Poncy French spellings when a perfectly good English one is available

[CaresMildly]

Oh yes, I did it myself!

[StinkyFart]

eh ?

[PortBlacksandResident]

que?

[CaresMildly]

as in Isabelle rather than Isabel

[StinkyFart]

okaaaaay

[CaresMildly]

Sorry, typing very quickly whilst baby is asleep. Trying to gauge what feelings were about this - particularly from teachers/doctors. Does it annoy? Does it even get noticed?

[pasturesnew]

Well someone might think we did this I suppose but actually we have Dutch family and that's where the names come from. Anyway a lot of "French" spellings are just v historical Norman English ones, aren't they? Or more recently (ish) think of Henry VIII and all his variously spelt Catherines (yes the first one was Spanish but she was Queen of England so I think she counts as an English namesake!)

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Or Aimee for Amy?

I like poncy spellings personally.

[pasturesnew]

basically the English language is such a mixed bag anyway I doubt people would notice or care, even mildly! I doubt your baby will get any comments on it.

[pasturesnew]

See Amy is a good example as surely that must have started off as "Aimee" and only become fixed as "Amy" when Caxton's printing press came along

[GetOrfMoiLand]

Sophie is the French version of the (English version) Sophy. But Sophie is far more common than Sophy.

I think genuine variants of names are accepted, however random frenchified names (with accents) are odd. When I worked in a school there was a girl called Tonee (with an acute accent above the first e). That was a bit odd.

[CaresMildly]

Yes, I like French ones as they seem a bit more interesting than the English version.

But then I started thinking about the (lovely) name Alicia (pronounced A-liss-ee-ya in my mind) which has ended up with people called Aleesha and wondered if giving a child a French name (without any real French connections) was all part of the same continuum.

[CaresMildly]

I didn't know that about Sophie/y but strangely have just been reading The Tiger That Came To Tea where there is a Sophy. And actually thought that Sophy looked more unusual (and nicer) than Sophie. Strange how it goes!

[pasturesnew]

nah I think there is a diff between giving a proper name whatever language and a made-up one like "Tonee"!

[pasturesnew]

There is a Georgette Heyer called "The Grand Sophy", she is a pretty good heroine.

[CaresMildly]

She certainly is pasturesnew, although have to say I wanted to call my daughter Venetia (also a GH heroine and my favourite!). Sadly DH vetoed it.

[KingRolo]

I taught a Cherylle, presumably a fancy version of Cheryl, a few years ago.

[pasturesnew]

LOL Frederica is the best heroine then Venetia IMO then Leonie and poss. Arabella then Hero. All interesting names to choose from!

[CaresMildly]

My sister is mooting Frederica if she has another baby and I really hope she does.

Lovely name - although I'd have to go for Frederique to be in keeping with my ponciness!!

PS Is there a Georgette Heyer thread anywhere on MN? I've had a quick look in the book section and can't see it if there is.

[pasturesnew]

There is this one www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=adult_fiction&threadid=658408-Georgette-Heyer and there was another one trying to write in the style, it might actually be later on in the same thread?

[Kotek]

I think it's nice. A slightly different example but I went to school with a Genevieve (only one) and all the Jennifers (there were a few) were so jealous and wished they had the exotic variation on their name.

[maggievirgo]

I hear you. I like Juliet, Annabel and Vivien, but I would really dislike Juliette, Annabelle and Vivienne.

Also, I like Susan, but dislike Suzanne.

I don't dislike all French names though. But French doesn't automatically make a name better. Sometimes I prefer the simplicity of the English version.

[BonsoirAnna]

Frederica is a fabulous name!

[LongtimeinBrussels]

I agree with pasturesnew - imo the correct spelling of any name in any language is preferable to a made-up spelling. We had to be careful with our dcs names anyway as we live in Belgium and the dcs went/go to French-speaking schools.

(PS There's a Sophy in Persuasion too.)

[cthea]

Frederica is lovely and I had it on shortlist for first DC. In fact I think it was Federica.

I have a Sylvia but would have really, really preferred the French version of Sylvie or Silvia otherwise as I think the Y makes it poncy, a bit like Jayne/Jane.