Can Christian have a brother called Gabriel and can Etienne be a girl?

[LighteningThief]

So, can they?

We already have a Christian but he is known as Kit and is number 2 of what will be 5, Gabriel would be number 5, is this too twee?

Also contemplating Xavier and Alexander, toying with Samuel and Finley but they feel a bit common (disclaimer - in a numbers not class way!)

And, Etienne, we KNOW it's a boys name but we love it for a girl... how cruel would it be to have a little girl Etienne? Neither DH or I are likely to ever go and live in Frnace but of course this doesn't mean 'Etienne' wouldn't and I imagine it might be as hard for a girl Etienne in France as it would be for a french female Steve here...

As an aside what's the MN consensus on Anastasia or Lydia?

[colditz]

Lydia is lovely (although her friends WILL call her Liddy)

Alexander is lovely.

All the others are the name equivalent of sticking a "kick me" sign on your child's face.

[BitOfFun]

I love Lydia. Nowt wrong with Samuel either. Etienne is too poncey for a non-Frenchie, and Gabriel, while nice, makes you sound like a family of bible thumpers if you already have a Christian.

[diddl]

No and no.

[Flighttattendant]

I know of a girl Etienne

I'm not sure what I think of it, you would need to ask a French person but I have a feeling it can be either.

[Eskarina]

Wouldn't choose any of the others, but I do love Anastasia as a name, if you can get away from Stacey as an inevitable nn.

[pointydog]

possibly gabriel if the other one is called Kit.

Etienne for a girl, no

[thisisyesterday]

what are the other children called?
i wopuldn't have a problem with Christian and Gabriel together. if the other children have biblical names it look planned, if they don't it'll look like you just liked the names iyswim?

I LOVE Etienne too, not sure about for a girl though
what about Eliot?

[diplodoris]

Yes, Gabriel and Christian would be fine

However I wouldn't choose a boys' name for a girl, so wouldn't go for Etienne as a girls' name.

I like Xavier, Alexander and Samuel, but not keen on Finley.

Really like both Anastasia and Lydia. Lydia Anastasia would be a very pretty name.

[Magalyxyz]

Christian and Gabriel together is a little too new testament overload for my tastes but that's just personal. I prefer not to give so much away...... or something that I can't quite articulate successfully

I quite like Etienne for a girl but I can't imagine thinking that Stephen for a great name for a girl if I met a French one.

There is a name Etaoin, how is that pronounced Chip/Math?

What about Fabienne? bit like Etienne?

[Bonsoir]

You could call your little girl Marie-Etienne, (in the manner of Marie-Pierre, Marie plus a boy's saint's name).

[Magalyxyz]

lovely! good solution.

and could be mette for short?! (mettuh)

[belgo]

or Adrienne?

Not Ettiene for a girl.

[seeker]

Or you could give your little girl a girl's name? Just a thought!

[sedgiebaby]

Looking on google Etienne is also used for girls, DH is french canadian and only knows boys but you could probably find out easy enough how odd that would sound to a french person from France if concerned about that.

I really like unisex names for girls even the more masculine sounding ones.

I like Ellis and Noa/h for example for a girl.

Lydia is my favorite, but also like Anastasia, Gabriel/Christian wouldn't make a difference to me. I don't think people care too much in the UK about christian/biblical origin of names and what that says about a families faith.

www.babynamer.com/%C3%89tienne

[randomimposter]

yes and yes

[GiraffeYoga]

Gabriel is fine with Kit or Christian

Etienne is lovely and if it can be a girls name fab! I love it and have always wanted to use it but was worried that we werent french....

Might re consider for future 2nd DC, Male or female

[thisisyesterday]

tbh I have a Gabriel and the amount of people who either pronounce it Gabrielle or ask how to say it is astounding
made me realise how many people have never done/don't remmeber their school nativity lol

so i don't even think that it's necessarily viewed as a biblical name by an awful lot of people tbh

[mopsyflopsy]

Etienne sounds feminine due to the -enne at the end. So, yes, I could get used to a girl known as Etienne.

As this is your 5th, have you considered Quentin (derived from latin Quintus, meaning fifth)?

[mopsyflopsy]

And I love Anastasia too!

[diplodoris]

How about Julienne or Lucienne?

[autodidact]

Gabriel fine with Christian
Love Etienne but would have reservations about it for a girl
Alexander and Samuel ok. Not so keen on Xavier or Finley, though they are not awful.
Really love Lydia. Anastasia a bit formal for me.

[stroppyshopper]

I think Etienne is a great girls' name. Do not like Alexander or Xavier at the mo, b/c too many people using nickname of Xander, etc. and it sound a bit trendy. Lydia v. pretty, considered it myself, but it's becoming very popular. Gabriel lovely for a boy and fine with Christian, and Gabe is a nice nn. Finley too popular for my taste now. Anastasia pretty, but Stacey not... Natasha?

[Remotew]

A friend called her boy Gabriel, I like it. I went out with an Etienne once, boy obviously. I didn't realise it was the french equivalent of Stephen but liked the name. However, Stevie for a girl is acceptable here. I would put a feminine linked name then call her Etienne as Bonsoir suggested earlier.

[mathanxiety]

I would steer clear of Etienne for a girl. Gabriel and Christian/ Kit would be fine, imo.
Samuel and Alexander are very nice. Xavier would be pretty bad with Christian. Finley is in another category of names altogether.

Etain maybe, for a girl? I prefer Anastasia and Lydia anyhow.

[bigbluebump]

I'm not that keen on Gaybriel/Gabe because I think it can easily lead to teasing due to similarity with 'gay'.

Etienne, I quite like for a girl. 'Standard' French orthography would suggest that this name is feminine, the masculine version being Etien.