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Baby names

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

Original poster

Twin Girls, looking for french names

111 replies

kisekae · 07/12/2014 22:13

Hello,

I'm having twins in May and I'm stuck on girls names. We already have a daughter named Amelie and I tend to gravitate towards french names. We had originally picked out Violet and Sofia but I've completely gone off Sofia as it's too popular (prefer unique names)

I've recently fallen in love with the name Miette but can't find any other names that would fit with it (Violet and Miette doesn't sound right together with the double 'et's).

Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance

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florascotia · 08/12/2014 19:06

I really don't want to be rude, but the discussion of 'Miette' (= crumb) reminds me of a previous Mumsnet thread when a non-English-speaking mother in law wanted the baby name 'cauliflower', because, to her, 'it sounded so pretty'.

Original poster
kisekae · 08/12/2014 19:05

I'm Canadian, but living in the UK. I agree with a lot of the comments that I don't want something that would sound too horrible in the UK accent, which limits me quite a bit with a lot of the lovely names.

OP posts:
StrawbRhi · 08/12/2014 18:53

I've always loved Sabine. I have no idea why, it just sounds so luxurious to me!

ChristmasPresence · 08/12/2014 18:47

Maielle? (pron my-elle)

OrchidFlakes · 08/12/2014 18:42

Switch Violet for Viola to go with Miette?

Schoolaroundthecorner · 08/12/2014 14:12

Also wondering if you speak French. I live in a French speaking country and love many of the names here but would hesitate to use one as my French isn't very strong at all yet and I'm afraid it would lead people to assume I'm fluent. Also my family back home might think I was putting on airs although I wouldn't take that to heart too much.

florascotia · 08/12/2014 14:04

Alize (acute accent on last e) was used as the name of a sporty model of the well-known Renault Megane car. In French, Alize means 'trade wind'.

A prettier wind-based French name might be Zephyrine?

DuploChaos · 08/12/2014 14:04

Vivienne.

AugustaGloop · 08/12/2014 11:43

Out of interest, do you just like French names or are you or DH/P of French descent?
Names like Amelie, Sofia, Violet, Sylvie would not seem out of place if used by non-French people, but I would be a bit surprised to come across some of these names being used by non-French people (eg Manon).

I would put Miette in the latter category, except that it sounds like it is not actually a French name!

I do appreciate that these things change over time though, eg Amelie and Sylvie would have been rare outside of France until fairly recently and are now commonly used here.

PoppyAmex · 08/12/2014 11:32

Actually, pronunciation is a very valid point.

I'm foreign and really like my name (Latin/Mediterranean), but cringe every time an English speaker says it; it really sounds awful.

Mathilde and Beatrice are lovely names and fairly "international".

Arven · 08/12/2014 11:27

Manon doesnt work in English.

passmethevino · 08/12/2014 11:08

Love Miette, you should go for it Smile

squoosh · 08/12/2014 11:05

Manon does not sound nice when said in a UK accent. I suspect the same is true of many names on this thread. And adopting a French accent would sound a bit tragic.

GerbilsAteMyCat · 08/12/2014 09:46

Manon is beautiful. Manon des Sources, excellent film. Françoise is nice and Heloïse.

PoppyAmex · 08/12/2014 09:44

I agree with elel - IMO Minette is a cat's name (and the equivalent to foufou/minnie/front bottom) and I've never met anyone called Miette. Sounds like a hamster or a doll's name.

GerbilsAteMyCat · 08/12/2014 09:44

Miel is better than Miette!

dollius · 08/12/2014 09:42

Manon is pronounced Ma (a as in cat) non ( o as in of)

dollius · 08/12/2014 09:41

Elodie
Mathilde
Fleur
Sylvie
Maylis
Delphine

Bin85 · 08/12/2014 09:39

Madeleine
Danielle
Beatrice

ooooooooooooooohYessssssssssss · 08/12/2014 09:38

I love Celeste and Delphine.

Tillylils · 08/12/2014 09:36

Sidonie

elelfrance · 08/12/2014 09:32

um i'd be careful with Minette, it is a cat's name, but its also a little girls's word for their vagina/vuvla
And Miette does mean crumb, I've lived in France for 15 years and never heard it used as a name

Ainmnua · 08/12/2014 09:28

Celeste
Delphine

Original poster
kisekae · 08/12/2014 09:27

How do you pronounce Manon?

OP posts:
DrSeuss · 08/12/2014 09:24

A friend is Amandine, her sisters are Delphine and Adeline.