is Amelie too popular

[rafa]

just asking as i am 24 weeks pregnant with a little girl but seem to have seen this name in so many birth announcements recently!! dh is french and we have a french surname. Others names I like are Mireille ( although i am not sure it will be pronouned correctly in the UK), and Magali. Any opinions or other ideas? thanks!

[chisigirl]

Amelie seems to have become very popular. There are 2 in my DS' class (only 24 children in total). it's very pretty, though.

I like Mireille but I think you (your child) would always have to be explaining how it is pronounced...

[Scorpette]

What about Elodie? Totally French, but easier to pronounce than Mireille. Although I like Mireille and don't think it's THAT hard to pronounce - some people pronounce completely bog-standard names wrongly, so I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor.
My friend and her French DH called their DD Mirabelle, which is adorable.

[seeker]

There is 1 Amelie in ds's school of 420 children - if that helps.

[Cynthia32]

I like Amelie, but yes it is popular. My friend is half french and her child is called Odile (pronounced Oh-Deal) which I really like

[Cork]

How about Solene?My friend is Frenach, and that's her daughter's name-I think it's so pretty! x

[ninedragons]

I have a French friend called Clothilde, which I think is fabulous but I'm not sure how well British tongues would handle the pronunciation.

[Bucharest]

I don't like Amelie since the non-French hijack.....I love Magali and Elodie though...I like Gaelle as well....

[MamaLazarou]

Amelie sounds too much like Emily to be a name in its own right. IMO the child would always be having to patiently explain the difference to people.

I don't like it because of that awful twee film with that dreadful simpering woman in it. Ugh.

LOVE Elodie and Clothilde. How about Sandrine or Christele?

[MagNacarta]

Yes, tons of them in these parts, some other lovely suggestions on this thread though.

[bellissima]

My problem with Magali is that, for some reason, it seemed to be THE name screeched in a gutteral French accent across a park/supermarket when I was a student there in the early 90s. Fraid I concluded it was chavtastic. Apparently Annemone is well posh (at least I was assured as such by the so-named on my course!). I like Manon but not if you live in eg, Newcastle 'You alreet Manon, man??'. Or there's always the endless Marie-hyphens.

[annasmami]

Agree that Amelie is very, very popular and on that basis I wouldn't choose it.

I LOVE Mireille - don't think its too difficult to pronounce in English at all.

[dizzydixies]

Amelie popular here too. what about Otillie or Camille as alternatives?

[BunnyLebowski]

Droves of them in this neck of the woods too.....all with Yorkshire surnames - sounds ridiculous imo.

Mirelle is beautiful.

[rafa]

thanks everyone some lovely names on the thread and new suggestions, Camille and Clothide beautiful names , still love Amelie but seems to be really over used .

[tummytickler]

I think the trouble with Amelie is not even that it is very popular, but that iits popularity coincides with the wonderful film by the same name.
I think Amelie will date your child hugely, more so than other popular names like Emily, or Alice which have been around for ages.
I think it has jumped into fashion too quickly, and as a result with become unfashionable very quickly too.
It is lovely though, and in answer to your question, i know of 3 (but i have 4 children and go to tons of nursery things, 2 different primary schools and loads of toddler groups so mix with a lot of kids).

A French couple i know called their dd Gloria which i LOVE.

[CountessDracula]

I couldn't watch that film
I just wanted to slap her
as a result I don't like the name

[Claire2301]

French people I know have called their various kids: Lucie-Anne, Elisabeth, Anna and Ebonie if any help.

[IveGotHamButImNotAHamster]

How about Sylvie? Lovely french sounding name

[dizzydixies]

I LOVE Sylvie but dh wouldn't let me have it for DD3

[MamaLazarou]

"I couldn't watch that film
I just wanted to slap her"

Thank god it wasn't just me. I turned it off after 15 minutes of shouting at the screen.

Ebonie/Ebony for a white child is just laughable.

[Hulababy]

I like Amelie and personally prefer it to Mireille and Magali.

Don't know any children (or adults) called Amelie.

[Helennn]

I helped out at pre-school the other day. Two little girls were playing jumping off tyres - Amalie and Amelie, twas very confusing, "Amelies turn, no - it's Amalie's turn now" etc. etc.

[CountessDracula]

you're my wife now Dave
(that was to mamalazarou)

We clearly like and dislike the same stuff!

[thedolly]

Amalia (Ah mal ee ah) is just as pretty but less popular.

[KleineMaus]

I know a little girl whose mum is French with the middle name Amandine. Very pretty.