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[Opinions] Jolene, Arlene, and Aileen
What do you all think of Jolene, Arlene, and Aileen? I know they’re all dated but to me they kind of have this 20th century “new classic” feel that works. Are they ready for a comeback or do they need a few more years? Also what combos do you think would work?*previously posted as summitseeker*
--hike more / worry less--
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I get a very Southern, redneck vibe from them. Isn't there even a country song called Jolene?
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I like Arlene and Aileen, Jolene reminds me too much of the Dolly Parton song, or of the epilatory cream brand Jolen.
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I like Jolene the most. I do like Aileen, but wouldn't actually use it (I prefer the Eileen spelling). Arlene is so-so.

This message was edited 6/5/2018, 11:59 AM

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Arlene and Aileen screams dated to me, and Aileen also reminds me of 'alien'. I can picture a 50+ southern woman with a smokey voice shout for "Arleeeene!"Joline is a very popular name for children where I live, so it doesn't have the same feeling for me. The Jolene spelling makes it feel more dated though, thanks to the song. I still like it though. Too lazy for combos at the moment.
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Jolene's been rising for a while (Jo is a very popular middle name also). Aileen has been dropping. Arlene is steady/dropping.I think they need a few more years personally. I'd rather see some -reen / -rene names come back before the -lene / -leen names (Noreen and Doreen in particular I think are cute; Noreen follows Nora's popularity perfectly).
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1. Jolene, Jolene, I'm begging you, please don't take my man. She WILL hear this song, over and over again. Bet money on it, just like Michael will be told to row the boat ashore, Hallelujah. The name is okay but I don't like it enough to think my liking outweighs the song factor.
2. Arlene: This is dowdy and harsh sounding. Easily the most dated of this trio.3. Aileen: It's a more attractive spelling than Eileen, I think, though I do think it could be a minor nuisance to correct spelling and pronunciation. It's also not so great that one of the first things, if not THE first, you find when you Google Aileen is Wuornos. Still, it's my favorite of this list.Aileen RebeccaAileen MichelleAileen SamanthaAileen VanessaAileen Melanie
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Not necessarily. I know a 13/14 year old Jolene, and the only people who mention the song are middle-aged adults. I asked her, once.
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I didn't know that song existed until a few years ago.
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Quote just like Michael will be told to row the boat ashore, Hallelujah.
...Michaels you know and Michaels I know apparently have extremely different experiences.
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1. I completely get that, but will kids growing up today even know that song? It’s already over 40 years old. But yeah, that would be a concern of mine with that name, too.2. I really like Aileen Michelle and Aileen Samantha. I’ve alwahs thought this name was pronounced AY-leen rather than IE-leen. The Wuornos connection is concerning but obscure enough to possibly not be problematic.
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1. The song is still pretty popular, I have seen contestants on American Idol and the Voice and like that sing it. There's also a newer song by the same name, but different lyrics. The name of the group escapes me right now.
2. The Wuornos connection isn't exactly obscure; there was a very popular movie made about it, and like I said, she's the first Aileen you find when you Google. As to pronunciation, as far as I know it is usually Eye-Leen.
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I think the most common pronunciation now is Eye-leen. Rhyming the first syllable with "say" was an pronunciation of the early 20th century used by parents who found the name in a written source and didn't realize what the traditional pronunciation was.There is a lot of confusion today between Aileen and the Hispanic Aylen. I have seen quite a few examples of Hispanic girls with the spellings Ailin or Aylin, pronounced "eye-leen".
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