I agree with these spellings. You could go with Layna and keep it phonetic. BTW love the name!