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Baby names

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

Original poster

Etienne....for a girl?

109 replies

Mammammio · 02/01/2015 20:04

Is this a massive no no? I know it's 'Stephen' in French, we are not french and live in the UK but we both love this name and prefer for a girl. Would you assume this was a boy if you heard it? She would go by Etti as a nickname and be called that the majority of the time but I think that the full version is lovely.

I know a little girl called Elliotte and another called Dylan and no one seems too fussed but wondered what people think?

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Mumzy · 02/01/2015 21:49

This thread reminds me of a french exchange student I knew whose name was Etienne and who the dad of the host family insisted on calling Steve.

Sorry not relevant - as you were.

Chalalala · 02/01/2015 21:58

ICanTotallyDance, I must have completely lost touch with my own culture then, because to me all "Alouette" brings to mind is bird plucking.

(not being sarcastic btw, I haven't lived in France for a good few years now, so who knows what new trends I've missed)

BikeRunSki · 02/01/2015 22:17

Alouette, gentile Alouette

Biscuitsneeded · 02/01/2015 22:25

I have a very good French friend and met his grandmother many times (she's dead now). Her name was Etiennette. I'm not sure if that was her official name, because they were from Alsace and during German occupation she had been called Stefanie, but Etiennette was the name she went by in later life. Would that work? Could definitely still be shortened to Etti.

thoth · 02/01/2015 22:26

Goodness, not Alouette!

Nor Etienne. Unless perhaps Etienne is like other French names (Dominique and Laurence come to mind) where you cannot tell whether the holder is m or f until one meets them.

Biscuitsneeded · 02/01/2015 22:27

Just checked and it is a real name. A Duchess of Burgundy, no less. Very classy!

thoth · 02/01/2015 22:29

If you like French names:
Odile
Odette
Ottiline
Ottilie
Elodie
Aurelie
Giselle (Gisele?)

GerbilsAteMyCat · 02/01/2015 22:36

How about Arietty?
Not Etienne, please.

GerbilsAteMyCat · 02/01/2015 22:38

It would be like Stephene :) my DH says imagine if this was the other way around with French people saying 'oo la la, Stephen is really pretty, no one will notice, it sounds feminine...'.

bouncingbelle · 02/01/2015 22:43

What about Ethni instead?

Original poster
Mammammio · 02/01/2015 22:51

Arrietty is nice too, not sure it works with our surname as that also begins with an A but maybe that's not a major problem.

OP posts:
Original poster
Mammammio · 02/01/2015 22:51

Moving away from
Etienne as I can see most people think it's a bit weird...! And we do go on holiday in France most years so perhaps it would raise too many eye brows!

OP posts:
Terramirabilis · 02/01/2015 22:54

Weird idea, I'm afraid. It's a fairly common name where I come from (Channel Islands) due to mixed French/English culture. I would be judging. Hard.

Terramirabilis · 02/01/2015 22:54

Crosspost with OP!

anothernumberone · 02/01/2015 23:03

I never realized Etienne was a boys name. There is an irish name Etaoin which can be pronounced almost the same, Et ain, although it can also be Eeee tain. It is a girls name and very pretty.

Kittymum03 · 02/01/2015 23:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MinceSpy · 02/01/2015 23:24

It's a male name. Yes people will comment.

Spinaroo · 02/01/2015 23:25

I think you are right to move away from it.

EhricJinglingHisBallsOnHigh · 03/01/2015 08:43

The characters in the beach are ettiene and francoise, ettiene being the man.
You could probably get away with mis naming if the name came from a very far away country but France? Just no. Every French person she meets will raise an eyebrow at her and it would just be really embarrassing.

tiggy2610 · 03/01/2015 08:52

One of the consultants at work is called Etienne and I genuinely thought he was a she until I met him Blush I remember exclaiming to my colleague that Etienne was far too pretty to be a boys name - showing how uncultured I am, clearly. BlushIronically, this is coming from a Stephanie who endured many hours of teasing in school when I was almost always referred to as 'Stephen' by new teachers as my whole name wouldn't fit on the register.

Not at all relevant or answers any questions... I'll leave now Blush

TheNewStatesman · 03/01/2015 09:07

How about Vivienne or Adrienne?

NoodleFace · 03/01/2015 10:08

I'm from the north west, first thing I thought of was the Etiad stadium, which is manchester city's ground.

Maybe if your not from these parts wouldn't bother you?

I really like Ettie as a nickname,

Alisvolatpropiis · 03/01/2015 16:16

Save me from the arrogant cultural appropriation of English people.

Kitty the female french character was called Françoise. The male french charater was called Etienne.

florascotia · 03/01/2015 16:46

Please excuse bluntness. I really don't want to sound rude, but would you call a girl 'Stephen' in English? If not, why should the same name in another language - any language - be different?

There are unisex names, as other posters have said, but (so far) I don't think Stephen is among them.

midwinternights · 03/01/2015 17:13

Use Etta instead

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