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Baby names

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Original poster

French-English girls names: opinions on our short list please

41 replies

language · 02/09/2012 21:05

After much discussion, we finally have our short list! We are French, living in England, so we are looking for names which work in both countries. Many thanks for your opinions!

Isabelle
Hélène
Marguerite
Lucie
Clarisse
Melanie

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Indith · 20/09/2012 11:18

I think Marguerite is well enough known to not have to explain too much. People might need to check the spelling but they know how to say it unlike something like Helene where you'd get all sorts of Helena, Helen etc. Marguerite is a fab name and there is just so mauch choice in nicknames. My Margaret is very much Daisy at the moment but there is a Meg coming through as she gets older.

GoldPedanticPanda · 20/09/2012 10:05

I like Sophie the best from your final shortlist. I wouldn't go with Margot, I always think it looks and sounds like maggot.

SilkStalkings · 20/09/2012 09:53

Love Marguerite, so many nicknames (no one would say Marge).
Really like Magdalena's suggestion of Ysaline.
Melanie is super boring.

delilah88 · 19/09/2012 12:37

Marguerite - gorgeous!

Pasiphae · 19/09/2012 12:34

How about Margot? Marguerite's nickname, but is known in the UK?

Original poster
language · 19/09/2012 12:00

It's funny how we started discussions wanting an original name and ended up with very popular/classical names! DH is still very much for Marguerite, but I don't want her (or me in her childhood) to be constantly explaining the spelling

OP posts:
TudorJess · 17/09/2012 13:22

Sophie and Hélène are both lovely. I think you're right about the spelling/pronunciation of Hélène though, so would vote for Sophie :)

Pasiphae · 17/09/2012 12:23

Sophie over Hélène a million times over.
Esp because the accents would be forever forgotten.

KnickersNotPanties · 17/09/2012 10:51

Juliette is my favourite French/English name

PigletJohn · 17/09/2012 10:49

Charlotte

lilylola78 · 17/09/2012 10:12

I have french relatives and love the names they have given their children:

Naia
Anike
Elodie

Also love Isabelle and Lucie from your list.

Indith · 17/09/2012 10:10

Both are lovely, depends on how bothered you are about accents etc being correcdt all the time! Or just wait and see what she looks like when she arrives :)

hattymattie · 17/09/2012 10:08

Sophie is great - I'm British in France - my daughter's called Eleanor and the French keep putting accents on it and pronouncing it Elé a nor! I'd definitely go with Sophie Smile

Original poster
language · 17/09/2012 10:05

OK, our shortlist was reduced to 2 names:
Sophie and Hélène. I like both (although I think that Hélène would have to explain the spelling?pronunciation) of her name all the time.

OP posts:
sw21 · 15/09/2012 21:22

What about Amalie or cecilie?

sw21 · 15/09/2012 21:22

What about Amalie or cecilie?

Pasiphae · 13/09/2012 13:50

Isabelle was too fashionable the last 10 years, it feels very faded now. And even more so in France where it was quite fashionable in the 70s.
Ditto with Hélène in France.
Marguerite: Perfect, between Yourcenar or Les petites filles modeles!
Lucie is ok, a bit boring, no?
Clarisse is good, not as pretty as Marguerite but lovely.
Melanie is very 80s. The old Amelie.
Have you though about Genevieve?
If you like the 70/80s French names, then Elodie is the one for you, it appears to be coming back in the UK. Or how about Aurelia who was popular at the same time?

MagdalenaAlec · 13/09/2012 09:57

Isabelle: not keen. A little too 60's/70's in France. Annabel is more "up to date" I think. There is also Ysaline ("ee-zah-lynn") an ancient/medivial name which is quite close to Isabelle and very elegant and feminine, like the rest of your list. Bonus, it can be shortened to Izzy if DD later wants a slightly less unusual name.
Hélène: like it
Marguerite: love it but hate the shortening "Marge". I would be worried it will get mangled.
Lucie: international and classic, probably the best choice for "cross border" families. I am not keen at all though.
Clarisse: love it. I think it would work pretty well in the UK. Along the same lines, there is also Clotilde.
Melanie: not keen. Too 80's for me.

Thumbwitch · 13/09/2012 03:35

Don't like Clarisse. Or Clarice.

Claire though, that's all right.

Like the others, but with the same reservations on Isabelle and Lucie regarding spelling and popularity; and pronunciation for Hélène.

mathanxiety · 13/09/2012 03:30

I love them all except Melanie, which will be forever Spice Girls for me.

Do you like Melisande?

Devora · 12/09/2012 23:57

I like Lucie.

Viviennemary · 12/09/2012 23:40

I like all the names on your list and Isabelle and Helene best. I also like the name Celine.

Indith · 12/09/2012 17:19

Isabelle is lovely. Very poopular at the moment but people tend to know the various different spellings which could help.

Helene is lovely but you are going to get a lot of people giving you all sorts of pronunciations. Lots of He-len-a or He-ley-na.

Marguerite is fab. I am biased though since my dd is Margaret. Marguerite is one of my mum's middle names and she is French. We went for English spelling though since we are rarely in France these days.

Lucie is very cute. You'll have to correct spelling a bit but no pronunciation issues.

Clarisse- trouble is noone will every quite get it right. Only do it if you can bear all the Clareeeeeeees!

Melanie is nice, no spelling or pronunciation problems. I don't love it but it isn't my baby.

PurpleAndPoppyWearer · 12/09/2012 17:18

Madeleine?

I like all of them except Melanie, which I do think is currently a 30s/40s name and will always be shortened to Mel.

Autumnalis · 12/09/2012 17:11

I like all apart from Clarisse which I think can sound a bit guttural.

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