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Baby names

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

Original poster

French Girls names that work here

56 replies

RoseApp · 05/07/2024 15:19

My friend really liked Raphaelle for a girl but has received some negative comments over here. What names might work well in France and the UK at the moment.

i know an Elodie, Elyse and a Sylvie but they are older. I suggested Manon as it works well in French and Welsh 🤣

i still think she should go with Raphaelle if she likes it but any other suggestions?

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ZiggyZowie · 19/07/2024 00:15

Antoinette
Bernadette
Celine
Estelle
Fifi
Giselle
Helene
Juliette
Monique
Odette
Simone
Therese
Yvette

beginwoooo · 19/07/2024 00:10

Have a look at current name chart in France so you don't go for something that sounds nice here but super dated there (like Delphine apparently) nameberry.com/popular-names/france

KirstenBlest · 15/07/2024 20:16

It was probably just a fluke but it was the most duplicated name. That's for the whole tiny primary school.
Quite a few names were duplicated, but they weren't necessarily the ones you'd expect.
Some of them were generally quite unusual but popular locally, and some very popular names didn't appear on the register.

Add to that, people I've met over the years, and children of my contemporaries, the cumulative effect is that I know lots of them.

I think I'd put Manon in the same bracket as Ffion. Nice enough but I know too many to use it. It doesn't seem badly dated or fresh.

If you like the name, it doesn't really matter what I think or how many I know, or if it's dated.

The name grows to suit the person.

gwdihwfach29 · 15/07/2024 19:42

Oh that’s interesting. Complete opposite to my experience. Not one in the primary and senior school where I lived but an abundance of the more well known and popular girls names.

KirstenBlest · 15/07/2024 18:43

I know loads of them @gwdihwfach29 , so it seems ordinary. I wouldn't say it was overused but the ones I know were never the only one in a group.
There were more Manons than Rhian, Carys, Sian, Bethan, Sarah or Delyths at primary school.

gwdihwfach29 · 15/07/2024 18:23

I beg to differ. Manon is a beautiful name, certainly not ordinary and not overly used in Wales.

Original poster
RoseApp · 08/07/2024 17:01

KirstenBlest · 06/07/2024 11:02

I'm not sure how that would sound. I read it as Clay-manss.
I'd say it as something like Clay-monss (ish)

It doesn't matter how many posters say 'you only have to correct someone once' or 'they could learn', IMO you'd have to put up with it not sounding right to you a lot.

Clemency is OK.

Show quote history

Yes I find it difficult to phonetically get things over but I would pronounce it like you

OP posts:
user1492757084 · 08/07/2024 15:57

Gabriella

Oome · 07/07/2024 15:37

Francoise/Francine
Claire
Therese
Stephanie
Amelie
Florence
Anna
Vivienne
Genevieve

Hannahspeltbackwards · 07/07/2024 15:32

HowIrresponsible · 05/07/2024 18:09

Clemence

Please don't no one will be able to say it.

Yvonne
Yvette
Cecile
Émilie
Annette
Marie

The Dionne quints plus one?
I recently read their story.

HungryLittleCrocodile · 06/07/2024 22:02

Some nice French girls names here, but Raphaelle? No. Reminds me of the ninja turtles. SO many more nice French names you could have @RoseApp

sciencemama · 06/07/2024 21:51

Rochelle
Delphine
Sophia
Celeste
Lucille

Gymmum82 · 06/07/2024 21:25

Coralie

HcbSS · 06/07/2024 21:22

I love all of these. French names are beautiful

MrsCeecee · 06/07/2024 21:21

Celeste is gorgeous! I like Manon and Josette too. Amelie nice but quite common now.

RhetoricalRectangle · 06/07/2024 11:59

I think French names are having a real "moment" in the UK at the moment.

There's something interesting about them and many are pretty but not weak.

I love Amélie, Esmée, Margaux, Manon, Juliette, Celeste, Chloe and Camille.

Stripesandchecks543 · 06/07/2024 11:08

I really like the suggestion of Constance

In response to a pp, does it matter if the names are not pronounced exactly the same in each language? I thought that was a given. Most of them are pronounced with slightly different inflections.

Surely it’s more important that each name in itself works well in both French and English?

KirstenBlest · 06/07/2024 11:02

RoseApp · 05/07/2024 19:57

I would pronounce it Claymance but I’m guessing you mean they would pronounce it with a shorter last syllable

Show quote history

I'm not sure how that would sound. I read it as Clay-manss.
I'd say it as something like Clay-monss (ish)

It doesn't matter how many posters say 'you only have to correct someone once' or 'they could learn', IMO you'd have to put up with it not sounding right to you a lot.

Clemency is OK.

KirstenBlest · 06/07/2024 10:55

@ginasevern , once you've heard Rapha-YELL shouted across the grotty cheapo supermarket by the trading estate, you can't unhear it.

Manon is very popular in Wales and although it is nice, it's ordinary.

StormingNorman · 05/07/2024 20:23

Alexandre
Louise
Sophie

WayDownThere · 05/07/2024 20:20

I'm biased towards Welsh names, Nia which is pronounced Nee-ah, and Seren would work well in France too.

TheKoalaWhoCould · 05/07/2024 20:16

Emilie
Chloe
Cecile
Clara
Matilde
Josephine
Adeline
Melissa
Laura
Florence

Notateacheranymore · 05/07/2024 20:09

What about Vivienne?

That’s what I am but a child today won’t suffer the difficulty I did being brought up in the 80’s with the male Vyvyan in The Young Ones. Industrial NW England didn’t know Vivienne Westwood or even Vivien Leigh. So, I must have had a boys’ name!!!!

Amonthinthecountry · 05/07/2024 20:03

Odette

Original poster
RoseApp · 05/07/2024 19:57

HowIrresponsible · 05/07/2024 18:09

Clemence

Please don't no one will be able to say it.

Yvonne
Yvette
Cecile
Émilie
Annette
Marie

I would pronounce it Claymance but I’m guessing you mean they would pronounce it with a shorter last syllable

OP posts: