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Baby names

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

Original poster

Thoughts on our shortlist for a girl

31 replies

BillieBlack · 08/12/2020 22:48

Not sure which is my favourite. In no particular order...

Margot
Clementine
Odette
Matilda
Etholle
Frederica

We have a French surname. And if I like these names do you have any other suggestions?

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copperoliver · 09/12/2020 13:47

Clementine
Matilda. X

Alwaystrappedunderababy · 09/12/2020 10:09

I LOVE Odette, such a beautiful name.

formerbabe · 09/12/2020 10:09

I like Clementine, Frederica and Odette.

Matilda is too popular now imo.

How about

Delphine
Celine/Selene
Claudette

NameChange30 · 09/12/2020 10:06

I have lots of French family and friends and I've never heard of "Etholle". As a French speaker I would pronounce it "Et-oll" (to rhyme with dettol Hmm). If you want to pronounce it "Et-oll-ee" then surely it would be spelt "Ethollie"? But it just seems like a strange name to me and not the prettiest.

Frederica sounds more Italian.

If you are British and live in the U.K. I would choose a name that works in English. FWIW my favourite from your list is Clementine.

WildCherryBlossom · 09/12/2020 09:59

I saw a PP suggested Odile. It is pretty in French. However I knew one in the UK who was quite a strong personality. She was unanimously referred to as "Ordeal".

WildCherryBlossom · 09/12/2020 09:56

I like Margot and Matilda. How about Celeste (if you can get away from the Babar connection). It's really pretty. Or Madeleine?

lottiegarbanzo · 09/12/2020 09:14

Oh I love Sylvie and Mireille too. How about Aurelie?

lottiegarbanzo · 09/12/2020 09:11

I like your first four, though Matilda / Tilly is very, very popular. Mathilde is nice.

Odette is probably my favourite. It's unusual but recognisable (I think of the WWII spy, on which theme, how about Violette?), easy to pronounce and spell.

Margot is lovely. Grown-up but actually quite cute too. I think it's becoming fashionable within the same population niche that has favoured Ottilie and Beatrice over the last ten years.

Etholle looks like Ethel. I think Brits would commonly mispronounce that.

Frederica, hmm. Fred-er-REEK-a. Reek = smell. That may just be me. I like Freda / Frida.

I really like Camille.

riotlady · 09/12/2020 08:46

All lovely except Etholle- if you live in the UK I think most people would assume it’s pronounced eth-ole

MagicSummer · 09/12/2020 08:41

Love Margot, Clementine and Frederica.
Ottilie is awful - sounds like a women's complaint!
If you want something a bit French sounding, how about Sandrine, Sylvie, Gabrielle or Mireille?

Katgolde · 09/12/2020 08:39

Clementine is my favourite.

Marguerite
Cosette
Manon
Claudia
Stella
Emma
Agnes
Josephine
Cecile
Sabine
Aurelia
Louise
Claire
Sylvia
Marianne
Lucia
Victoria
Leonie
Sophie

Bruce2 · 09/12/2020 08:37

Margot is my favourite
Love that name.

CosyQueen · 09/12/2020 08:34

Odette is my favourite, followed by Margot.

elfran · 09/12/2020 08:15

Clementine, Margot and Matilda are all lovely, but Frederica stands out to me as the most unusual and beautiful. I've never met one irl and would be charmed to meet a little girl with this name.

Like a pp suggested, I'd also consider Mathilde as fitting in a bit better with the others / your French surname, and being a bit of a twist on Matilda, which is currently quite popular.

Nell96 · 09/12/2020 08:01

Clementine and Matilda are quite nice. Not sure about the others. You may also like Camille, Coralie and Elodie.

user1493494961 · 09/12/2020 08:01

Love Clementine or Matilda.

RoughWinds · 09/12/2020 07:58

Just throwing Juliette into the mix Smile

PlantPotting · 09/12/2020 07:56

Love Margot Matilda Clementine and Ottilie ❤️
Not keen on others

Peachbubble · 09/12/2020 07:48

Lovely list of names. I like Clementine, Margot and Matilda best and I'm quite drawn to Etholle even though I've not come across it before. I guessed at the pronunciation (same as you've said). When I saw it on your list, it reminded me of Etoile (star).

Nordman · 08/12/2020 23:36

Etholle - never heard this name before but it sounds beautiful! And I pronounced it in my head the way you describe it in your update comment. Otherwise, I really like Margot too. The others on your list not to my choice but they are all perfectly fine names.

mrshonda · 08/12/2020 23:35

Odette is lovely. I also like Violette (have a friend with that name)

DramaAlpaca · 08/12/2020 23:13

Clementine and Matilda are lovely.

I'm not keen on the rest.

Mathilde would be a nice alternative to Matilda. I prefer Odile to Odette.

Original poster
BillieBlack · 08/12/2020 23:13

Yes, Ottilie is beautiful - I shall add to my list.
Etholle is pronounced et-olly, so quite similar to Ottilie. Perhaps Etholle would be too hard for people to pronounce?

OP posts:
MandalaYogaTapestry · 08/12/2020 23:11

Clementine or Frederica

emilybrontescorsett · 08/12/2020 23:09

I like Odette.