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Baby names

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Original poster

Danish Names - What do you think...and can you say them

55 replies

letsgorunning · 06/09/2011 20:15

DH is Danish, I'm not (but lived there for over a decade, speak danish fluently, that is what we speak at home etc)
We have 2 months to go, but what do you think of these (we have tried to go for ones that fit into English okay - we think)
haven't included pronounciations on purpose

Boys
Axel
Casper
Bent
Mikkel
Niels
Søren
Mads

Girls
Mette
Helle
Astrid
Sofie
Maja
Bodil
Dorete
Asta

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tyler80 · 25/09/2011 18:34

"Mikkel - not sure... is it pronounced mick-ell as it looks"

No, it's really hard to explain the pronunciation. It's almost said as one syllable rather than two and the k sound in the middle is one that I think is hard for English speakers to get right.

fluffles · 25/09/2011 17:10

my gut reactions?

Boys
Axel - hmm
Casper - the friendly ghost
Bent - no, just no
Mikkel - not sure... is it pronounced mick-ell as it looks?
Niels - nice
Søren - nice but the non-english letter could be a pain
Mads - sounds like short for madelein to me

Girls
Mette - ok
Helle - is it pronounced helly?
Astrid - nice
Sofie - nice
Maja - very nice, assume it's pronounced maia?
Bodil - ok
Dorete - not a fan
Asta - not a fan either...

margerykemp · 25/09/2011 17:08

astrid is one of the best names ever!

DigOfTheStump · 25/09/2011 17:06

Boys
Axel - nice
Casper - very nice, though I would spell Caspar
Bent - no, too much teasing potential if ever you are UK based
Mikkel - nice
Niels - nice
Søren -nice
Mads - no, again teasing potential

Girls
Mette - looks pretty, don't know how to say it
Helle - no, looks like Hellish to me
Astrid - nice, though a bit 70s
Sofie - nice, though if ever UK based she will have to spell it always
Maja - nice, though prefer Marja or Marta
Bodil - don't know how to say it, instantly (geddit?) thought Bovril.
Dorete - not sure how to say it, bit too Doreen for my taste
Asta - Don't know how to say it, I would probably read it as Astra.

ShoutyHamster · 25/09/2011 16:54

Lovely!

Niels or Søren - Søren fave I think
Mette or Sofie - Mette fave on grounds of Sophie being so popular here.

All great though. Danish names are lovely :)

themightyskim · 25/09/2011 12:50

I love Casper, I love Astrid, I know an Astrid and everyone always compliments it because its so unusual and I love Sofie - Lovely name choices IMO

pixiestix · 25/09/2011 12:44

I'm liking Soren, Mads and Mikkel for boys and Asta, Maja and Helle for girls. Smile

tyler80 · 25/09/2011 10:57

English people are unlikely to be able to pronounce Mikkel.

I like Søren and Mette out your list. I had to rule them out as we have too many in our family (OH is Danish already)

I have a reading book Søren og Mette :-) (my Danish is very poor!)

Original poster
letsgorunning · 07/09/2011 22:26

the closest I an explain it is Meh-deh. (but not drawn out, quick sounds - make sence?)

OP posts:
rathlin · 07/09/2011 22:20

How do you pronounce Mette? I have Danish colleagues one of whom is called Mette. I normally email her so never have to pronounce her name but always thought it was like "Met". Trying to remember other names used in our Danish office. Nina is the only one that comes to mind.

Gincognito · 07/09/2011 22:14

Love them. I have half Danish friends and they all have names that would be easy to mispronounce. You know what though? They're all so damn cool and beautiful (and intelligent, damn them) that everyone pays extra attention and makes sure they say it right.

LynetteScavo · 07/09/2011 22:09

I know what you mean...but I'm coming at the names from a very English point of view (which you asked for. Smile)

Original poster
letsgorunning · 07/09/2011 22:00

Thank you all you wonderful people, from us and your opinions we have narrowed it down to
Søren, Mikkel,Axel, Niels
Mette,Asta,Maja,Sofie

off we go to work on mn(s)

Thank you all xx

(lynette they are the danish spellings of the names if we didn't spell them like that it wouldn't be very Danish -probably more applies with Maja - hope that makes sense, if we spelt them the other ways it would appear more 'english')

OP posts:
KenDoddsDadsDog · 07/09/2011 21:39

Love Mette lots and Aste.
Søren for a boy !

LynetteScavo · 07/09/2011 21:27

All boys names are lovely. Apart from Bent (please don't!) I like Axel, Casper, and Soren best.

Of your girls names, Sofie & Maja OK (I wouldn't spell them like that, but hey)

Dorete is awful (In English). Sounds like a contraceptive pill.

MrsSchadenfreude · 07/09/2011 21:22

I used to have a Danish colleague called Bent-Willy. This was not perhaps the best name to have in an English speaking environment.

californiaburrito · 07/09/2011 20:55

My favourites are Soren and Mette. I really liked Soren for my impending DS, but decided that I am not Danish enough.

ohjusthitmealready · 07/09/2011 20:48

Maja or Asta for a girl
Soren or Niels for a boy

letspickgoogleberries · 07/09/2011 16:08

Ignoring Bent (which unless you are moving back(?) to denmark i wouldn't)
I like: Axel, Niels Søren (Mads is what SIL gets called - she's a Maddie)
Then for girls: Mette, Maja, Asta

autumngirl231 · 06/09/2011 22:19

Axel and Maja are my favourites - easy to prenounce and very cool :)

RueyBoey · 06/09/2011 22:16

Axel - Guns 'n' Roses (though he is Axl) and comics but actually I like it people may think a 'bit out there' instead of danish though
Casper - Can't stand it
Bent
Mikkel - Slightly old sounding
Niels - I like it
Søren - Really like it but would people say it right? think the ø makes it definatly danish
Mads - Maybe not ie playground but as a name it is nice

Mette - once i discovered how to say it I really like it
Helle - can't stand Hel names
Astrid -For some reason I really don't like it
Sofie - I like it but sophie is popular
Maja - I googled the pronounciatin of it and you may have some problems but I really like it
Bodil - No
Dorete - Nope
Asta - Love it

I would say when it comes to pronounciations of names once you say it once most people do try and say it properly, esp if they don't know it/obviously from another culture/language or looks very very different to something they know.

Cereal · 06/09/2011 22:10

My favourites are

Boys: Casper, Mikkel and Søren

Girls: Mette, Helle and Sofie

Original poster
letsgorunning · 06/09/2011 21:08

MLS yep star/starlike/love.

Guess we can say Bent is officially of the list. You lot are probably right about that one.

OP posts:
MummysLittleSunbeams · 06/09/2011 20:30

Can I just say Bent......BENT????? No no no no, you can't to that to your child!

Soren sounds lovely even if it is a bit Soren-Lorenson-ish.

Asta is good - does it mean star?

idrilis · 06/09/2011 20:29

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