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Original poster

French boys names - need help for the final list please

28 replies

ImpYCelyn · 22/02/2012 12:50

We've trawled through our name books and finally got a list down to 16, which is now down to 7. But we just can't seem to whittle it down from there. In alphabetical order we're left with:

Amaury
Aymeric
Célian
Corentin
Mayeul
Thibault
Yvain

We ruled out Aurélien, Emilien and Titien as DS1's name ends -ien, and we don't want to feel like we're stuck in a pattern if we have a DS3 in the future. But Aurélien and Titien were the top contenders until then.

Any takers?

TIA :)

(And then I might ask about the 12 girls names we're trying to pick from in the unlikely event it turns out to be DD1 - aargh!)

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Original poster
ImpYCelyn · 25/02/2012 08:59

Thanks everyone.

And thank you CultureMix for doing them one by one - that was really helpful. We hadn't thought about "ta gueule", but that's a really good point.

We've decided to pick between Thibault and Aymeric, so we're going to try them out this weekend (and probably until DS2 arrives as we're both indecisive :) ).

Fidegnon is spectacular, I've never encountered that anywhere!

OP posts:
CultureMix · 25/02/2012 00:42

My comments -- well you did ask, feel free to ignore Smile

Amaury - ok but a bit too old-fashioned for me
Aymeric - quite like it I find 'ic' names are good strong male names
Célian - problem with accented names is when the accent is dropped for whatever reason it looks wrong; also soft c can cause problems
Corentin - not bad but maybe more a little boy name with 'in ' ending? (although Quentin sounds fine yet is another -in name, go figure)
Mayeul - I'd be worried about teasing "ta gueule"
Thibault - my favourite though English speakers will struggle with 'th' part
Yvain - 'ain' is a real problem in English, my father is Alain and it gets mangled

While I'm French I'm reading these through an English phonetic filter --
as this will be primarily a French child living in France it's up to you really. I do think for the name to be relatively easy phonetically would be a plus - not just for relatives but as the child grows up if he does interact with non-French (not just English) speakers it makes it easier all round. My own name is very French but easy phonetically so that's fine, I spell it out first time then no problem. But don't let me put you off - your choice!

ps- ran into a very cool French name recently which I'd never heard and can't even find on French name websites: Fidegnon (with accent) - which actually breaks all the above rules...

sleepdodger · 24/02/2012 10:23

Ds has a French Edgar in class at nursery v sweet boy

KateBeckett · 24/02/2012 10:19

Aymeric!!

So beautiful, I wish I had a link to France so I could use it :)

Stellan · 23/02/2012 10:33

I like Corentin and Thibault. I remember in primary school there was a boy in my class called Thibault. I don't think any of us had any idea how to spell it but once we were told how to say it, it didn't cause any bother for him (although I don't think he spoke any English at all so he probably couldn't have adequately complained, anyway).

PercyFilth · 23/02/2012 10:22

I think that Aymeric has the best chance of not being mangled by English people who are unused to French names.

Original poster
ImpYCelyn · 23/02/2012 08:50

dementedma his middle name will be Sébastien :)

I think Thibault has the most votes, then Corentin, then Aymeric. I'll let DH know, we're hoping to pick one this weekend - he likes to be able to call the bump by a name.

Thanks everyone :)

OP posts:
dandelionss · 22/02/2012 22:37

Thibault

dementedma · 22/02/2012 22:36

they are all gorgeous. i love Benoit and Sebastien, but from your list would go for thibault or corentin

PercyFilth · 22/02/2012 18:36

I like them all but my absolute favourite there is ....

Aymeric

SoFarWeAreEqual · 22/02/2012 16:37

Thibault is lovely. Not keen on the others, sorry

Original poster
ImpYCelyn · 22/02/2012 15:29

:o

There are worse things I suppose.

But if we ever got a DS4 we'd be down to Nero... :o

Definitely seems to be Corentin and Thibault taking the lead.

I've scrapped Célian and Yvain for good anyway. I would get rid of Amaury, but DH loves it.

OP posts:
Indith · 22/02/2012 13:56

Grin you mean you don't want a trio of Roman emperors? Why ever not? Wink

Original poster
ImpYCelyn · 22/02/2012 13:51

Indith I think Aurélien will be the top choice for a DS3. DS1 is already a Roman emperor though, so we didn't want to have them one after the other, and then have to explain to a 3rd why he didn't merit an emperor's name; or have to call him Vespasien :o

Aurélie is lovely too, I used to have a friend called that.

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Original poster
ImpYCelyn · 22/02/2012 13:49

We will be living in France for most of DS's life, but he'll be born in the UK.

RE pronouncing them - in the UK we've always thought that it's a bit of an ask to use a name that most people have never heard before and then expect them to get in right :) And DH and I pronounce them slightly differently anyway - DS1 doesn't seem bothered.

I suppose in English they're nearest to:

Amaury - Amor-ry
Aymeric - Aim-er-ric
Célian - Sell-ee-on
Corentin - Coron-tan
Mayeul - My-yearl (like Earl Spencer)
Thibault - Tee-beau
Yvain - Ee-van

Sorry, I'm not very good at doing things phonetically, but those seem like reasonable approximations of French pronunciation in an English accent, iyswim.

OP posts:
Indith · 22/02/2012 13:43

I like Thibault and Corentin. I also love Aurélien but I am an Aurélie (middle name) so I'm biased :).

Hope88 · 22/02/2012 13:35

I am not sure. I don't know how to pronounce them. Do you live in France then?
I like Aurelien the most.

Original poster
ImpYCelyn · 22/02/2012 13:24

Sorry, not keen on any of those Sneezeblossom (actually, I quite like Loic, but it's DH's cousin's name).

33 DH almost died when I suggested Blaise, he said it's not at all cool for a name. If we were going to live in the UK though I might have got away with it.

OP posts:
33goingon64 · 22/02/2012 13:07

Have you thought of Blaise? That's my fave French boy's name.

Sneezeblossom · 22/02/2012 13:06

I wouldn't use a name with an accent if I wasn't living in France

How about
Yannick,
Loic
Luc
Marc
Tanguy
Stephane

I like Thibault btw

Original poster
ImpYCelyn · 22/02/2012 13:05

DS2 will spend either 4 months or 16 months living in England, then we're back to France (fingers crossed), so it'll be for French usage with occasional butchering by English family and friends - but they're managing fine with DS1's name.

Corentin and Thibault are looking strong, thanks :)

cobweb we had Xavier on the list last time, but have gone off it a little bit this time, not sure why.

OP posts:
Pippinella · 22/02/2012 13:04

I prefer Maury to Amaury personally.

All the others I really like!

Original poster
ImpYCelyn · 22/02/2012 13:01

Blush I'm not actually Welsh - it's a character from a Terry Pratchett book. I might have to add a little tag to my name for that :) And I only chose it so I could be ImpYCelynAndTheIvy at Christmas, and no one noticed :(

I do love Welsh names, but I think it's a bit strange to use them if you're not, iyswim.

Although, my Dad's family are Welsh and I sneakily got DH to ok Arwen as middle name on those grounds - it helped that he's never read the Lord of the Rings Blush :o

OP posts:
cobwebthegrey · 22/02/2012 13:01

Oh, and I love Xavier, but again it doesn't translate well!

From your list I like Corentin best.

rachel234 · 22/02/2012 12:59

My favourites are Corentin and Aymeric.