I think the name issue is probably subjectively very tense for you because it is so personal, Alex. I agree with Del that giving a child a name that results in teasing can actually damage self esteem, and that you should choose very carefully. On the other hand, I personally like the name Helen because it is old fashioned and different. It reminds me of the female character on the PBS show "All Creatures Great and Small", who has always appealed to me A LOT. If I were a guy, she would be my type.
I'm sure children could make up plenty of cruel nicknames with Helen, though, especially because of the first syllable. I love my daughter's name, Briana Rose, but was aware that it could be abbreviated, and she is NOT any kind of French cheese!!! So I act very obnoxious and shrill when anyone even tries to call her that, but I know even my husband does so when I am not around sometimes, as a term of affection.
I am not sure there is a really prefect name choice, and the most you can hope for is that your child likes the name you give her, because if she does not she will probably change it!! A beautiful, appropriate name is a great gift, and sometimes I think that people who wait a month or so until the child's spirit unfolds may have the right idea.
This is just between you and Loving Spouse. If I were to make a suggestion, and I do NOT believe it is my place or anyone else's do to so, really, I would maybe suggest you choose a very pretty and "cool" middle name so that she could use it if she does not like Helen. She could be H. Heather M. or something!!!
I could not come up with a boy's name at all when I was pregnant. I finally scraped together Arlo Francisco, because I have always liked Arlo and couldn't think of another name to go with it, so I just got rhythmic and multi-cultural and added half of the city name where I live. Bad choice!!! At least a hundred people laughed at me. I realized that if that many people thought it was bad, it might be a stigma, but I was sure I was having a girl because Briana Rose came together magically for me.
This all reminds me of what one of my girlfriends did. She named her beautiful baby daughter Clishe, pronounced just like the word which means boring redundancy, or however you want to define it. Poor little girl!!! |
