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Female first name: Lena

  • 08-06-2020 1:01pm
    #1
    d1234
    Registered Users Posts: 594 ✭✭✭


    Hi all,

    Has anyone come across the female name "Lena"? What is it the short of? I'm guessing Ellen??

    Many thanks,
    D


Comments

  • #2
    PhilOssophy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭PhilOssophy


    Depends on the country.
    In Ireland, possibly Helena, in Europe it is often a given 1st name, but can be short for Magdalena, Marolena, etc.


  • #3
    biko
    Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Not so common in Ireland, but common enough in Eastern countries and Scandinavia.


  • #4
    Gillouise
    Registered Users Posts: 68 ✭✭Gillouise


    d1234 wrote: »
    Hi all,

    Has anyone come across the female name "Lena"? What is it the short of? I'm guessing Ellen??

    Many thanks,
    D

    3 Lena's in the family, all originally Helena


  • #5
    Idle Passerby
    Registered Users Posts: 1,120 ✭✭✭Idle Passerby


    Short for Helena in my family.


  • #6
    kildarejohn
    Registered Users Posts: 301 ✭✭kildarejohn


    Does the OP know how it is/was pronounced?
    If "Leena" and Irish then probably from Helena.
    If "Layna" then possibly from Magdalena etc


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  • #7
    d1234
    Registered Users Posts: 594 ✭✭✭d1234


    Thanks everyone for all the comments and replies! It's most appreciated!

    I remember a cousin of my father pronouncing it as "LEEna".

    This woman would have been born in the early 1900's. Large family and some of the children emigrated. I tried looking under Lena for certs etc. but will broaden the search. I know she didn't get married so that's one less avenue to search.


  • #8
    pinkypinky
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,616 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    I have also seen it spelled Elena in Cork.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



  • #9
    PhilOssophy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭PhilOssophy


    This might be stupid OP but could it be short for Elaine? Would expect not but its possible


  • #10
    SophieLockhart
    Registered Users Posts: 203 ✭✭SophieLockhart


    There are several possibilities really: Ellen would be the most common but Helen, Helena or Elena also. Could even be Eileen.


  • #11
    pinkypinky
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,616 Mod ✭✭✭✭pinkypinky


    And Eleanor.

    Historically, in Ireland, all of those names are considered to be the same name. The fact that Latin was the lingua franca of parish registers meant that priests often translated names and if they didn't know the Latin version, they made up something that sounded like it. This accounts for the variation.

    Genealogy Forum Mod



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