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Baby names

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

Original poster

Is Amélie too similar to Amelia?

39 replies

Purplepricklesalloverhisback · 20/02/2019 03:54

DN is an Amelia, we are very close and she grew up with us.

I love the name Amélie which although pronounced very different to Amelia looks the same on paper.

Would you think it weird to call DD this given my nieces name?

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TortoiseLettuce · 20/02/2019 11:23

Call your child whatever you want. I have a number of cousins with my granddad’s name. We call them Big Stewart, Little Stewart, Baby Stewart, etc.

RageAgainstTheVendingMachine · 20/02/2019 11:21

Aurelie? (accent on first e?)
Aurelia?

Means golden. I love the name.

MikeUniformMike · 20/02/2019 11:19

I don't like Amelie, although it is nice in a French accent. It will be pronounced Ammerly in the UK.
If you want to use it, then do.
Not many would consider it strange if there were 2 cousins called Sean and Ian.

Original poster
Purplepricklesalloverhisback · 20/02/2019 07:52

DN is now 14 and doesn’t stay with us much anymore. She wouldn’t mind the name choice.

OP posts:
FinallyHere · 20/02/2019 06:48

Its fine by me, I would run it past your DN saying that you would like the baby to have their own version of DN's name, win win.

ThriftyMcThrifty · 20/02/2019 06:30

It’s basically the same name, and although you pronounce them differently, many would pronounce them much more similarly. However if that’s a name you both love, then I would just run it past your niece first and see what she thinks. She’s the only one I would worry about upsetting. I have a lot of sympathy as my favorite boys name was used by my sil, and her son goes by his middle name. However we’ve decided not to use it.

canberramum · 20/02/2019 05:49

If they were siblings then I'd say it's too similar but I think it's fine for cousins.

Threenanger · 20/02/2019 05:44

Actually don’t ask, do what you want!

Threenanger · 20/02/2019 05:43

I think ask the parents first. If they are fine with it then go ahead. I agree they sound different. If not Amelie then what about Emily?

Pythonesque · 20/02/2019 04:51

What is the age gap, how much contact will they have, and can you ask your niece what she thinks?

I have the same name - bar a single letter to at least make it different - as a cousin. But she was more than 7 years older than me, and we lived in different countries. There were good reasons to choose the name and it has never been any problem. Plus, I was called by the long form, sometimes shortened in one way, when my cousin was usually shortened a different way.

I would say that in your situation, the cousins sound to be likely to have more contact, but I suspect the age gap is sufficient that your niece could enjoy your baby being called "after her" if she prefers to see it that way! I think the two names are different enough. You can also think about shortenings - even if you usually use the full form, you can actively avoid the most similar shortenings. So if your niece sometimes gets called Amy, avoid that by considering Mellie. But if your niece gets "Melia" then your baby could be Amy/ "Ammie" as a contrast (if and only if shortening is wanted or inevitable!).

mathanxiety · 20/02/2019 04:32

Amélie is the French for Amelia.
The cousins would have basically the same name.

It would be like calling one Margaret and the other Marguerite.

There are literally thousands of other options.

Original poster
Purplepricklesalloverhisback · 20/02/2019 04:12

@Dryheave I think the pronunciation is quite different

We say Amelia as Uh-me-lia
Amélie would be Am-e-lee

Not many other options and baby due in 4 weeks. I like Iris but DH doesn’t. He likes Phoebe which I don’t love but could tolerate.

OP posts:
DryHeave · 20/02/2019 04:07

It’s not even pronounced very differently!

Leyani · 20/02/2019 04:05

To be honest, yes I’d say it’s really quite similar. Do you have any other options you like (almost) as much?