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Baby names

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Original poster

Florian or Emmanuel?

27 replies

Bagger288 · 04/09/2018 20:22

Just that, really. Expecting lots of 'neither' responses - I promise I won't be offended Wink

Thanks in advance!

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browneyesbignose · 29/12/2018 23:09

Emmanuel is a fantastic choice

drquin · 29/12/2018 11:58

Dare I suggest you're overthinking the nicknames, which are something which should evolve naturally?

I know one Florian, who is nicknamed Flo.

I also know another Flo, which is a diminutive of another Flo-name.

Both are male, and at the risk of being stereotypical, there's nothing remotely girly / feminine brought to mind when I speak / meet them or others talk about them.

They, as individuals, own the diminutives ...... if you say "Flo" to me, I'd instinctively think of the two men I know and wonder which you were referring to. As do others in my circle. None of us know Florences. So to us "Flo" is associated with these two men, not random "feminine" names. And so it would be, if Florian became a name for an important person in your family.

caringiscreepy · 29/12/2018 11:47

Florian , love it

Icklepup · 06/09/2018 08:12

Definitely Florian!

Beeziekn33ze · 04/09/2018 23:35

Love Florian!
Emmanuel often gets shortened to Manny.

MeyMary · 04/09/2018 23:27

Emmanuel means (as already mentioned) God is with us.

The connection of the name (from the OT prophecy) with Christ/the Messiah is because of the Matthew evangelium, which talks about the fulfilment of prophecy and the name of the Messiah being Emmanuel, I believe... It's only mentioned once in the NT (as far as I know), so idk whether the name is actually regarded as particularly Christian in the UK/"mainstream" culture?

Sunflower321 · 04/09/2018 23:13

I know quite a few Florians and the only nickname they've ever had (if at all) is Flo.

And Emmanuel Manny.

MeyMary · 04/09/2018 23:12

I love both names. (But I was born and raised in Germany...)

I personally don't like the nn Manu but apart from that they're both great.
I feel like Emmanuel might work a bit better in the UK? (Florian could be mistaken for Florianne...) But I'm not a native English speaker so I might be wrong about that...

And o come o come Emmanuel (or veni, veni..) is beautiful imo...

I also like Immanuel.

HainaultViaNewburyPark · 04/09/2018 23:11

The only Florian I know seems to have ended up with Flossie as a nickname (he’s in his early 50s).

Marcipex · 04/09/2018 23:06

Emmanuel shortens to Emma.
Florian ditto to Flora.
Maybe you'll have a girl.

BoBro · 04/09/2018 22:53

Emmanuel

Susannach · 04/09/2018 22:48

I really like both!

I think Emmanuel slightly pips it for me though, it’s a bit less stereotypically “posh”.

caringiscreepy · 04/09/2018 22:16

Florian. I have a huge soft spot for that name

ItsABlusteryDay · 04/09/2018 22:10

I like florian. Could always call him Ian for short Grin

blueskiesandforests · 04/09/2018 21:49

An e (the letter) not an email BlushGrin

Iwannasnack · 04/09/2018 21:49

Emmanuel = the series of soft porn films to me

blueskiesandforests · 04/09/2018 21:48

Florian becomes a female name if you stick an email on the end. I know lots of male Florians, children and adults, and one young female Floriane (pronounced floree-en), but not in the UK.

Lots of male names become female names by adding a letter though (Paula, Karla, Simina, Leona, Freda...)

bridgetreilly · 04/09/2018 21:44

Emmanuel literally means 'God with us' (Messiah means 'Anointed One'), though both are titles given to Jesus.

Personally I have a slight preference for Emmanuel, though neither are really my taste.

ReginaPhalange89 · 04/09/2018 21:41

Florian doesn't sound masculine to me at all. Actually thought it was a girls name til I read the full post !

I dislike both tbh, but purely because I think Florian sounds more girly (although they both do!) , I'd pick Emmanuel

kenandbarbie · 04/09/2018 21:36

There's been a few threads asking about those names, they seem to be having a popularity surge.

I'd say being called Emmanuel would be a ball ache at Christmas listening to all those carols.

Sunflower321 · 04/09/2018 21:08

Florian! Great name.

blueskiesandforests · 04/09/2018 21:02

Emmanuel literally means Messiah doesn't it? As featured in such popular carols as "oh come, oh come, Emmanuel!" (Atheist with a c of e upbringing and traumatic childhood memories of endless out of tune hymn singing in a freezing c of e church which refuse to fade Grin Shock )

I see what you mean about nickname possibilities though.

Original poster
Bagger288 · 04/09/2018 20:52

Thanks! I know, we've ended up with very German choices! But nope, neither of us are German... or religious! We just think they're both lovely, handsome-but-soft masculine names.

The advantage with Emmanuel is that it can be shortened in ways which would be acceptable in the UK (Manny, Manu), whereas Florian's nicknames are just too feminine - Flo, Florrie. So he'd pretty much be stuck with Florian.

I went to a Church of England primary school and did Religious Studies at A Level but still didn't realise until very recently just how religious a name Emmanuel was. I would've associated Moses / Noah / Jonah etc. with Christian parents, but thought Emmanuel was along the lines of Abraham - i.e., religious but not in the way you'd instantly think "oh the parents must be very churchy"...

OP posts:
Flamingosnbears · 04/09/2018 20:46

Florian

blueskiesandforests · 04/09/2018 20:31

Emanuel can also be spelt 2 ways I think (one or 2 ms) if that's a consideration.