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Baby names

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

Original poster

Names that work in Danish and English

82 replies

BikeGeek · 29/12/2015 10:17

I've got a long time to decide but struggling on finding names that work in both languages

Criteria :
Pronunciation easy for both Brits and Danes
If a Danish name not too similar to any English name that it could be mistaken for.
No non-English letters

Not finding out sex so need girls and boys names

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coffeeghost · 07/01/2016 19:18

Kaj / Kai (male name) or Mads (variant of Matthew/Matt, pronounced like "mess", also see: Mads Mikkelsen, danish actor)

NoMore314 · 31/12/2015 23:27

Princess Mary managed it! how hard can it be?!

cosmobrown · 31/12/2015 22:50

The British/Danish families I know have dc called
Annalise
Penelope
Emily
Rhys

Original poster
BikeGeek · 31/12/2015 22:13

We will attempt OPOL, it's just OH is probably less enthusiastic about it than I'd like.

I can understand a lot of Danish but struggle to speak any of it. I know what sounds I should be making but my mouth refuses to cooperate!

OP posts:
eastwest · 31/12/2015 20:00

Still reading back up the thread -

I'm not convinced we'll manage to bring up bilingual kids, English primary care giver, in England, with parents who only speak English to each other is a bit of a losing battle I think

We are managing it, no problem at all - he is 3 now and loves speaking Danish and is good at it. My DP speaks exclusively Danish to him, and reads him Danish lang books at bedtime and plays him Danish lang cartoons. Look up OPOL, One parent, one language - it has worked brilliantly for us. (I speak no Danish at all, apart from being able to ask for 'Four bread rolls please' which was drummed into me on my first visit there :) - but I am actually picking up some now that DP is speaking it to DS).

Pippidoeswhatshewants · 31/12/2015 19:59

We have some very cosmopolitan friends. Their kids' names have to work in 3+ languages... Anyway, the dc are called
Nick
Tim
Sebastian
Emily

ifigoup · 31/12/2015 19:55

Karin
Tova

eastwest · 31/12/2015 19:55

Reading up, the pronounciation is very different, yes, but we've not found a problem. DP calls him the Danish way, I call him the English way and he answers to both.

eastwest · 31/12/2015 19:54

We also considered Caspar.

eastwest · 31/12/2015 19:53

Quite excited to find another Danish/ English combo :).
We named our child Magnus, after his great-grandfather. Works OK in English too.

Zhabr · 31/12/2015 19:49

How do you pronaunce Alban in Danish? Nn Albie

Original poster
BikeGeek · 30/12/2015 21:41

I think surname precludes any names ending in s

A shame because there's a few I like

OP posts:
Greaterthanthesumoftheparts · 30/12/2015 21:28

We have a similar dilemma for our future child but have settled on Anabel or Arthur, both variations on family names, even though it will end up being Artur in Danish. DP also has DSS Felix which is also a good language independent name (given he has Danish and Russian parents and lives in Switzerland) probably just outed myself!

Original poster
BikeGeek · 30/12/2015 21:21
Grin
OP posts:
GrinAndTonic · 30/12/2015 21:20

If Mary and Fred can name their child Vincent Prince Vince then anything is possible.

Original poster
BikeGeek · 30/12/2015 21:14

The Danes I know don't pronounce Maria the same way as an English person would.

Camilla just is instant association with Camilla Parker Bowles so that's a no!

OP posts:
cowbag1 · 30/12/2015 21:05

Camilla sounds almost the same in both languages as does Maria, Esther and Victoria for a girl (wracks brain for all the Danes I know). Lars, Sebastian, Alexander are similarly pronounced for boys.

BikeRunSki · 30/12/2015 20:52

Would Anders work?

Zhabr · 30/12/2015 20:42

Max and Lisa. Works in most languages. I like Elin from your list OP. I would avoid "R" sound completely, as it can change pronunciation of the name.

Snowball789 · 30/12/2015 20:24

I have a very good Canadian/Danish friend called Kirsten which is pronounced Kiss-ten - lovely.

Original poster
BikeGeek · 30/12/2015 17:43

Maren is on the shortlist although OH thinks it's old fashioned.

Welsh girls names I like are Seren, Eira, Awel, Elin, Megan

OP posts:
WongTobyWong · 30/12/2015 17:05

I was just about to suggest Mette! How about Maren? Beautiful name. Or Berit?

NoMore314 · 30/12/2015 17:00

Bethan / Beetan
Olwen / olvayn - too close to the beer?

NoMore314 · 30/12/2015 16:56

obviously it would be more like aloos in Danish?

NoMore314 · 30/12/2015 16:56

what about Alys. Welsh for Alice but very close to the danish word for light and luz is a name in spanish. {a leap}