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Baby names

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Original poster

Help French boys name!

188 replies

wildswimmer20 · 09/05/2023 17:22

Pregnant with no. 2, hubbie is French but we live in the UK. 1st child has an unusual Celtic name and this time would like to choose a French name but struggling! Needs to be fairly easy to say/spell in both languages. Wouldn’t probably go for a very traditional French name.

Top choice at the moment is Artus, like the nicknames Art and Artie. Would be pronounced quite differently in French and English, does it sound ok in English?

Other options -
Léon
Sylvain
Mathis / Matisse
Malo

Open to suggestion!

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FayCarew · 11/05/2023 20:42

Artus sounds quite different in French to Artus in an english accent.
Arthur does too.

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 20:08

--- throaty thing

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 20:08

SunnyFog · 11/05/2023 19:41

Is Artus pronounced like R2D2?

Sort of, the 'r' involves the throat, so arrrhtoos, (rhymes with 'loose', 'goose', etc) but not to overdo the throaty think (just a little hint of it is fine). That sound is very hard for many English speakers to master. I reckon many will say 'Artus' like they say 'Marcus'.

SunnyFog · 11/05/2023 19:41

Is Artus pronounced like R2D2?

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 18:46

Peppermaynt · 11/05/2023 18:13

It's actually one of the only names on the list that I'd expect pronounced similarly.

Show quote history

Depends how 'similar' you are prepared to accept. The 'r' sounded right (dans la gorge)? The 'u' vowel?

NameChange30 · 11/05/2023 18:26

checktoolate · 11/05/2023 18:08

@NameChange30

»le petit Alain est attendu près de la caisse centrale par sa maman »

just sounds so weird and dated !

Yep!

According to this article, the average age of men/boys called Alain is 67.

I mean, if you love the name, go for it anyway, but I'm not a fan.

Help French boys name!
Peppermaynt · 11/05/2023 18:13

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 17:19

Artus is a brilliant name, but don't expect les rosbifs to pronounce it exactly as it should be!

Show quote history

It's actually one of the only names on the list that I'd expect pronounced similarly.

Peppermaynt · 11/05/2023 18:12

Léon! 😍Absolutely LOVE that one

checktoolate · 11/05/2023 18:08

@NameChange30

»le petit Alain est attendu près de la caisse centrale par sa maman »

just sounds so weird and dated !

NameChange30 · 11/05/2023 17:30

Oh look, another Alain Grin

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 17:19

wildswimmer20 · 09/05/2023 17:22

Pregnant with no. 2, hubbie is French but we live in the UK. 1st child has an unusual Celtic name and this time would like to choose a French name but struggling! Needs to be fairly easy to say/spell in both languages. Wouldn’t probably go for a very traditional French name.

Top choice at the moment is Artus, like the nicknames Art and Artie. Would be pronounced quite differently in French and English, does it sound ok in English?

Other options -
Léon
Sylvain
Mathis / Matisse
Malo

Open to suggestion!

Artus is a brilliant name, but don't expect les rosbifs to pronounce it exactly as it should be!

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 17:18

Cédric, Fabrice, Blaise, Alain, Hippolyte.

tourdefrance · 11/05/2023 16:54

Love Manu Chao @CharlottenBerg

Ldougal92 · 11/05/2023 13:36

I love Thibault x

FayCarew · 11/05/2023 13:27

@CharlottenBerg , the two names have different origins. I think they fitted the fashion for names in the mid 20th century (Darren, Karen, Sharon, Aaron, Gary, Barry, Terry, Kerry, ...)

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 13:09

FayCarew · 11/05/2023 11:01

@CharlottenBerg , Me too. I prefer the sort of names in your list to the currently popular names.

I think Darren and Gary are nice names but they fell out of fashion, probably because they were overused. I know an awful lot of Gareths and they're all about 60.

To me, Gary is the shortened form of Gareth, and to call a child that would be as inappropriate as calling him 'Jim' or 'Bill', but I know people do that sort of thing nowadays.

Lessstressedhemum · 11/05/2023 12:41

Maël
Eden
Mattéo

puttingontheritz · 11/05/2023 11:35

I agree about Manu, I know a few and we haven't stopped calling them that with the advent of Macron, to be honest, it's not even a name I associate with him. I don't particularly like the name myself, but the president isn't a reason not to use it if you love it.

FayCarew · 11/05/2023 11:26

@CharlottenBerg , I've thought of one. I work with an Ian who is about 30. The name makes me think of someone about 60.

FayCarew · 11/05/2023 11:01

@CharlottenBerg , Me too. I prefer the sort of names in your list to the currently popular names.

I think Darren and Gary are nice names but they fell out of fashion, probably because they were overused. I know an awful lot of Gareths and they're all about 60.

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 10:54

But you're right, not Darren or Gary (where did Gareth vanish to?).

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 10:53

FayCarew · 11/05/2023 10:48

I think Beryl is due a comeback, but many parents don't want their child to not fit in.

I think some of the names suggested are sort of Darren or Gary names. Would you name your baby son Darren or Gary? Probably not - you'd choose something a bit fresher, and would probably pick a name that turned out to be more popular than you expected like Arlo or something.

I don't have anything against Darren or Gary, just know a lot of them.

Personally, I'm OK with 'old-fashioned' names e.g. the 12 apostles, saints, etc. You know, like George, John, Peter, Mary, Helen, Sarah, etc. DP and I were not keen on 'modern' names. Our kids have not suffered at all, not even Patrick ('Pat' to his mates).

FayCarew · 11/05/2023 10:48

I think Beryl is due a comeback, but many parents don't want their child to not fit in.

I think some of the names suggested are sort of Darren or Gary names. Would you name your baby son Darren or Gary? Probably not - you'd choose something a bit fresher, and would probably pick a name that turned out to be more popular than you expected like Arlo or something.

I don't have anything against Darren or Gary, just know a lot of them.

CharlottenBerg · 11/05/2023 10:42

FayCarew · 11/05/2023 10:38

@CharlottenBerg , I like Manu Chao too.

Why are people so obsessed with 'fashion'???
Because they don't want their daughter to be the equivalent of Beryl in a class full of Lilys and Evies

Are conformity and hive-mindedness such good things, really?

FayCarew · 11/05/2023 10:38

@CharlottenBerg , I like Manu Chao too.

Why are people so obsessed with 'fashion'???
Because they don't want their daughter to be the equivalent of Beryl in a class full of Lilys and Evies