[caption id=”” align=”alignright” width=”210″ caption=”Abelard and his pupil, H

About Abby Sandel

Whether you're naming a baby, or just all about names, you've come to the right place! Appellation Mountain is a haven for lovers of obscure gems and enduring classics alike.

You May Also Like:

What do you think?

17 Comments

  1. Gorgeous name, but I could never disassociate it from “my husband got his boy bits cut off on my behalf”.

    And in the letters, it seemed that Heloise remained in love with Abelard all his life, whereas either being castrated just ended all those feelings, or he decided for both their sanities, it was better to pretend that he never loved her so that she would get over it. Maybe he was being cruel to be kind.

  2. We read the book made from Heloise and Abelards letters in a class I took in college. It was a great book, but afterward we watched a movie version that was bordering on soft-core porn. It has tainted the name for me ever since, although it is glorious to say aloud. (The movie was called Stealing Heaven, I believe)

  3. It’s all Heloise’s Hints to me. This name makes me think of a tall, thin, willowy woman, which is odd considering the meaning.

  4. Sorry, Heloise is a no for me, even though I usually like French names. Maybe it’s the columnist, but I can’t get “dowdy 1950s housewife” out of my head, and the “Hell” beginning doesn’t help.

  5. I have a French friend named Heloise, with all the various accents going on. Generally speaking, she goes by H

  6. Abby, you are posting names this week that I am just OBSESSED with. I’ve been thinking Heloise as a non-obvious way to honor some Helens in my life. Love the name!

  7. Heloise is a fantastic name. I always liked Eloise but found it to be a lit bit bland, so this is a much better option. Also, thank you for mentioning my blog on your fb page. That was so nice of you. I’ve been a long term lurker of yours and love your blog 🙂