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Baby names

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Original poster

Mary Claudia, Mary Claudine or Mary Claudette?

33 replies

FreedomOfTheTess · 24/04/2013 13:02

We've starting to lean strongly towards Mary for girl bump (due mid-July) and would like to honour my late grandfather, Claude in the middle name spot.

Our options are:

Mary Claudia - obviously Claudia is the 'go to' feminine form of Claude, but we don't think this sounds great.

Mary Claudine - this sounds better but it still isn't great.

Mary Claudette - we think this has the best sound to it, but is Claudette a bit fusty?

The only other option is to use Claude itself. In France, the name Claude is both feminine and masculine, but I appreciate we're not in France and would therefore be met with puzzling looks if we simply named her Mary Claude.

Thoughts/comments? Are there any other feminine forms of Claude you're aware of that we're missing?

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KittenofDoom · 24/04/2013 20:44

Mary Claudia is the only one of the three that doesn't sound clunky to me with the surname.

Yika · 24/04/2013 18:52

I thought Mary was getting quite popular again. Claudette is simply...horrible. Sorry. Mary Claude would be the best if you want to honour your DGF. Claudia is beautiful though in my view. I personally wouldn't care how much they 'go together' unless you use the two names together on a daily basis.

BreasticlesNTesticles · 24/04/2013 18:50

I have a Claudia (and an Amelia so I shall ignore your earlier comment Wink) but think Mary Claudine flows best, or Mary Claudette. Mary Claudia sounds clunky imo

hollyisalovelyname · 24/04/2013 18:46

Mary is lovely. It will come back big time. I'm sorry but i don't like Claudia, Claudette, Claude or Claudine with Mary. However if the baby will be called just Mary it is fine.

greenteawithlemon · 24/04/2013 18:28

Ooh I like Mary Claudette! Although Mary Claudia is nice too. But I would use Claudette.

OrangeFootedScrubfowl · 24/04/2013 17:47

I like Mary Claudine best I think.

Original poster
FreedomOfTheTess · 24/04/2013 16:54

We'd just call her Mary, but I'm one of these people who gives a lot of thought to middle names too, because while they're not used a lot, they are sometimes used.

OP posts:
BerryLellow · 24/04/2013 16:54

Mary Claudia - sounds less clunky than the other two.

mrspaddy · 24/04/2013 16:52

Ah we are calling our baby Mary if it is a girl! We are just going for Mary though. Are you going to use both names all the time? I really love the name.. it is a special name to us anyway but I love it because it is not too common anymore yet still traditional. Pretty.

fussychica · 24/04/2013 16:48

Love Marie Claude, Mary Claude just doesn't sound right.

LackaDAISYcal · 24/04/2013 15:43

Marie-Claude would sound better imo than Mary-Claude

Or forget Mary completely (a bit old fashioned, but not trendily so) and use Anne-Claude; I know an Anne-Claude and she (and the name) are fab!

olympicsrock · 24/04/2013 15:34

I like Mary Claude or Marie Claude best. Good choice OP. Maybe outing myself but I'm actually a Mary myself (surname also begins with W and longish like yours>>. With fairly long surname I've always been glad to have a simple classic first name that everyone understands and can spell. I've never thought of my name as boring or frumpy :)

thegreylady · 24/04/2013 15:21

I love Mary and would use Claudia for mn however Marie-Claude has a good ring to it :)

Original poster
FreedomOfTheTess · 24/04/2013 14:50

Fair dos to anyone who doesn't like Mary, but DH and I love it.

As my work colleague said to me, hearing a baby girl called Mary would be a pleasant surprise to most, as opposed to yet another baby girl being named Olivia/Ruby/Grace/Amelia/Isabella. Wink

OP posts:
Original poster
FreedomOfTheTess · 24/04/2013 14:46

Thanks for the feedback so far. Lots to chew on.

To clarify, we're not necessarily looking for a name that sounds French, it's just I'm aware that Claude is both f/m in France, so in that respect it wouldn't be wrong to use it as a middle name for a girl.

NB: My grandfather was actually half French, his mother was French, so I could perhaps use the fact I have a tiny amount of French blood to justify using Claude and not one of the feminine forms! Wink

OP posts:
Michellephant · 24/04/2013 14:14

I also don't like the name Mary and think it is a bit boring, but it's not particularly popular so at least there wont be loads of girls called Mary at nursery/school!

Michellephant · 24/04/2013 14:12

I prefer Mary Claudette.

I don't like Claudia but that's because me and my mum know someone we don't like with a baby called Claudia and my mum refers to her as Chlamydia.

:X

abbyfromoz · 24/04/2013 14:07

Fair enough- will let the OP decide. Just my opinion

ItsYonliMe · 24/04/2013 14:07

Mary Claude. Lovely idea and a beautiful name.

ithaka · 24/04/2013 14:07

I would go for Marie not Mary, purely because I have a friend called Mary and there are no words to describe how much she hates her name - she thinks it is boring, frumpy and unimaginative.

KittenofDoom · 24/04/2013 14:03

I agree that Claudette & Claudine are more French, but I don't think OP is looking for a French name. If she was, Marie Claude would tick all the boxes.

abbyfromoz · 24/04/2013 13:45

I just remember reading babysitters club as a little girl and i think one of the characters was Claudia- hence the affiliation Grin

KittenofDoom · 24/04/2013 13:38

Claudia doesn't sound American to English ears.

abbyfromoz · 24/04/2013 13:36

Claudette or Claudine... Claudia sounds very American whereas Claudette and Claudine sound more French. Also agree 'Marie' has a nicer ring with that middle name... Although i do like Mary as a name.

showtunesgirl · 24/04/2013 13:23

I would actually go for Marie Claudette. Marie said like "marry" in the French way. I think it flows better than Mary.

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