Annika vs Eliana?

I thought I had decided on Annika for our girl... surname is a lot like "Lock". BUT... I'm starting to wonder. We're both not quite sure about the two "k" sounds" and I think Aussies WILL shorten it, and Ann/Anni/Nika don't grab me greatly. So... decided to re-open pandora's box and look at more names. So now I don't know if that means Annika isn't right!

Next best name we've come up with is Eliana (or Elliana - DH's preferred spelling). I like the fact it could be shortened to Ellie/Lani/Liana etc. So now I'm torn! I think the shortenings are better, it's very pretty, nice with our surname... but it IS longer... and my name is actually Bella... so Ellie & Bella??

Other similar names we like (but have ruled out for various reasons) often with flowing "n" sounds and we love the unusual (DS is Xander). Stuff like Rhianna, Sienna, Alanna, Tabitha, Cassia, Ebony, Melody, Sabriel, Summer, Jenna, Elka, Elowen etc... but for all these we've come up with reasons not to use 'em.

One of my criteria... :rofl: if my child was to be picked up and transported to a fairyland, I want their name to sound strong, creative and regal... i.e. they could BE a prince/princess elf! I.e. it can't be too common/prosaic/everyday. Princess Susan... nah doesn't work for me. DH thinks this is hilarious, can't think why! :redface:

So... any ideas... and what do you prefer out of Annika/Eliana/Elliana? And can you think of teasing options or problems? Smelly Ellie?

i like Elliana, if you think of names that can picked on your gonna have a nameless baby, kids will find anything to rhyme with a name lol what middle names have you chosen, i like Elliana Grace

I agree with the too muck kkk sounds :)

So is it Arn-ee-ka or Ann-ee-ka? I never know :redface: I always loved the name Anakie... but Star Wars ruined that for me, too close to Anakin or whatever his bloody name is.

I don't mind your other names - but I'm loving Emiliana at the moment if that helps...

I prefer Annika. Maybe you could shorten it to Anna or Niki instead. Or insist that it isn't shortened. I don't think the double K sound is a problem.
Although Eliana is nice too.

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So is it Arn-ee-ka or Ann-ee-ka?

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Well i think that it's Ann-ee-ka. Lol re Anakin! :rofl:

As for Anna and Niki... noooo they don't fit in fairyland! :lol:

I have a Annika and I dont shorten it and neither does anyone else.. if they do she tells them her name is Annika not Annie..

I like Annika - but only cause my best friend is one ;) Though hers is spelt Anneke but pronounced the same way

Do you realise the spelling choice is splitting the Eliana vote? :)

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Do you realise the spelling choice is splitting the Eliana vote? :)

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Lol I wondered if I shouldn't do that when I set it up... so to get the "overall" I just add 'em together (my fuzzy preggie brain is managing that much at least!). I'm torn now... was just in the shower imagining I was my daughter in 20 years time answering the phone at work to see which one felt better! Surprisingly, it didn't decide me :rofl:

My cousin's daughter's name is Tanika, she never gets it shortened. So I'm going Annika ;)

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One of my criteria... :rofl: if my child was to be picked up and transported to a fairyland, I want their name to sound strong, creative and regal... i.e. they could BE a prince/princess elf! I.e. it can't be too common/prosaic/everyday. Princess Susan

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... you are more than welcome to use the same name as my DD's - Cendrine, it's a French name meaning Cinders or Ashes which comes from Cinderella (and yes she has what we call a Cinderella corner of Cinderella items in her sweet bedroom) ;)

to be honest it wasn't the meaning i was crazy on (as it's so not me into princess' lol) but then hopefully my DD will have a great sense of humor and i don't think Aussies will really know of it let alone look further beyond the meaning of Cinders.

I really love your name choice of Eliana , it's beautiful :D

I like Eliana, I have a Eloisa (she gets Ellie, Lou or Lulu for short), but really liked Eliza, dh wasn't haven't any of that though.

Ok I like Annika - what about Annelise???? i went to school with both an Annika and an Annelise....both very pretty girls and suited their names.......neither was shortened......

what about Emilia - my friend had a baby on tuesday and called her Emilia.

:)

If DS had been a girl he would have been Annika. I used to know an Annika, she was/is pretty, sweet and intelligent. As for shortening she sometimes got Kiki (pronounced key-key)
I like Eliana too. Not a big fan of the double L but I think I'd get used to it. :)

I love Elliana, i think it's gorgeous, we have a friend who's daughter is Eliana (not sure how they spell it though).
I think PRINCESS ELLIANA is gorgeous, i'm sure she would be a wonderful elvish leader... lol

Thanks ladies :)

Well I'm sooo confused now. The polling is pretty much neck and neck...
DH has almost talked me into the "ll" spelling..so the pros are:
Elliana/Eliana:

• Love the nicknames of Ellie or Lani
• Very pretty
• Goes really well with our surname

But it is a "busier" name, four syllables where I'd prefer 3 or 2.

Annika:

• It's a "cleaner" unusual name IYKWIM
• Shorter name (3 syllables) might actually be more likely to be used in full
• Could shorten to Kiki (thanks Heva&Zacky!)

But don't love the shortenings as much... and I would love to find a name where I love both short & long versions.

Aaah the indecision!

I'm voting coz I can :p I love Annika hun and I don't think that it will necessarily get shortened any more than Elliana unless you want it to, in fact I think Elliana is more likely to be shortened to Ellie than Annika but as you said you like those so I can see the issue!!! Im not help at all obviously! :D Good luck - maybe wait and see once you meet her! We didn't decide until she was here!!

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I'm voting coz I can :p I love Annika hun and I don't think that it will necessarily get shortened any more than Elliana unless you want it to, in fact I think Elliana is more likely to be shortened to Ellie than Annika but as you said you like those so I can see the issue!!! Im not help at all obviously! :D Good luck - maybe wait and see once you meet her! We didn't decide until she was here!!

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Woo hoo, I enticed Tan out of hiding! :dance::dance::dance:
Thanks for the votes. I'm now wondering if NEITHER is right as there's things I do and don't like about both. I thought of Elarni/Elahni last night which I think is gorgeous but DH HATES :wall:.
We picked our son's name soooo easily, dunno why I can't select my girls name as easily!
Anyone got any other ideas!?!?!

I totally love Annika! I wanted to name this baby Aneke (sounds the same just diff spelling).

Wanted? Is bubbity boo a boy, or unknown at this point?

I chose Annika..it's a great strong name. I don't think it's a mouthful with your surname.
I know of a couple of Annika's now varying ages. One in pronounced Arnika and the Annika..I don't mind either of the prounonciations and neither of them have their name shortened.

How do you pronounce Eliana/Elliana?

I'd be inclined to pronounce Eliana as Ee-lane-ah but Elliana as Ellie-ar-nah. From the abbreviations you are suggesting I think you're pronouncing them as Ellie-anna which fits too. I guess with the one L I sort of miss the I in Eliana so I prefer it spelt with two Ls.

I do prefer Elliana to Annika- I think its a prettier, more youthful name (but I know some older Annikas).

I would pronounce both Eliana/Elliana as Elli-ar-nah, not the anna sound on the end. I agree that the one "l" version kinda loses the i and I'm leaning towards the "ll" version... IF I go that way :wall:

Ok I feel like a total goose. But I'm back on Annika. I think we're 99.9% decided that her name will actually be Annika Shaelin "Lock". I think Elliana is so pretty but I just keep coming back to Annika despite everything! I think i've trawled every single baby names website known to man in the last few days and so my due diligence is done :rofl:

Thanks for all the suggestions and contributions, and hopefully I don't do this again before she's born!! (and if I do, just tell me to go away and stick to Annika :rofl:).

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Wanted? Is bubbity boo a boy, or unknown at this point?

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we are having a girl...but DH and I have settled on a different name....it's all secret squirrel lol! but that said, if we look at her and she isnt the name we chose we will go back to the drawing board lol!

Belfie - we just named our (now three week old) daughter Annika - and we had so much trouble thinking of girls names. She was nearly a week old when we finally named her, I think she chose her own name because it wasn't something we'd even considered before she was born.

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Ok... Another name to think about is
Elani.... I used to work with a girl whose parents couldn't decide between two names so combined the two and came up with Elani. It's a beautiful name and never gets shortened..

I like Annika. I had a friend Anika, and we used to call her Neak or Streak!

I'm not as much of a fan of Elliana....I just like Liana on it's own....Princess Liana has a nice ring to it!

Don't want to be a total pain but what about the name Elkanah, its kind of a mix?

Love Annika...such a beautiful name!! Neek or Neeky for short.

I love Annika, very pretty!!

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Ok... Another name to think about is
Elani.... I used to work with a girl whose parents couldn't decide between two names so combined the two and came up with Elani. It's a beautiful name and never gets shortened..

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I actually thought of that one but DH just hated it in that irrational man-name-hating way that they sometimes get :doh: (cos I'm never irrational, doncha know ;))
I also really like Elka but he also vetoed that one. I think Elkanah is really interesting but think my head is stuck on Annika still now.

Liana is interesting but is also the name of my women's physio... so when I think of it, I think pelvic floor muscles! :rofl:

I Like Elliana :)

I love the name Eliana. I like this spelling better as it looks cleaner, and since it is a long sounding name, fewer letters are better IMO

Annika is nice a nice too (I even know a really cutge little girl with that name) but it reminds me of Star wars too LOL