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Baby names

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

Original poster

Boy's name - work in French and English

87 replies

LeBFG · 19/10/2012 17:45

My mum can't pronounce anything vaguely French but we live in France. So, we're looking for boys names that work in both languages and are pronounced vaguely the same for ease of switching.

Problem is, last time round, we struggled like hell and finally settled on Leon just after DS's birth - very last minute. Found out a few weeks ago we're expecting another boy. A girl's name would be soooo much easier Hmm....

Any help appreciated.

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NapOfTheDamned · 25/10/2012 14:59

Max? Short and sweet and works in both languages I think?

ProbationProbationProbation · 25/10/2012 14:33

Etienne. Such a beautiful boys name.

Gwennan · 24/10/2012 09:28

I don't know how these names would be perceived in France but how about:
Adam
Christophe
Émile
Evan
Francis
Gabriel
Joseph
Jules
Julien
Justin
Léo
Lucas
Nicolas
Raphael
Victor
Xavier
Zachary

Original poster
LeBFG · 24/10/2012 08:15

THanks for all these suggestions. They fit our criteria and fwiw I love loads of them too. But DH is, as he was for DS1, proving very difficult and dismisses names quickly.

Our current short short list is Jake (still there), Hugo (goes well with Leon) and Jude (newly entered...French know 'Hey Jude' so friends' reactions have been quite positive).

OP posts:
iheartmycat · 24/10/2012 01:36

Xavier (Zav)...LOVE this
Maxime (Max)
Andre
Eliot
Joel

Tommy · 23/10/2012 22:46

Daniel

Yika · 23/10/2012 22:41

Jonathan

raynecld · 23/10/2012 21:55

Raphael
Luc
David

Yika · 23/10/2012 21:16

Here are my offerings: Vincent, Adrian, Charly, Oscar. Timothy, bizarrely, is v popular in Belgium at the mo.

AGeeksWife · 23/10/2012 19:55

I properly love the name Etienne, it makes me want another boy just to call him that.
I also like Yohan recently, easy to pronounce in English and its the name of a French footballer (not sure of its origins) so pronounceable there too, not sure if its popular in France.

BikeRunSki · 23/10/2012 19:15

Raymond

BikeRunSki · 23/10/2012 19:15

Marco?

Milo?
Louis?
Martin?
Patrick?
Just running though all the Anglo-French males I know.

oneortwoorthree · 23/10/2012 13:09

Nico? Seems a popular choice for people here who need a name that works in English, Catalan and Spanish...

eversomuch · 22/10/2012 21:21

My top choice for a boy's name is Cedric, which I think is a name known in France. Unfortunately, DH has vetoed it. :( Ten days left to convince him otherwise ...

A friend of mine who lives in France has a Joshua and an Adam -- names they chose bc they work in both English and French.

Good luck to you!

Original poster
LeBFG · 22/10/2012 18:08

Yes, they say Jetro on TV. Not sure it's a goer. I can't dissociate from Jethro the cornish comedian...

OP posts:
cuillereasoupe · 22/10/2012 14:37

Jethro would be an, um, unusual choice. The TH sound is nigh on impossible to pronounce for most French people, so it'd be Jetro or Jessro.

tiredteddy · 22/10/2012 13:25

My cousin has a DS they live in Brussels so wanted a name that works in both languages also. He is called Nicolas and known as Nico.

caramelwaffle · 22/10/2012 12:47

Olivier. Oliver.

Original poster
LeBFG · 22/10/2012 12:45

Just found Mikayil - to be shortened to Mic, or Mika.

DH is still in love with Jethro. THis is on NCIS which the French love.

Any ideas how these suggestions might be received in France?

OP posts:
cuillereasoupe · 22/10/2012 09:24

Yes, true.

Bonsoir · 22/10/2012 09:19

It's the Old Testament names that carry the assumption that you are Jewish, not the New Testament names.

cuillereasoupe · 22/10/2012 09:18

You might also need to know that Biblical names such as Samuel, David, and Simon will immediately lead French people to assume that you're Jewish.

cuillereasoupe · 22/10/2012 09:04

Names like Marc, Luc, Christian, Gilles, Olivier, Philippe, and Pascal sound like forty-to-fifty year-olds to me, like calling an English baby Trevor (or indeed Philip) - and grandpa chic names really haven't caught on on this side of the channel.

How about Hugo? It's used for kids and goes nicely with Leon IMO.

Original poster
LeBFG · 22/10/2012 07:36

That is a good point cuilerasoupe. I've only got my immediate entourage for advice. I was hoping to tap into the MN massive to help a bit with that!

OP posts:
NerdAmigo · 22/10/2012 07:22

Pierre
Marc
Luc
Christian