It's French/English saints again, but for a boy this time.

[FingonTheValiant]

Good morning,

I posted a few months ago about trying to find a Saint's name for a French/English baby, who will be born in England, but who will be living in France from about 1yr onwards. Dh and I have now found out that it he will be a boy, and last time I asked for girls names.

We've managed to shortlist about 8 names, and we're definitely going with 1 of those 8. They will all sound absolutely fine in France, but I'm worried people will think we're massively pretentious in England:

Valérian (dh's fave, and really mine too, but I worry about it)
Raphaël (next fave, and leaning towards it)

Then, in no particular order:
Alexis
Theodore
Valentin
Axel (do not like, but dh loves)
Vincent
Xavier

This will hopefully not be our only child, but as we can't guarantee another boy I don't really want to save one for later if we can never use it. Also, middle names are set, so we can't slot them in there.

I'd like to know how people in the UK are likely to react to these, so I'd like your reactions please.

Many thanks, and sorry for a lengthy post

[mathanxiety]

Love Valerian, Valentin and Axel, and like Xavier. Valerian is fab, imo.

[FingonTheValiant]

Oh, really? That's such a relief to hear, even from one person Maybe I just need to toughen up and go for it. Thanks so much!

I've just remembered that I have no internet access at work today, so I'm very sorry if anyone else replies, and I don't get back to you for a little while. Thanks again

[belgo]

Raphael and Axel are great. Ds was nearly Axel.

[JumpJockey]

I love them all, if you want one that will fit in without even being questioned then Theodore is used quite often in England. I love Xavier (but that's a Jesuit-educated DH influencing me!), Raphael is also great.

[FingonTheValiant]

Thanks so much, Raphaël is holding onto its top spot as well then. Dh will be thrilled with how many people like Axel.

Thanks again!

[belgo]

Valerian and Valentin are lovely but I don't think they will be so well accepted in England.

[Honeywitch]

They'll get called Val for short in England, which is fine. My friend is called Val but his name is short for Valor.

[coffeefestival]

Theodore and Xavier are my favourites on your list. Of your top two, I prefer Raphael.

[NiceCuppaT]

Love Raphaël!

[ilovemydogandMrObama]

Another vote for Xavier (jesuit influence again)

Love Lucien, but a boy in DD's class is called 'Lucy' by the others....

[frakkit]

I have the same dilemma every time I think of baby names. Will it work in French and English?!

Do go for Valérian if you want it! He can just be known as V in English and French men can carry off names English men just can't. Yes, it probably is pretentious but meh.

If you don't want to be pretentious I would go for Vincent or Xavier.

Vincent I love becuase I know a super-cool one. He calls himself Vince in English but it comes out more like Veenz. ''ello, I am Veenz'.... Ahem, but in English it doesn't sound as nice. Xavier is just fab, and he can be known as Xav which is a pretty cool nn IMO.

Raphael I don't like, sorry, nor am I keen on Alexis, Valentin and Axel. I also think Raphael is quite common in France - I know 5 small Raphaels and 2 Alexis. OTOH I don't know a single Valérian of any age.

Theodore is okay, but a bit boring. If you're going to be French you may as well be French-French (and you have good excuse to be)!

What are the middle names?

Of that list I'd probably pick Xavier (but can't as DH's brother is Xavier) or Valérian.

[thirtysomething]

Of yout top two i think Raphael will be the easiest for him to "carry" as great in both countries...Valerian lovely but he may come back to live in UK one day and find he's constantly spelling his name

I've always been a huge fan of Axel and love Theodore and Xavier too. Alexis great though often a girls' name too.

Agree about potential issues with Lucien. Vincent will cause probs as pronounced so differently in both languages.

Have always loved Emmanuel and Ariel for a little French boy but both have teasing potential in English!

[suwoo]

My parents live in France. When they told people that we had called DS2 Felix, they were generally met with laughter. Is it very uncool in France? Like Kevin in the UK for example?

[CoteDAzur]

Valerian is a great name but it would be pronounced differently in the UK, I suppose.

I really like Raphael, and it would be easy to pronounce correctly in the UK.

Lucien is one of my all time favorites. It's a shame about the "Lucy" nn at school. I hope that is not the Lucien I know, who was born here but moved back to London about two years ago.

[FingonTheValiant]

Hmm, well adding all these factors in, my thoughts are:

Valentin - just will not work with the English relatives, they'll think it's girly
Theodore - hugely popular in both France and England, and will be pronounced with a hard 'T' by the French relatives, which will probably annoy me.
Vincent - I love when dh and his family say it, but I just think Vinnie Jones when my family say it, ie lovely in French, but not English.
Axel - is fab, but I just don't like it for some reason
Alexis - I think is too girly

I still love Xavier, but I know dh wants his friend Xavier to be a godfather for at least one of our children, in which case he would feature as a middle name somewhere.

I saw that Raphaël is getting popular in France, but I've yet to meet any. It's very annoying, overused in one country, unused and poncetastic in the other, pronounceable in both

Looks like Valérian is still topping it.

suwoo - dh laughed his head off when I suggested Felicity (obv. for a girl), I think sometimes names are just funny in other countries for no particular reason.

thirtysomething - dh suggested Ariel, but even he was forced to admit that the mermaid link was a bit much

Do people think Val is a reasonable nickname for a boy? I know Val Kilmer gets away with it, but he's the only one I can think of.

Middle names - we're following dh's family tradition and they'll be for his grandfathers, so Jean and Barry (please don't laugh too loudly )

Surname is fabulously French, so the whole combo should be foreign enough to stop English people thinking we're just being pretentious

Thanks so much everyone for all your imput. It's really helping me sort out what I do and don't like about them, and hopefully dh will be interested by it too.

[mopsyflopsy]

The only Val's I know are female (short for Valerie).

[mamaloco]

Valerian is lovely but in the french prononciation, I hate the english one (make me think about a plant).
Xavier and theodore and raphael I don't like.
suwoo felix is a usual name for a cat in france or a supermarket. a bit like tesco in the UK def. not cool

[mamaloco]

Valerian is lovely but in the french prononciation, I hate the english one (make me think about a plant).
Xavier and theodore and raphael I don't like.
suwoo felix is a usual name for a cat in france or a supermarket. a bit like tesco in the UK def. not cool

[mamaloco]

Axel (axelle) is quite common for girls and is prettier for them.
But do what you want because it is so hard to find something which works for everbody and every country...

[FingonTheValiant]

Ah, now Axelle I really quite like, but dh prefers it for boys.

Yes, forgot the link between Felix and cats is even stronger in France than it is in the UK, that'll be why they laughed.

Thanks again

[sedgiebaby]

I like Theodore, nice in both languages if you can get over the different pronounciations, my DH's first language is french. His name is written the same in both but said quite differently he doesn't mind. The only one I could suggest is Sydney, due for a UK revival methinks, no idea if it is trendy or otherwise in France.

Would you please post the link to your girls name thread, we are having a girl and I'd like something 'frenglish' but struggling

[sedgiebaby]

Oh you wanted English reaction to the others, Alexis and Valentin
leans feminine on paper that might be assumed quite easily, Valérian just makes me think of the herb to help you sleep (sorry my ignorance, but I had no idea it was a personal name in France). Raphaël is fine and Vincent is fine (I know a fair few westcountry guys called Vince though which makes me think of it as I would 'Jethro' but that will be just me...it translates fine for others no doubt), all the best with chosing for your little boy.

[crumpette]

I'm English

I don't like Valérian, makes me think of the weird herbal remedy
I don't like Axel or Alexis either (no real reason)

Vincent and Theodore- no real opinion

I LOVE Valentin, love it

I also like Xavier

[crumpette]

Xavier Raphael and Valentin (strong/strength?) are my favourites

[FingonTheValiant]

sedgiebaby the girls thread was [[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/baby_names/923315-Saintly-dilemma-mainly-for-girls here]

Just when I thought everyone was agreeing the dissenters arrive...

Ok, Raphaël is swinging back up and Valérian down (it's the herb thing that was worrying me with the English speakers) and Xavier is still coming out popular.

Lordy, it's so difficult to choose...

Thanks all