Elliette

TurtlesPlease · November 2013

My fiance and I had decided to name our baby girl "Elliott" and while I know a lot of people don't agree with using this name on a girl, we both fell in love and decided to use it.
Well, my fiance came home from work today and said "I want to name her Elliette instead." I mentioned to him that it's a different name and would be pronounced more like "elly-ette" - more like Juliet or Harriet, as opposed to "Elliott" he said that is what he wants and he prefers the spelling and pronunciation.
It sounds and looks French, which appeals to my fiance because his family is French and Irish, so she would have a French[-sounding] first name to go with his Irish last name so he feels it would also represent his heritage a little more.
While I don't hate it, I'm also having a hard time transitioning to it, as I was set on "Elliott."
After a little research I discovered that "Eliette" is a variant of the Hebrew name "Eliana" and apparently means "God has Answered."
What do you think? Should I give in and go with "Elliette" [Or Eliette?], pronounced like "Elly-ette" and make my fiance happy? Or should I try to stick with Elliott?
Opinions? Suggestions?
Thanks in advance. :]

TurtlesPlease · November 2013

In my defence! The French thing was his argument, not mine. It was one of his reasons for wanting to use Eliette/Elliette instead of Elliott.
And at first I argued the same that I don't want to just make up a spelling, but when I researched it I found that "Eliette" is an actual name, and is separate from Elliott. According to the internet it's Hebrew and means "God has Answered." [But I always have the thought in the back of my mind that anything online could have been written by anyone.]
I still prefer Elliott.
Thanks for your thoughts.

owlcup · November 2013

Yeah, Elliette looks really awful and does not look French at all. Stick with Elliot. She then won't spend her lifetime correcting everyone about the spelling of her name.

evaazalea · November 2013

I think you should go with Eliana.

WashingtonQueen · November 2013

:-& To Elliott or "Elliette" on a girl.

Meery82 · November 2013

WashingtonQueen said:

:-& To Elliott or "Elliette" on a girl.

This. I would go with Ella or Eliana.

Bwhitten · November 2013

You should go with Eliette I like it better than Elliott and it's a girl name not boys'.

allardr · November 2013

Elliot is all boy. It looks horrible Elliette, but I'd go with the actual name Eliette (though I agree it will be pronounced different)

...if given a 4th option I'd totally get behind Eliana or Evette

KristaU831 · November 2013

no. Elliette doesn't look french it looks trailer park. and not even modern trailer park, like old school trailer park.

brooksidebride · November 2013

I kind of like Eliette, and pronounced like elly-ett. I don't like Elliot for a girl, but do like it for boys.

Mrs.G123 · November 2013

I don't understand the pronunciation difference.

Elliette is bad.

CBJmommy · November 2013

Either way is adorable! Says the mom of a daughter named Drew

Irishcurls · November 2013

To me it's like Vivian/Vivienne. Quite different to me, especially since the emphasis is on a different syllable. Ellie-ETTE is how I'm saying it. Not Eliot at all.

mockingjay1 · November 2013

The pronunciation for me is about the same. Elliette is awful. For the love, if you like the name then spell it correctly. Making up a new way to spell it doesn't do anyone any favors (especially your little one).

klgallup · November 2013

This name is getting no love but I don't think it would bother me. It is NMS but if someone introduced their child to me as Eliette (much prefer on L) I don't think I would give it much thought. I've heard worse.

lauraplusbaby · November 2013

Eliana is very pretty. Elliette is bad

DanandVan · November 2013

I typically would say stick with the standard spelling, but I think in this case Elliette would at least tip people off that she is a girl. I love Elliott for a boy, and am sad that another great name is going to the girls.

ClaireHuxtable · November 2013

Elliot for a girl is beautiful.

Elliette is a made-up name - which would be fine, if it just wasn't so obnoxious - sorry. I think when they see your daughter they will know she's a girl and gender-specified names are social constructs, so just because a girl is given a "boy's name" doesn't mean that typical boys names are now and forever ruined by a girl having that name.

Sam Buttons · November 2013

Elliette is horrendous. It looks like some uneducated person made up a name to look french.

While nms, Elliot on a girl can work with a feminine middle name. Of all the boy on girl names, this one may be my favorite.

Ceridwen21 · November 2013

Elliot (for a girl) is bad. Elliette is awful.

mh89 · November 2013

I'm another who personally doesn't like Elliot on a girl, but if you really love it then use it. I think you should use the well-known spelling of Elliot rather than Elliette though. Having both a boy's name AND a youneekly spelt name would be very frustrating for both a child and adult.

theimpossibleastronaut · November 2013

Elliot is a boy's name to me too. Sorry OP.

capulet · November 2013

TurtlesPlease said:
After a little research I discovered that "Eliette" is a variant of the Hebrew name "Eliana" and apparently means "God has Answered."

I take this to mean that Eliana itself is Hebrew and Eliette is a made-up variant. I am highly suspicious about the fact that a Romance language diminutive ending somehow got attached to a word in a Semitic language. I would sure check that with someone besides the Internet if I were you.

While I dislike boy named on girls, I sort of understand it, I guess. What I don't understand at all is why you would give a girl a boy name but then be like, "Wait, that's too masculine!" and then try to make it less of a boy name by misspelling it. I don't know, maybe Eliette is legit, but even if it is, 99% of people will think you just screwed with the spelling of Elliott.

BTW, I love Eliana. And Juliet, since you mentioned it - it's my name. I'm glad my parents fell in love with Juliet instead of Eliette.

VineyardMel · November 2013

Does your FI think these names would be pronounced the same? Elliot on a girl makes me cringe. Elliette is just so, so bad.

Gavel · November 2013

Elliette=Made Up

****GAVEL****

pepperedmoth · November 2013

In defense of the OP, Eliette is indeed a real, French, name.

Eliette Abecassis is a French writer: https://www.amazon.com/Eliette-Abécassis/e/B001JOSEP4

and here are several links to French baby-name sites explaining the etiology (in French, so you'll either have to trust me or read some French):

https://www.journaldesfemmes.com/prenoms/prenom/984/eliette/
https://www.magicmaman.com/prenom/,eliette,2006200,12149.asp
https://www.signification-prenom.com/prenom/prenom-ELIETTE.html

It is indeed a . . . Francophonization? (What's the equivalent word for Anglicization when it's French?) for Eli. it was popular from about 1920 to 1960.

And I like it way better than Elliot on a girl.

jesadams964 · November 2013

Elliot is one of the first names I decided on for a girl. I want to have some other options too but I keep coming back to it. Are you a Scrubs fan? I didn't think of naming my child after the character but maybe being a fan makes it seem more feminine to me. I have a female client named Elliot too. I'm not sharing it with many people because I know not a lot will like it, plus I'm only 14 weeks so not sure what I'm having. :-). Also like Brent And Troy for a girl so maybe I'm just crazy.

Anyway, I saw Elliette, etc. On different baby name lists so I don't think it was just made up. I prefer Elliot for myself but I think either are nice. Also, my DH wants to use Helms as a middle name no matter what (family name). But if I go with Elliot I would want a more feminine middle name... not to take over your post, lol

banannapeach85 · November 2013

Well, I'll change things up and say that I like Eliette--much prefer with one L to two, though. I think it sounds cute and old-fashioned, sort of Southern-retro, and as PP said it is a legit French name.

I think Elliott works better than some gender-bender names on girls, but still prefer it on a boy. I like Eliette better than Elliott. Ultimately, neither are bad names, I wouldn't side-eye either of them, and you should go over it some more with your FH before making the final decision.

macska3 · November 2013

TysMomPlusOne said:

I think you should go with Eliana.

this.

Dr.Loretta · November 2013

They're both awful.

Go with Eliana

capulet · November 2013

jesadams964 said:

Elliot is one of the first names I decided on for a girl. I want to have some other options too but I keep coming back to it. Are you a Scrubs fan? I didn't think of naming my child after the character but maybe being a fan makes it seem more feminine to me. I have a female client named Elliot too. I'm not sharing it with many people because I know not a lot will like it, plus I'm only 14 weeks so not sure what I'm having. :-).

See, I can understand not sharing baby names with people you know will be pushy about their own opinion, but if you know a lot of people will dislike a name, then why would you give it to your child? That just doesn't seem very nice to me.

beckib353 · November 2013

My daughter is an Elliott! So, I am partial to that spelling.

Belle3184 · November 2013

I would stay with Elliott. I'm going to be in the minority because I actually like this name on a girl.

TurtlesPlease · November 2013

Thank you everyone for your honest opinions. :]
We are still discussing it. I'm still leaning more towards Elliott but my Fiance isn't giving in.
I argued with him about the name not being French and he showed up yesterday with his grandmother's baby-name book [which is entirely in French - not all French names, it's just written in the French language] and to my surprise, Eliette is actually in it. And this book is more than twice my age. So I'm losing the argument on that front.
We still haven't reached an agreement but we are getting closer.
Again, thank you everyone for your honest opinions. It is greatly appreciated.

queenbone · November 2013

I seem to remember this name coming up on here awhile back with someone backing up her claim that Eliette is a name used by French people. ( I think that poster was looking for MN opinions)

Anyway, my 2 cents is that the spelling of Elliette reminds me of the brand name Gillette.

TurtlesPlease · November 2013

queenbone said:

I seem to remember this name coming up on here awhile back with someone backing up her claim that Eliette is a name used by French people. ( I think that poster was looking for MN opinions)

Anyway, my 2 cents is that the spelling of Elliette reminds me of the brand name Gillette.

I'd never even thought of that! I'm mentioning that to my fiance when he gets home from work in the morning. I think it will help my case. :P

Ceridwen21 · November 2013

For what it's worth, there were zero Eliettes born in Quebec in the past 6 years, and 1 Elliette. So no, it's not a French name.

TurtlesPlease · November 2013

Oh, I forgot. Quebec is the only French-speaking place on the planet.
My fiance's grandmother's French baby name book was printed in France, but it's totally not French because it isn't from Quebec...

Ceridwen21 · November 2013

Ya, cause that's what I meant.

Zimger · November 2013

Could it be that the baby name book just had the name thrown in there because a few people used it? I know that in modern baby name books they add several "variations" of a name. Some are not so bad and some are just downright ridiculous. I wouldn't just take the word of a baby name book...anyone can write one.

As far as the names are concerned I have to say that I agree Eliana is okay. I do not like Elliott for a girl at all. It sounds very masculine to me. I don't get the argument regarding the television character. I don't know much about Scrubs but didn't her parents name her Elliott because they wanted a boy?

Eliette just looks odd.

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