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Baby names

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

Original poster

Genevieve or Anoushka

60 replies

Whatareyoutalkingabout · 21/05/2019 06:25

Which do you prefer and why?

We love Genevieve and had settled on it but we have Indian background and thought it might be nice to use a name with Indian heritage, but the only one I like is Anoushka and I'm worried the name is vaguely ridiculous in the UK - must admit that even to me it conjures up images of a fabulous eccentric elderly woman who used to work in showbiz and now wears one of those cool old-showbiz-lady turbans and long silk cardigans etc. You know? Who calls everyone dahling and smokes cigarettes from a long cigarette holder.

Also like Lorelei, but again, don't think it tops Genevieve. (I know a Lorelei is a siren who lures men to their doom but I quite like that about the name).

Nickname wise we like Eve or Vivi for Genevieve, Annie for Anoushka (DH likes Anu, I guess is how you'd spell it, which is the Indian nickname (or at least the nickname for this name in his part of India). I can't say properly because of my accent but which sounds a little like An-oo. I'd stick with Annie due to loving it and not being able to properly pronounce the alternative!) I like both Rory and Lorie for Lorelei.

Any thoughts?

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Eh1112 · 22/05/2019 15:52

My eldest is Genevieve and we have had so many lovely comments about her name. No one yet has struggled to pronounce it and my daughter seems to like her name too. We haven't shortened it yet, she's very much a Genevieve. Good luck - choosing names its hard work!

Autumnsloth · 22/05/2019 15:39

Love both, with a slight preference for Genevieve - it was on my list too had this child been a girl. Like 'Anouk' as a nickname for Anoushka.

codenameduchess · 22/05/2019 15:32

I like anoushka, it's got a good feel to it 😀 you could easily shorten to Annie or Anna rather than Noush.
I also love Lorelei - but based entirely on the Gilmore girls. I'm working on persuading dh he likes it in case the bun currently baking is a girl!

elephantmarch · 22/05/2019 15:05

I think Genevieve is beautiful but other people tend to create their own nicknames for people so Genevieve might be Gen and Annoushka , nush by default. If they did get called this, which would you prefer?

TatianaLarina · 22/05/2019 11:35

Love Anoushka.

Never liked Genevieve and I think it’s quite dated. It’s all very well saying you could call her Eve or Vivi but her friends will call her what they choose and that will probably be Gen/Genny.

Works much better in French.

Cookit · 22/05/2019 08:17

I love the name Anoushka, I’d feel weird using it myself as it is either Indian or Russian and I don’t have either heritage but at one point I did seriously consider adding it to my list! I find Anouk (sp?) which I think is Dutch has a similar feel.

yabadaboo · 22/05/2019 08:14

That's my name! I used to hate when people asked to call me Annie GrinConfused

Purplelavenders · 22/05/2019 07:18

If you prefer the Janna veev pronunciations, have you considered the name Jenna?

KickAssAngel · 22/05/2019 01:52

If you like the nickname Anu/Annie, are there any other Indian names that can be shortened to that? I've taught some "Anu"s who had longer names. That would avoid the 'noush' bit.

I think your BFF should be more forgiving of Zhen-ev-ee-èv. There are many French accents and different countries that speak French could say it quite differently. I love the French name, and always feel a bit let down by the English version, as if there's something missing.

diddlediddle · 22/05/2019 01:42

Both lovely. I think you could definitely avoid Gen/Genny for Genevieve because Vivi etc are also natural shortenings. However I think it might be harder to avoid noush for anoushka because it really does seem the most natural thing to say. Still, if you push for Annie and always correct people then it's possible. Just wait and see what she looks like - I think the names are sufficiently different that it will be obvious either way Smile

Original poster
Whatareyoutalkingabout · 22/05/2019 00:59

Ooh so difficult! Such mixed reviews - i can't decide between the two and it seems like Mumsnet can't either! Haha.

As for the Genevieve pronounciation, I'd pronounce it Jenna-veev. I too have only heard it pronounced this way in the UK. I'm aware the French pronounciation has more syllables but as I mentioned before, my pronounciation of the French version has been judged and found wanting by my French BFF Grin

Teddybear45 - we don't like any family names (and it would probably cause WW3 if we used just one person's name... They'd ask us to put them all in! Grin and they're all names which dont work at all well outside of India (very long or very difficult to say etc). We don't live in India so I don't mind that it's popular there. I did actually like Asha - it was the only other name I could find that I liked - but DH said he knows too many people with that name and dismissed it Sad

The biggest problem I have with Anoushka is that I really don't like the nickname 'Noush'

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 22/05/2019 00:46

Genevieve is gorgeous, classy & elegant. Anoushka has none of those qualities, IMO.

Shadow1234 · 21/05/2019 23:01

Genevieve is beautiful
Not keen on Anoushka

number1wang · 21/05/2019 22:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ElloBrian · 21/05/2019 20:39

BOTH ! first name middle name.

NeverPutAWetFootInABirkenstock · 21/05/2019 20:28

I love Anoushka. Pearl for one of the middle names?

floraloctopus · 21/05/2019 20:25

Anoushka is a lovely name, I know a 10 year old Anoushka and she's brilliant (and not mine)

fluffyblankets · 21/05/2019 20:20

deffo Genevieve. so so pretty and has lovely nickname possibilites.

MumUndone · 21/05/2019 20:19

I absolutely love both names and have known both. The Anoushka I went to school with had the nickname 'Noush' but am I correct in thinking that one of the nicknames is Anouk? Like in the book Chocolat by Joanne Harris? Or maybe that's a name in its own right.

MarieToulouseBerlioz · 21/05/2019 20:12

I prefer Genevieve, I think its beautiful!

As above I think of Anoushka as being russian/eastern European rather than Indian :)

paintwater · 21/05/2019 20:06

Purplelavenders ahh I think I can ‘hear’ that, I’ve only ever seen people writing how it’s said in French and obviously peoples spelling interpretations of how it’s pronounced vary iyswim

Teddybear45 · 21/05/2019 19:58

Jaanvhee could be a take on Genevieve. It’s another name for the Ganges river. Not as common outside India as Anoushka is, but has more meaning probably in terms of Indian culture.

MumUnderTheMoon · 21/05/2019 19:24

I think they're both lovely Anoushka is possibly slightly "posh" sounding so it's up to you to decide if that also means pretentious I'm not sure I think so.
It's a lovely idea to honour your Indian heritage other names that I think would work in multiple countries would be ; Kalinda, Asha and Dhara.

daisypond · 21/05/2019 17:37

Well I never. I’ve had it wrong in my head all this time. Never had to use it in real life.

Purplelavenders · 21/05/2019 17:35

/ʒə.nə.vjɛv/

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