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Ettienne

55 replies

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 25/06/2015 12:46

Love it?
Hate it?
What names would you expect his siblings to have?
Heard it the other day in the playground. Decided I loved it.

OP posts:
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Zakken · 25/06/2015 12:48

Only if you're French. It's Etienne with one 't'.

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Allstoppedup · 25/06/2015 12:49

I thought it was a girls name clicking on the thread (think the enne makes it sound quite feminine and Etti as a nn also does)

Not a huge fan as it sounds a bit like it should be the marketing name of a contraceptive pill, not sure why though! Confused

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Heels99 · 25/06/2015 12:49

Like it but you spelled it incorrectly

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EvaBee · 25/06/2015 12:50

Etienne can be with one t or two ts.

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EvaBee · 25/06/2015 12:50

I assume the OP is going to have two ts as that's how the question was asked.

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cashewnutty · 25/06/2015 12:51

I assumed it was a girls name. I don't like it. It sounds pretentious.

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Zakken · 25/06/2015 12:56

It is a French form of Stephen, and the correct spelling is with one 't'. Compare the Spanish Esteban.

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Zakken · 25/06/2015 12:59

The old form of the name is Estienne, the s has disappeared over time. There's a square in Paris called Place d'Estienne Orves.

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Turquoiseblue · 25/06/2015 13:07

Like it, would expect siblings Sebastian and Eloidie

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fatballerina · 25/06/2015 13:09

I too thought it was a girls name!Blush

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DirectorOfBetter · 25/06/2015 13:10

I love it but I thought it was a girl's name Blush. For a boy - not so much.

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florascotia · 25/06/2015 13:12

As others have said, Iit's the French for Stephen. Definitely a boy's name.

For the past thousand years, the usual French spelling has been with one 't'. Just look at this list of French people with the name: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89tienne

There are related surnames Estienne and Ettienne; and they are sometimes used as first names , but mostly outside France.

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MitzyLeFrouf · 25/06/2015 13:25

I like the band. Love them actually.

But French names, gorgeous as they are, never work as well outside of France. They lose their magic in mangled pronunciations.

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WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 25/06/2015 13:43

Sorry, auto correct put the second t in.

I would go with the French spelling.

OP posts:
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EvaBee · 25/06/2015 13:51
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fanjodisfunction · 25/06/2015 14:03

love this name, I think it's translates well into this language.

I'm sure one of our gold medalists at London 2012 was called Etienne.

sibling names

Clementine

Sebastian

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Sophronia · 25/06/2015 14:17

I like it, I could see people having pronunciation issues with it though.

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goodnessgraciousgouda · 25/06/2015 14:32

Etienne is a name for both boys and girls over here - it's noted as mixte. I think there's a strong association with boys though

French name website

It's never spelt with two t's.

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florascotia · 25/06/2015 14:55

Eva - I really don't want to criticise, but many babynames websites are incorrect.

If you Google Mr Botha (the example used by the website in your link) you will see that he was South African and that several reputable South African news sites (for example : mg.co.za/article/2007-10-26-young-gifted-and-bad) reporting Botha's untimely death spell his name with one 't'. The link given on the website you refer to appears to contain a spelling mistake, copied and seemingly not checked by the website compiler.

Google does list a few people with typically South African surnames and a 'tt' spelling. No-one doubts that, outside France, a few people do use Ettienne. I said so in my earlier post. But it simply isn't the usual French spelling.

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SunnyBaudelaire · 25/06/2015 14:59

it would sound quite pretentious unless you live in France.
What is wrong with Stephen?

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EvaBee · 25/06/2015 15:07

FloraScotia - We're not in France. Is the OP in France? I really don't understand the preoccupation with spelling. The name can be spelt however one chooses.

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BertrandRussell · 25/06/2015 15:11

Of course it can be spelled however you choose. But you are setting your child up for a lifetime of correcting people. Which is boring and pointless.

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MitzyLeFrouf · 25/06/2015 15:13

Yes you can choose an incorrectly spelt name but why on earth would you?

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scrivette · 25/06/2015 15:13

Love it but can't convince DH!

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Branleuse · 25/06/2015 15:37

I think it looks like its spelled wrong

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