Nell came about either as a rhyming nickname for Ell, or through the habit of calling loved ones 'Mine ____'. For instance, 'Mine Ellen' turned eventually into 'My Nell'. Most likely, both factors contributed.
- Antonella (an-toh-NEL-lah, Italian)--feminine form of Anthony.
- Daniella (dan-YEL-lah, English)
- Finella (fin-EL-lah, Irish)--Anglicized from Fionnuala.
- Ionela (yoh-NEL-lah, Romanian)--feminine form of John.
- Kornelia (kor-NEL-yah, German)
- Marianela (mahr-ee-an-EL-ah, Spanish)
- Narelle (nah-REL, English)
- Nedelya (ned-EHL-yah, Bulgarian)
- Nelda (NEL-dah, English)--feminine of Neil
- Nelinha (nel-EEN-yah, Portuguese)
- Nephele (NEF-el-ee, Greek)
- Ninel (neen-YEL, Russian)
- Noella (noh-EHL-lah, French)--"Christmas"
- Ornella (or-NEL-lah, Italian)
- Penelope (pen-EL-oh-pee, English)--from Greek, "weaver"
- Peronel (PEHR-oh-nel, English)--form of Petronilla. Other forms include Petronel, Petronella, & Pernel.
- Prunella (proo-NEL-lah, English)--from Latin, "plum"
- Sanela (sah-NEH-lah, Croatian)--from Latin, "healthy"
I think Nell is such a sweet and versatile nickname. time for a comeback! We'll probably see it as a stand alone first, though.
ReplyDelete