How bad are bad initials?

LarkNow · September 2010

If it's a girl, we're pretty set that the middle name will be Elise, and our last name starts with an L. One of my current favorite first names is Elizabeth (and, actually, we've discussed Eleanor). That would make her initials EEL.

How bad is this?

I might add, this is the trouble with a vowel middle initial. Most of the other names I like make weird words, too--JEL, MEL, HEL. But I don't think any of these is as bad as "EEL." Maybe "HEL." How bad is that?

rider5344 · September 2010

I don't think EEL is bad at all....I'm not sure what the concern with it is? I get that it spells eel, but so what? If it makes you feel better my initials are DAM and unless I specifically point it out to someone no one every knows (even monograms don't show it because on monograms its dMa)

Brilanea · September 2010

yeah i wouldn't use anything that made initials something like FAT, HEL, etc but eel is not bad at all.

plus as previous poster said, when monograms are done it would read eLe which is cute imo

ZTAsunshine · September 2010

I don't think that initals really matter that much. If you get things monogrammed they will be in the order of ELE so I say go with the name you love.

erikaautumn · September 2010

I think EEL is fine, but I don't like Elizabeth and Elise together (even though I love both). They're almost the same name!

HarperM · September 2010

I don't think initials are all that noticeable. I don't ever recall using mine or eve writing mine out.

I think the ONLY one I would avoid would be KKK... for obvious reasons! Other than that, I think any are fine!

BabyWoodruff · September 2010

We were considering a name that would leave us with the initials EEW. Poor baby. Just couldn't do that.

I knew a boy in school who's initals were WOW, and, once all of the kids figured it out, that's all they called him. WOW, though, is much better than the nose~crinkling EEW!

I'm not sure it's really that big of a deal to have initials that spell something, but people do point it out, and I didn't want to risk it.

mlf625 · September 2010

I don't think the initials are a big deal. My son's initials are ALF. Nobody really notices/cares.

I don't like Elizabeth Elise, though. Like a pp said - they're pretty much the same name.

clairej · September 2010

I don't think EEL is that bad, I wouldn't worry about it. But while Elise, Elizabeth, and Eleanor are all nice names, they all start with "El", so IMO they are too similar (and not sure how they flow with a last name beginning with L). So personally I would pick the one you like the most and then find another name to go with it. What about Evelyn?

LadyXaverian · September 2010

EEL is fine, but Elisabeth Elise is not.

*Maybe* Eleanor Elise, but the two "El" sounds at the beginning is not great, IMO.

I do like all 3 names, just not together.

LarkNow · September 2010

Thanks for the reassurance. Elise is a family name so that has to stay. Too bad no one likes Elizabeth with it. That was the only name we could halfway agree on.

shopgirl_07 · September 2010

I can't believe you would consider Elizabeth Elise. As others have mentioned, it's like the same name. It would be like naming her Madeline Maddie or something.

LMS05 · September 2010

I don't see how Elise and Elizabeth are the same name. Sure the beginnings sound similar, but Elise is not a nickname for Elizabeth. Anyway, EEL is not bad at all, but I don't think Elizabeth Elise or Eleanor Elise sound good together. I love the name Elizabeth though.

macchiatto · September 2010

I don't think EEL is bad either, but I do think Elizabeth Elise sounds pretty repetitive. Isn't that two different forms of the same name?

macchiatto · September 2010

LMS05:
I don't see how Elise and Elizabeth are the same name. Sure the beginnings sound similar, but Elise is not a nickname for Elizabeth. Anyway, EEL is not bad at all, but I don't think Elizabeth Elise or Eleanor Elise sound good together. I love the name Elizabeth though.

Seriously?

From www.behindthename.com:

ELISE

Gender: Feminine

Usage: German, Scandinavian, Dutch, English

Pronounced: e-LEE-z? (German), i-LEES (English), i-LEEZ (English) [key]

Short form of ELIZABETH

So yep, they are the same name, just different forms. Like pp said, it's like naming your kid Madeline Maddie or Carolyn Carrie or something.

LMS05 · September 2010

macchiatto:
LMS05:
I don't see how Elise and Elizabeth are the same name. Sure the beginnings sound similar, but Elise is not a nickname for Elizabeth. Anyway, EEL is not bad at all, but I don't think Elizabeth Elise or Eleanor Elise sound good together. I love the name Elizabeth though.
Seriously?
From www.behindthename.com:
ELISE
Gender: Feminine
Usage: German, Scandinavian, Dutch, English
Pronounced: e-LEE-z? (German), i-LEES (English), i-LEEZ (English) [key]
Short form of ELIZABETH

So yep, they are the same name, just different forms. Like pp said, it's like naming your kid Madeline Maddie or Carolyn Carrie or something.

Sorry, I had no idea. I've never met an Elizabeth that went by Elise. All the Elises I know were named just Elise. Thanks for informing me!

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