English/French baby names (living in France)

Neelym11 · 2024-03-30T16:25:50+00:00

Looking for some ideas, feedback and inspiration please! My husband and I are really struggling to agree on a name which works in both English and French. I’m British, he’s French and we’ll be moving permanently to France in a couple of months. Our son is Arthur which works perfectly in the UK and in France and I don’t mind the difference in pronunciation. Any suggestions / feedback on the below names would be greatly appreciated. - Charlotte (husbands favourite but super popular?) - Sylvie (my favourite but apparently very old fashioned in France) - Margot - Sophie - Florence - Louis (husband’s favourite after his grandfather.. but again very poplar?) - Valentin (my favourite, difficult for English to pronounce?) - Théo - Rémy - Raphaël * our surname begins with M if that makes a difference! X

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

CarolynCox · 02/04/2024 23:15

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 31/03/2024 23:47

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 23:11

I know a male Laurent in France. He is early 40’s.

Show quote history

Yes, Laurent is a male name. Fairly common in that sort of age group.

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 23:13

What about Guy ( a guy called Ghee; a ghee called Guy and all that…) ?

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 23:11

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 31/03/2024 18:08

This.

Even Laura isn't that common these days but it's by far the most modern.

Laurence is like the opposite of Jean; a boy's name in the UK and a girl's name in France.

I actually love Laurence for a girl, but sadly it is quite dated.

Show quote history

I know a male Laurent in France. He is early 40’s.

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 23:02

Beasmum4 · 31/03/2024 22:52

I really love this name. I wonder how it’d be received by French people…

Show quote history

I think it’s a bit like Henry in English: a bit staid and unadventurous but not a problem.
There is also Edouard. I know two Edouards age eleven and under in France, though personally I prefer the English spelling Edward which could work in French. It also goes well with Arthur.

Beasmum4 · 31/03/2024 22:52

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 22:43

Yep seconding Henri.

Show quote history

I really love this name. I wonder how it’d be received by French people…

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 31/03/2024 22:44

SophiaRose35 · 31/03/2024 22:29

A good friend of mine and DH is called Henri and his family is french, his name is pronounced Henry (not the french way of saying) I think that name would definitely work with Arthur. Charlotte isn't a popular name now though. Florence is a beautiful name that would be my choice.

Charlotte is in the top 50 in France right now so not one of the most popular but definitely popular, especially compared to names like Florence or Isabelle which are popular in the UK but out of fashion in France.

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 22:43

SophiaRose35 · 31/03/2024 22:29

A good friend of mine and DH is called Henri and his family is french, his name is pronounced Henry (not the french way of saying) I think that name would definitely work with Arthur. Charlotte isn't a popular name now though. Florence is a beautiful name that would be my choice.

Yep seconding Henri.

SophiaRose35 · 31/03/2024 22:29

A good friend of mine and DH is called Henri and his family is french, his name is pronounced Henry (not the french way of saying) I think that name would definitely work with Arthur. Charlotte isn't a popular name now though. Florence is a beautiful name that would be my choice.

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 21:19

Winnipeggy · 31/03/2024 20:54

I have friends who are a French/English couple and they have a boy called Lucien which I've always loved. Might work if you love Louis but think it's too popular

Oh that’s a good call/ it works really well in both French and English I think.

Winnipeggy · 31/03/2024 20:54

I have friends who are a French/English couple and they have a boy called Lucien which I've always loved. Might work if you love Louis but think it's too popular

pinkhousesarebest · 31/03/2024 20:52

Actually my next door neighbour ( aged 12) is a male Laurence. No idea why - the other dc have nice bourgeois names 😉

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 31/03/2024 20:06

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 31/03/2024 18:13

The French are weird actually as I know a female Laurence who lives in France. (Her mum is French and dad is English).

Edited

Show quote history

Laurence is 100% a female name in France. It doesn't exist as a male name.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 31/03/2024 19:01

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 31/03/2024 19:00

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 18:25

There really are some grumpy trapdoor spiders on MN!

Show quote history

You should come to the Accident post then.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 31/03/2024 18:59

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

DuchessOfSausage · 31/03/2024 18:48

@MissScarletInTheBallroom , top 15 girls' names includes
Jade, Louise, Emma, Alice, Anna, Julia, Chloé. It looks like a 1980s shortlist.

NameChange30 · 31/03/2024 18:27

I think that post proved my earlier point quite nicely.

My only knowledge of this name is based on something my French teacher told me 40 years ago so I'm going to share this piercing insight and then get defensive and sweary if someone corrects me!

Calliopespa · 31/03/2024 18:25

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 31/03/2024 18:05

My apologies it’s Laure. I was told by my French teacher back in the 80s that there was no such name as Laura in France. That may have changed since then. I have no idea. The only French people I know in France are the neighbours and locals where my parents have a holiday home. I certainly don’t keep track of the grandkids names.

I think both me and a pp used Jean.

Most of the more traditional French names I put have been used in the past 5-15 years for children in France (friends). There still seems to be a trend for some to prefer traditional names.

And calm the fuck down, you sound like you’ve eaten too much chocolate and have a sugar high.

Edited

Show quote history

There really are some grumpy trapdoor spiders on MN!

NameChange30 · 31/03/2024 18:22

I find a lot of French boys' names sounds feminine to an English ear, so there were some names I ruled out for that reason.

The French pronunciations of Daniel and Gabriel, for example, sound like Danielle and Gabrielle. More examples: Maël, Jules and Sacha, all lovely names in the French top 10 boys' names, but likely to be assumed to be girls in the UK.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 31/03/2024 18:13

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 31/03/2024 18:08

This.

Even Laura isn't that common these days but it's by far the most modern.

Laurence is like the opposite of Jean; a boy's name in the UK and a girl's name in France.

I actually love Laurence for a girl, but sadly it is quite dated.

Show quote history

The French are weird actually as I know a female Laurence who lives in France. (Her mum is French and dad is English).

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 31/03/2024 18:08

NameChange30 · 31/03/2024 18:02

Jean is not "interchangeable" at all; it's a boy's name in French and a girl's name in English.

The name Laura exists in France; it was popular in the 90s and is still considerably more popular than Laure, which has declined rapidly in popularity since around 1990. "Laur" does not exist.

Show quote history

This.

Even Laura isn't that common these days but it's by far the most modern.

Laurence is like the opposite of Jean; a boy's name in the UK and a girl's name in France.

I actually love Laurence for a girl, but sadly it is quite dated.

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 31/03/2024 18:05

NameChange30 · 31/03/2024 18:02

Jean is not "interchangeable" at all; it's a boy's name in French and a girl's name in English.

The name Laura exists in France; it was popular in the 90s and is still considerably more popular than Laure, which has declined rapidly in popularity since around 1990. "Laur" does not exist.

Show quote history

My apologies it’s Laure. I was told by my French teacher back in the 80s that there was no such name as Laura in France. That may have changed since then. I have no idea. The only French people I know in France are the neighbours and locals where my parents have a holiday home. I certainly don’t keep track of the grandkids names.

I think both me and a pp used Jean.

Most of the more traditional French names I put have been used in the past 5-15 years for children in France (friends). There still seems to be a trend for some to prefer traditional names.

And calm the fuck down, you sound like you’ve eaten too much chocolate and have a sugar high.

NameChange30 · 31/03/2024 18:02

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 31/03/2024 17:38

French friend with British DH has:

Camille and Jules which I both like.

Another friend with British ex DH has:

Juliette

For girls I like:-

Chantal
Mimi
Pascale
Emmanuelle
Estelle (French NDN DH and American wife named their DD this)
Elodie
Amelie
Faustine
Monique
Delphine

(I do like some of the more classically French girls names as you can see).

boys:-

Thierry
Remy
Arsene
Felix
Jean
Patrice
Xavier
Yannick

I think all the above are fairly interchangeable countrywise.

Laur is the French for Laura (I only recall this because a friend in my French class was called this when we had French names.

Edited

Jean is not "interchangeable" at all; it's a boy's name in French and a girl's name in English.

The name Laura exists in France; it was popular in the 90s and is still considerably more popular than Laure, which has declined rapidly in popularity since around 1990. "Laur" does not exist.

caringcarer · 31/03/2024 17:39

Madelaine
Chantelle
Lisette
Amelie
Helena