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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Baby names

what girls' names do the French middle classes turn their noses up at?

276 replies

NatureAbhorsAHoover · 01/10/2017 18:55

What would the haute bourgeoisie think of as a tacky/trashy name for a baby girl? I speak french but have no idea what sounds déclassé to a French ear.

Not looking to vilify; am interested in the tonal sounds, themes and signifiers that surely exist just as much in France as here?

OP posts:

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GaucheCaviar · 01/10/2017 20:41

Imported American names would be the obvious candidates. Cindy and things like that. I'd say names ending in an -a too, like Sabrina, maybe (pure hypothesis here) because they're borrowed from languages of immigration (Arabic, Portuguese etc). anything from reality tv like Loana.

NotBurpeesAgain · 02/10/2017 11:36

I agree about imported American names (Kimberley, Jennifer...).
Made-up names with lots of vowels (I have met a Liloé, a Maohé... and I would also include Loana in the list)
Lilou and all its alternative spellings (Leeloo, Lee-Lou...)
Alternative spellings of any name, really (Jainnyffer)
Names with Ks and Ys

ScrambledSmegs · 02/10/2017 11:43

No idea, but I did overhear a french mother at the airport this year, talking to her son Chad (or Chett). It actually sounded quite nice in french, I wasn't immediately reminded of 'hanging chads' like usual.

pimmsy · 02/10/2017 11:48

Brenda etc, If it's from American TV it's not great!

GaucheCaviar · 02/10/2017 11:55

I'd disagree on Lilou etc, they're bobo not déclassé in my book. Déclassé would be little Beyoncé in my DS's school.

NotBurpeesAgain · 02/10/2017 11:58

GaucheCaviar the OP was asking about the haute bourgeoisie. I agree that Lilou is a bobo name but I also think that the parents of Montaine and Quitterie would turn up their noses at Lilou.

GaucheCaviar · 02/10/2017 12:37

Sure. I was going by the title (middle classes) not the first post (haute bourgeoisie).

thecatfromjapan · 02/10/2017 12:41

What's 'bobo'?

GaucheCaviar · 02/10/2017 12:45

bourgeois bohemian. The sort of people who, if they lived in London, would live in Hoxton with kids called Tallulah and Spike.

NatureAbhorsAHoover · 02/10/2017 13:15

Fascinating... 'bobo' is like 'hipster', right? Rue Oberkampf and all that?

It's quite opaque to me what's "tasteful" (cringe) or not in french children's names, compared to english names.

Posh french children's names is a whole new thread...

OP posts:

GaucheCaviar · 02/10/2017 13:36

Pretty much, though we also say "un hipster"... Hipsters would generally be younger and not have kids yet. They turn into bobos when they have kids and move to Montreuil . Tasteful would be anything ending in -ine.

HipppaHey · 02/10/2017 15:11

Just out of interest, as it's my DD's name, how would the name Romilly be considered? I picked it because of the French connection.

GaucheCaviar · 02/10/2017 15:31

Never come across it here as a first name, only a surname, so hard to say.

NatureAbhorsAHoover · 02/10/2017 16:34

I didn't know Romilly was French
I know a baby Romilly in the UK.

OP posts:

HipppaHey · 02/10/2017 18:48

There's a place in France called Romilly-sur-Seine, so I wondered if it was the French equivalent of naming a baby after a place, which is frowned upon by some - not me though!

GaucheCaviar · 02/10/2017 19:02

The only reason i know it is there's a historian called Jacqueline de Romilly.

PattyPenguin · 02/10/2017 22:11

There are five places in France called Romilly, or Romilly la ... , or Romilly sur...

There are also no end of parks, pub, schools etc with the name Romilly in the Cardiff and Barry areas, because of Sir Samuel Romilly who bought two estates in Barry. His grandfather was a Huguenot refugee from France.

Esker · 02/10/2017 22:41

This is a really interesting thread... I don't have any particular knowledge to add, but was wondering whether anyone in the know can comment on what French people might think of the name Amelie, which is so popular here, presumably after the film?
Although I like the name, in and of itself, I find it a bit sickly due to the film and due to general over popularity in the UK.

Uhohmummy · 02/10/2017 23:38

Purely out of interest, how would my favourite French name - Capucine - be perceived? I think it’s so beautiful but can’t use as neither DH nor I are French or have any French connections!

GaucheCaviar · 03/10/2017 08:23

Amélie is a pretty ordinary name for someone who would now be in their early thirties or thereabouts. Capucine is pretty posh.

GaucheCaviar · 03/10/2017 08:26

this is fun to play with: dataaddict.fr/prenoms/#

GaucheCaviar · 03/10/2017 08:27

Capucine means nasturtium BTW, you might know that already.

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pimmsy · 03/10/2017 17:35

I've met a little Tiki-Flore I thought that was peak bobo - they live in quartier Oberkampf as well!

Tealdeal747 · 03/10/2017 18:07

I don't know how these are perceived but I like Francine and Chantal.

GaucheCaviar · 03/10/2017 18:20

Haha sorry teal, they're the height of naff. Think Pam and Brenda.

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