Recently, I've really come to love
Helena. I think it's feminine without being too frilly, elegant, intelligent and lends itself to some adorable nicknames (among them
Leni). I pronounce it hel-len-uh, by the way (as in H. Bonham-Carter).
The only drawback: my last name starts with an H as well! (sounds like Hill). Normally, I dislike alliteration, but
Helena Hill doesn't sound too bad to my ears - or does it?
Alternative names would be
Susanna and
Eva, and if my husband lets me, I'll also put in
Astrid somewhere (not in the first name spot, though), honoring my favorite author
Astrid Lindgren.
So what are your favorite combos out of my 4 favorites, and what do you think of the names? And does
Helena work with a one-syllable surname starting with H?
Thanks a lot for your replies!