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Baby names

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

Original poster

Bilingual Boy Names

28 replies

TheOneWithTheBaby · 01/12/2018 10:07

Hello everyone,

We found out a few weeks ago that we are having a boy. We had quite a few girls names but boys I'm finding a bit trickier. We are a German/English family, so ideally we'd like names that sound similar in both languages or at least are pronounceable in both.

I think taste wise we are slightly more traditional. We have a long list of maybes so far but nothing is sticking somehow. Any opinions on our names or further suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

James (I know a lot in their late teens/early twenties at the moment but no younger children it seems)
George (so many younger children with it at the moment)
Benjamin (But not a fan of Ben so might be a Nono?)
Benedict
Jacob
Logan
Henry
Jasper
Edmund
Edward
Nathaniel (Nate, but th could be an issue in German)
Albert
Leopold
Samuel
Ezra
Sebastian
Christopher

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MikeUniformMike · 02/12/2018 13:58

I know a Tobias (Tob-ee-as) nn Toby with German-English parents.
Matthias is Math-eye-as in the UK but Matt-ee-as elsewhere in Europe.
I'm not keen but Sebastian would work.
Peter. Max. Johann. Karl. Juergen. Andreas...

SingingSands · 02/12/2018 13:56

My DH has German family and the boys names include:

Frank
John
David
Otto
Marius
Felix
Steffen

BertieBotts · 02/12/2018 13:49

James ends up a bit more like Jems in German. But yes it's well known enough to work. It wouldn't be Yam-uz.

R-beginning names are tricky. DS1 has an R and it doesn't work too well.

DreamingofSunshine · 02/12/2018 13:48

Hugo?

Schlobbob · 02/12/2018 13:43

Hi OP, I'm currently in Germany and have DS2 who is a James! Kids and adults have no problem in pronouncing it, definitely with a J sound and not a Y.

Agree to no 'th' sounding names, Germans find it very difficult to pronounce. Also W's are pronounced with a 'V' but DS1 doesn't mind!

Kids names at school / kindergarten we have come across

Alex
Jacob (pronounced Ya-Kob)
Fabian
Benjamin (ben-ya-meen)
Bastian
Peter
David (Daa-vid)
Oskar / Oscar
Felix
Levi
Christian

Original poster
TheOneWithTheBaby · 02/12/2018 13:32

Bananalanacake, I don't really know any Henning below the age of around 40. I think it's not quite made a come back yet which may explain your husband's opinion?

MamaDane, how would you pronounce Mathias in English?

OP posts:
DryHeave · 02/12/2018 13:32

Tobias/Toby/Tobi?

I know British and German men with this name.

Original poster
TheOneWithTheBaby · 02/12/2018 13:30

Thank you everyone for your opinions and suggestions!

I do think Sam is probably pronounced the same and any th sounds have to be out. That sounds really frustrating MissWimpy.

AnnaMagnani, you're right in hat J is more like Y so it would change the sound of e.g. Joseph completely. Not a huge fan of the German pronounciation of If it be honest.

For James I wouldn't be too worried as there isn't really a German version as far as i am aware, so people would know to pronounce it the English way.

OP posts:
MamaDane · 01/12/2018 22:56

Matthias
Marcus
Simon

DrinkFeckArseGirls · 01/12/2018 20:38

Adam
Arthur

Shadow1234 · 01/12/2018 19:42

I really like the name Ezra best from your list.

KarineAimee · 01/12/2018 16:37

Elliot
Arthur
Phillip

AnnaMagnani · 01/12/2018 13:52

Surely all the Js would be pronounced as Ys so James would be difficult.

Sebastian or Florian are lovely names.

Bananalanacake · 01/12/2018 13:31

Funnily enough I am in a German, English family, we have a DD called Sam, short for Samantha, but pronounced the German way of SamanTa.

Before kids, DP and I agreed he would name girls and I'd name boys, but we had 2 girls. If we'd have had a boy I'd have the name Henning, but no one in DP's family likes it.

MissWimpyDimple · 01/12/2018 13:30

Absolutely NOTHING with the "th" sound in it.

I'm from a bilingual German/English family and have a name with th in the middle.

It's a nightmare. Literally not one of my German relatives can pronounce my name.

SonEtLumiere · 01/12/2018 13:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thighofrelief · 01/12/2018 13:26

Thomas and Joseph are international Imo.
Max would work well for German / English

Motherof3Dragons · 01/12/2018 13:26

In my experience, Sam is pronounced the same in German. Samuel is not though.

brookshelley · 01/12/2018 13:25

Nicholas
Christian

thighofrelief · 01/12/2018 13:24

Max
Joseph
Filip
Oscar
Jacob
Michael
Adam
Erik
Henry
Sebastian
Karl
Mark

Loads anything with a hard sound ie Erik/c will be Germanic anyway.

Mesmeri · 01/12/2018 13:23

Simon
Peter
Gregor
Robert
Patrick

Icklepup · 01/12/2018 13:18

Dominic
Florian

MadHouseUpNorth · 01/12/2018 11:44

Adam

Branleuse · 01/12/2018 11:39

Helmut

Winterwonderland12 · 01/12/2018 11:36

Hmm not sure Sam sounds great in German actually...

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