Lenore?

l_herron

I love old names...Eleanor was one of my favorites for a girl, but H nixed it because it made him think Eleanor Rigby= lonely old lady.  

The other night I was having issues sleeping and so I started reciting things in my head to put me to sleep.  Poem of choice was "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe.  Hence, the name "Lenore" is now on my short list.  I think it's very pretty and poetic and the last time it was in the top 1,000 was in 1973...lol.  

The only problem I might have is if it's weird to name your child after someone's dead love.  The fact that the poem was my "inspiration" for the name might give it a weird connotation, kwim?

So I guess I am not asking if you guys really like it or not, just if it would be weird to you or see it as not a reason to use the name.  

plunderb

I like it, and the Poe connection is a plus in my book. There was just a thread a few days ago about Annabel Lee.

If you like Eleanor and Lenore, but decide against the Poe angle, you might like Liora.

SnoopyLuv

I think it's kind of cool. I immediately think of the poem but many people might not. I think it would be hard for people to screw up pronunciation too. Go for it! Better than Eleanor, IMO.

forensicmama

I would use it because of Poe. I automatically thought of him. I don't think it's a bad name at all. Also, Annabel Lee makes me think of Poe. Great names.

l_herron

Thanks all That makes me very happy to hear.  Now to just get MH on board..hmmmmm

NellaJ

I initially though Poe as well, but that is not a bad thing. I like it but I like PP's suggestions of Liora even better.

imnyke

I love this name.  It is on my short list of names(if I get to have another baby) and was my great grandmothers middle name.  Her name was Evelyn Lenore. 

I think it would not be weird if you were inspired by Edgar Allen Poe. 

Great name choice.  Go for it!

daenikoffre

I immediately thought of the poem, too. But that's not a bad thing. I think it's romantic.

shopgirl_07

Lenore is like a 90 year old lady's name to me. Not a fan of the -nor sound either.

braveangel2

I love this name - truly underappreciated. And no, I don't think the literary connection is a bad one. I think it's a great compromise, and it rolls off the tongue. You may get the Edgar Allen Poe question every now and again, but if you can boil down her name story into a one-liner, then you'll have a response. HTH!

zaramarie81

I think this name is lovely. It does have a melancholy tone to it, though. Lovely nonetheless. I also like the suggestion of Liora.

I have a neice named Elise and I've noticed two trends with names like hers:

1. They associate with the great work of art ("Fur Elise" - Beethoven) and think it's such a lovely name. If I have my history correct, no one is quite sure who "Elise" was but hey, it's a classic.

2. They have never heard of (or don't think of) the association and stumble over the name as if they've never heard it, and you wonder what planet they've been living on lol.

3. They say "Ew, that's an old lady name!" Frankly, I don't think that's a bad reaction.

 

 

rubyjem00

I prefer the name Lenora but I still think that Lenore is a great name.

COMomma81

forensicmama:

I would use it because of Poe. I automatically thought of him. I don't think it's a bad name at all. Also, Annabel Lee makes me think of Poe. Great names.

Yep, me too. Love this name! 

UK2ME

I am going to assume that this is a cultural thing, given that I am of British origin, but I think of the laundry detergent when I hear Lenore.  

Lenora, I could get behind, or also Leonora.

bananers

There is a character on the HBO series "Hung" named Lenore and she is a vixen. Just in case you are worried about it sounding too melancholy, the Hung character was actually the first thing that popped into my head, followed quickly by Poe.

That said, I think I prefer Lenora.

sweetface83

This is one of my good friend's mom's name.  So, I automatically think of her when I hear it.  However, Poe is one of my favorite poets, so I would go for it if the personal connection wasn't an issue for me.

l_herron

Thanks all...although I love the name, I don't think I can sell MH on it..:(  He said it's too old for him and thinks anything ending in -nor will sound old...so I will try Lenora just to see what he says.  Although, I firmly stand behind "If you have no contributions or suggestions, then what I say goes."  LOL Or maybe we will just revisit this once we actually find out what we are having..

indiana101

Love the poem and the name. I would love to have been named after a character in a poem, very romantic.

HeyJune

I think it's a little creepy, but Poe has always creeped me out. There's no way I'd recite Poe to fall asleep!

That said, I like Lenore, but I like Lenora and Leona even better as alternatives/spin offs of Lenore.

jperhac

Lenore is my sister's name.  Occasionally we call her Len or Lenny for NN. I believe my mom named her after a soap opera character.  It's a unique name and no one else has it.  And I can't ever recall my sister being teased about the Poe connection...