What do you think of this list of Girls names, needs to sound right in English and French

[sedgiebaby]

I need to find a name that sounds good with our surname (DH has a french heritage and all my in-laws are french speaking) that is not too 'exotic' sounding and good in English and in French. For example I can't have Thea (TH is not easy to say for DH)

Middle name is to be Grace (family name)

Other problem is our surname very french not this but a bit like La Roche so , if I'm not careful name will sound like a show girl's. e.g I like Louella and Lulu but Louella Grace La Roche is just too much...isn't it?

I have this so far:

Joelle Grace La
Jolie Grace La
Lowen Grace La
Ellis Grace La
Rachel Grace la
Everly Grace La

Any other ideas please?

[sapell3]

I like Rachel Grace La_ best from your list

How about

Juliette Grace La_
Amelie Grace La_
Clara Grace La_
Emma Grace La_
Alicia Grace La_
Corinne Grace La_
Julia Grace La_
Elodie Grace La_
Sophie Grace La_
Eliza Grace La_
Liana Grace La_

[Raahh]

Sedgie- just wanted to sat that (although we are not French) we have a surname of French Canadian origin that also begins La .....It is worse because it looks friench, but isn't really, being a corruption of the original spelling.

We vetoed various names for dd2 for the same show girl reason (and i really loved Lydia!!!).

I love Rachel, from your list, (assuming your surname isn't actally Roche). Very underused and pretty in uk, and sounds lovely in French.

[sapell3]

Louisa Grace La_
Larissa Grace La_

[sedgiebaby]

oh thank you!

I like Elodie and quite like Liana I haven't heard that before actually, I will ask DH he is a tough customer!

Is Elodie becoming very poplular do you know?

[Bonsoir]

I only like Rachel from your original list.

Jolie, Lowen, Ellis and Everly would all sound very strange in French. Joelle is old-fashioned and rather downmarket too.

[Bonsoir]

BTW, Rachel is very Jewish-sounding in French. I don't know any Christian Rachels in France.

[weblette]

Have to agree with Bonsoir, they'd all sound odd.

Like Elodie though.

[BafanaBafana]

I think Joelle is lovely. I know a French woman called Jolie. Pretty.

Anna
Clara
Christianne
Agathe
Mathilde
Nicole
Nathalie
Aurelie
Corinne
Sylvie
I sabelle
Edith

[sedgiebaby]

Raahh: Yes actually our connection is french-canadian too, it's a shame because I have a penchant (lol) for a more exotic/unusual sounding name and this is not going to work at all! Rachel is nice, it's my best friends name, I don't know if that sounds too much of a hommage!?

[sedgiebaby]

Bonsoir/weblette, thanks for the feedback, althought so long as the french tongue can manage to pronounce relatively comfortablly the name I'm not worried about connotations so much. We will remain in the UK not France or Quebec (not if I have my way that is!), for that reason, I would quite like a more 'English' name to balance the french last name, but agreeing on something both of us like is also a major hurdle :S

[Bonsoir]

There are no French people with the first name "Jolie" according to statistics. Maybe a nickname?

[Mandi1984]

'Pretty' Grace might be a bit much..?

[BafanaBafana]

No, seriously, she is a 30 year old woman from Paris called Jolie, living down the road from me!

Maybe her parents were just weirdos?

[Mandi1984]

Sorry Bafana, hadn't seen your post! Just think Jolie is a bit much as a name in general. 'This is my daughter Stunner'.

[Bonsoir]

What would you think if you were introduced to a French child whose parents had named her "Pretty"?

[BrigitteBardot]

Joelle is a very dated name in France (not in a nice way).
Jolie is too much.
Rachel is not very nice when said with a French accent, same for Everly.
I actually prefer Lowen which will be pronounced the same in both languages.

[BrigitteBardot]

How about Louise? Or Jeannie? Just thinking about children I know who are from both cultures.

[sedgiebaby]

Bonsoir, well I don't mind that it isn't used in France, I guess it would be Joley here. DH likes Joelle mostly the down-market-and-old-fashioned-in-france one (!) which is slightly off putting!

Are you french? If so what is modern-up-and-coming in France?

[Mandi1984]

Amelie?
Elodie?

Like the idea that will be pronounced the same (essentially) by speakers of both languages.

[thirtysomething]

What about Elena (know it's Italian but sounds fine in French too)?
Beatrice
Coralie
Amalie
Emma
Lara
Rebecca
Anna
Rosalie
Elise/Elisa/Elsa
Charlotte
A imee/Amy
Natasha

• they all seem to be used in France as well (even if usually spelt differently) and all go with Grace and Surname

[BafanaBafana]

Laura? very underrated name, imo.

[sedgiebaby]

thirtysomething, thanks for the suggestion, I only really like Charlotte and that's my managers name so that's not happening lol!

[sedgiebaby]

Mandi1984 - well that's a point perhaps that is why DH is not saying much, althought I still like it myself, I read it meant pretty/cheerful and had English and French roots so I thought I was onto a winner lol!

[sedgiebaby]

BafanaBafana, thanks yes Laura is nice, I like Lauren and Laurel but if you know my last name you would see it would sound horridd :S

[sedgiebaby]

BrigitteBardot, wouldn't Rachel be Rachelle in French, that's not so awful is it?