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British names with a French(ish) feel! Help!

73 replies

UsedToBeASize10 · 04/06/2014 22:59

Hi there. I need some advice on baby names so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some great ideas! My naming style is somewhere between very old English/twee and French. Yes, it sounds bizarre. But to give you an example, names like Lucie/Alice/Esme are perfect examples. Sadly, I cannot use the name Esme (which is utterly depressing as it's my absolute favourite) but I am looking for an alternative with a similar sound/feel to it without it being too 'out there' IYKWIM. Lucie is also off the table. So far, I have (reluctantly) drawn up a short list:

Girls: Elsa (ruined by Frozen?), Alice, Eliza....think that's about it...
Boys: Theo, Alexander....um....

I would love to hear your suggestions! Thanks

OP posts:
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skinmysunshine · 05/06/2014 11:05

There are a number of Frenchish girls names that I really like:

Anouk
Ines
Amandine
Manon
Clemence
Vianne
Vivienne
Sylvie

BikeRunSki · 05/06/2014 11:03

Stella
Emma
Anna
Ella
Louis/a
Stephanie

omuwalamulungi · 05/06/2014 11:02

Elodie?

BethanFaye · 05/06/2014 10:59

I used to know a Monet and a Herveline (slient H), thought Monet was gorgeous!

CorusKate · 05/06/2014 10:58

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mswibble · 05/06/2014 10:56

Camille is on my list, love it.

GreatAuntDinah · 05/06/2014 10:56

Yes I wondered if it was a back-formation from Happy Feet or something.

CorusKate · 05/06/2014 10:52

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GreatAuntDinah · 05/06/2014 10:50

Arse, you're right. Outsmarted. It is an actual name though and is on an upswing: www.aufeminin.com/w/prenom/p323/adelie.html

gorionine · 05/06/2014 10:49

Adelie is indeed a real name.

gorionine · 05/06/2014 10:48

Eloise
Michelle
Eve

Matthieu
Adam
Luke

GreatAuntDinah · 05/06/2014 10:48

^ aww who am I kidding, I love^ being a smartarse Grin

CorusKate · 05/06/2014 10:48

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GreatAuntDinah · 05/06/2014 10:47

Most popular name at my crèche is Nail/Nael. Make of that what you will.

And sorry to be a smartarse again, but the Adelie penguin takes its name from Adélie Dumont d'Urville, the wife of the explorer who claimed Adelie Land for France Grin

CorusKate · 05/06/2014 10:43

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CorusKate · 05/06/2014 10:40

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florascotia · 05/06/2014 10:07

Here are the most popular recent (2010) baby names for France:

www.behindthename.com/top/lists/fr/2010

UriGeller · 05/06/2014 10:02

Oops its shortened to Cece by her parents.

UriGeller · 05/06/2014 10:02

I know a little girl named Marcelle, she's half French. I think its gorgeous.

GreatAuntDinah · 05/06/2014 09:55

Sorry minmooch, didn't mean to sound so snippy. These threads pop up quite regularly and people always post lists of names of their French mates / penfriends, forgetting that those names are worn by forty-year-olds and are now the equivalent of Steve and Andy in the UK.

Anyway I've checked and you're right, there have been six baby Libertés in the past forty years. I take it back.

minmooch · 05/06/2014 07:44

Ooh GreatAuntDinah that's the first time I've been corrected on Mumsnet - I feel very told off. Actually I know two children whose name is Liberte (sorry can't do the accent on the e on my phone), one girl, one boy so some people are using it as a name.

As for Agnes my great grandmother was an (English) hard sounding Agnes. Apart from her I have only ever heard it pronounced Ann-yay (happy to be proved it's not the French version) but I have Swedish and Polish friends so maybe it's from there.

GreatAuntDinah · 05/06/2014 06:58

Laurence is an out-of-fashion girl's name.

OP, how about something like Adele for a girl or charles for a boy? Both quite posh.

SquirrelledAway · 05/06/2014 06:55

Marianne
Madeleine
Naomi
Zoe
Charlotte
Helene
Sabine
Adele
Corinne
Eleanor
Josephine
Monique
Veronique

Alexander
Charles
Benjamin
Adrien
Frederick
Nicolas
Thomas
Guy
Luc
William
Julian
Marc
Robert

burgatroyd · 05/06/2014 06:47

Elsa is exploring in popularity. Not surprised if its in top five next year.

Severine is great but means severe, stern.

Personal fave is Sidonie.

GreatAuntDinah · 05/06/2014 06:31

Depends if your kid is ever going to go to France, in which case 85% of the names listed will sound ridiculous, like calling a British baby Brenda or Gary.

Agnes is pronounced ann-yes not ann-yay and Liberté is not a name.