Help protect children from gaming harms.

Take our survey

Please or to access all these features

Baby names

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

Any thoughts on Anaïs?

56 replies

EmeraldCoast · 19/03/2013 14:49

I?m looking for a strong but feminine name that isn?t Amelia (love it but know three Amelias). What do you think about Anaïs?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Llareggub · 20/03/2013 09:17

I am with those that forever associate it with erotica, and will imagine you are a fan of Anais Nin.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 20/03/2013 09:13

By the way, bring it back to the original Anais. If I was told once it's an-nay-eese or an-nay, I would remember it. So I'd say go for it if you like it. I work in an office with lots of foreigners and some of their names are absolute tongue twisters!

OneLittleToddleTerror · 20/03/2013 06:00

DD has a chinese name so it's foreign but hopefully not unpronounceable.

BeeBopDingALing · 20/03/2013 00:04

I think OneLittleToddleTerror must have an Amelia.

What about Arianne?

serin · 19/03/2013 22:31

Angharad
Annie
Anna
Anne
Ann-Marie
Anna-Mae
Angela

All what I would call 'strong'

birdofthenorth · 19/03/2013 22:04

How about Anoushka?

ladymia · 19/03/2013 20:55

OneLittleToddleTerror I am just going to assume you are the mother of either an Alfie or an Amelia and that you saw my comment as a personal attack. Your arguments have nothing to do with the OP's question.

I was merely pointing out that Amelia (TO ME) is not a strong name as per the original post and compared it to a name that is similar (TO ME) and that I quite like Anaïs.

Although, now people keep saying it's like Anus I have changed my mind anyways! Grin

WormCanner · 19/03/2013 20:04

OneLittleToddleTerror it was you who called it a "new" name.

But people have been giving short forms as full names for donkeys years, there's nothing new about that either. You can check this in the BMD indexes back to 1837. I wouldn't do it myself as I think it is short-changing a child, but there have always been people who have done so.

LaurieFairyCake · 19/03/2013 20:00

Everyone will call your kid Anus.

Don't be silly. Unless you're a trust fund babe. If you are, go ahead.

If you have any sort of accent you really can't though it would be proper funny in Brummie Grin

Mintyy · 19/03/2013 19:58

Its only ok if you or your dp is French. Otherwise its horribly pretentious.

HenriettaChicken · 19/03/2013 19:56

Ann-ay-eece

Beautiful name.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 19/03/2013 19:48

I know Alfie was a pet form of Alfred. But the new Alfies are actually Alfies! You can check the most popular name list from England.

Skinnywhippet · 19/03/2013 19:48

What about Nyree?

WormCanner · 19/03/2013 19:46

Alfie is simply a pet form of Alfred, it's not new.

More Royal trivia Wink: One of Queen Victoria's sons was Alfred. She called him Affie.

Viviennemary · 19/03/2013 19:41

It's OK but I certainly think there are a lot nicer names than this one. It reminds me of the perfume. Which isn't that bad but who wants to be named after a perfume.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 19/03/2013 19:39

Ladymia what I mean is that Amelia is an old name and Alfie is a nickname or new name. Therefore I don't find Amelia cutesy, just as I don't find Chatlotte or Elizabeth either.

samuelwhiskers · 19/03/2013 19:22

I don't really like it, reminds me of ananas ( pineapple) in French. I like some of the other suggestions - Anya, Amelia.

Iggity · 19/03/2013 19:21

Or Aine pronounced on-ya but the same issues re. pronunciation and spelling will probably come up. Anais makes me think of the perfume.

AnonymousBird · 19/03/2013 19:14

Avinia?
Annika/Anneka?

AnonymousBird · 19/03/2013 19:12

Agatha?

harleyd · 19/03/2013 19:08

reminds me of that horrible perfume

ladymia · 19/03/2013 19:07

OP how about Annick?

ladymia · 19/03/2013 19:03

"I can't see how Amelia is in the same category as Alfie. There are two princess Amelias in British history. Alfie, unless you mean Alfred, I am not aware of any royal connection for example."

Uhmm OK OneLittleToddleTerror

I said they are in the same caterory in MY opinion for the following reasons, they are both:

  • cutesy
  • terribly overused

... not whoever royal has had it as a name, I am not one that has those people that have commemorative plates in my house of the queen's dog's birthday so I would not have even known that bit of trivia. Thanks!

MustafaCake · 19/03/2013 18:51

It's lovely but the one Anais I know spends her whole life explaining how to pronounce or spell her name.

She says it "ann-ay"

I would give your girl a name that is easier to say/spell TBH.

There's some lovely ideas on this thread.

Annie?
Anastasia?
Annika?
Anya?
Anneliese?

sapphirestar · 19/03/2013 18:51

Dd has an Anais at nursery, I had to ask her to pronounce it and they say it like ah-nay