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Baby names

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

Original poster

Elodie ... when we are not French at all.

40 replies

MsOliveOyl · 07/06/2012 13:12

Is it pretentious to give a child a French name when she is not remotely French? I just think Elodie is so pretty. She will be dark haired and olive skinned, if that helps...

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Bonsoir · 07/06/2012 14:55

Annick had its heyday around 1950 Wink. I find it quite unpleasant myself! It was never très chic so maybe I associate it with rather unprepossessing owners.

MrsGuyOfGisbourne · 07/06/2012 14:53

I like the name Annick, but tjere seem to be several middle-aged ones in my office in Paris - Bonsoir is it a middle-aged name in France..?

maples · 07/06/2012 14:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Lunarlyte · 07/06/2012 14:44

MsOlive, don't overthink! My DD1 has a name of Italian origin and DD2 has a name of Spanish origin ... and we're of Irish descent! It really doesn't matter and Elodie is gorgeous.

Don't sweat it. Nobody will think anything other than 'Oooh, that's a nice name' x

Bonsoir · 07/06/2012 14:41

As you will see from this graph, in France Elodie was at its peak 20 years ago and has now almost disappeared among newborns. Do you really want to give your DC yesterday's first name?

Original poster
MsOliveOyl · 07/06/2012 14:37

I think you're right Cointreau, I was just thinking about all the names that are common in the UK and lots of them sound to have their origins elsewhere - Charlotte, Isabelle, Marie etc. Anyway, I am not even pregnant so should probably not be thinking so much about this Blush

OP posts:
CointreauVersial · 07/06/2012 14:30

Nothing pretentious about the name Elodie - names have all sorts of derivations and it really doesn't matter where you come from. I know two Elodies and neither has French parents.

Original poster
MsOliveOyl · 07/06/2012 14:26

Aah, curse my lack of Frenchness. Strangely, a lot of people think I look French for some reason.

OP posts:
Original poster
MsOliveOyl · 07/06/2012 14:25

Francoise - love it! Also Genevieve (pronounced the French way with 4 syllables). But agreed, they are a bit too French and require an attempt at a French accent to pronounce.

OP posts:
cantaffordtodoit · 07/06/2012 14:24

Yes it is. My daughter is called Elodie but then she is French Smile

Original poster
MsOliveOyl · 07/06/2012 14:22

Oh ok, I didn't realise Elodie was faddy atm. I was just reading an article by a French person called Elodie!

Amelie I know has become more popular, and it's lovely but too connected to the film I think. If we used Elodie it wouldn't be an attempt to seem more cosmopolitan - she's going to be a mix of nationalities and races, just not French!

OP posts:
squoosh · 07/06/2012 14:20

No one expects Sophie/Natalie/Isabelle to be French. Elodie is fine.

If you were calling her Françoise I'd find that a bit pretentious.

Incaminka · 07/06/2012 14:19

Lovely name! Will suit her. My name is french and I'm Irish -noone ever said anything...

hatebeak · 07/06/2012 14:16

I don't think it'll raise any eyebrows - Elodie has become "normal" in the UK in the same way that Amelie has - but in my opinion, it does try a bit too hard to sound cosmopolitan. I don't always think there's anything wrong with having a name from another country when you're not connected to it, or indeed with being a little pretentious, but I think Elodie is a bit faddy. Sorry. I agree that on paper it's pretty, though.

BlueChampagne · 07/06/2012 13:25

I know a little Elodie whose family aren't remotely French either. I think it's fine!