Page 16 | Our name choices don’t seem very liked

Fritesky · 2025-10-18T17:45:27+00:00

DH and I have just had our twin baby girls, they are 3 weeks old and we have named them Gigi and Lola. We love their names and put a lot of time into picking them. We are a Anglo-Franco-Italian family so tried really hard to pick names that everyone would be a fan of. Since then we’ve told family, friends etc. our babies names and got lots of “oh are the nicknames” and “oh that’s interesting”, which I guess just makes me feel really crappy. We haven’t registered the girls yet so we could change the names, but I’m not sure if I want to. Their full names are Gigi Apolline and Lola Gabrielle. What are your thoughts?

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Readyforslippers · 18/10/2025 20:46

Lola is sweet, but to me a gigi is a nickname for a horse.

BluntPlumHam · 18/10/2025 20:45

Chewbecca · 18/10/2025 19:27

I prefer Apolline and Gabrielle are 'classier' and more elegant.

Lola and Gigi sound like party / dancing girls.

Yes agree. Could you call them Poppy and Gabby for short?

PortSalutPlease · 18/10/2025 20:43

Honestly when they are combined I do think sex worker, because of Gigi the courtesan and Lola the showgirl. Sorry 😬

BunnyLake · 18/10/2025 20:43

Pigeon123456 · 18/10/2025 18:56

Honestly, and only since you asked, they sound like dogs’ names to me.

That was my immediate thought (two toy poodles wearing bows in their hair).

The names are nice as nicknames but I would give them longer more sophisticated names they can shorten them to, and lengthen when they are adult women. Even Gigi Hadid isn’t really Gigi.

BluntPlumHam · 18/10/2025 20:43

FrodoBiggins · 18/10/2025 20:19

She asked for opinions on the name though.

Sorry but I had the same impression - porn or strippers or drag queens. They're both very unserious names imo. Perhaps it's my age but I wouldn't want to be applying for eg Anglophone medical school or a law firm with either name. If they want to be artists or something then all fun.

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It’s not your age, just as much younger sibling in her early 20s and she said Gigi is okayish on its own but needs to be short for something otherwise unserious - makes you think Gigi Hadid. Lola just reminds her of a child who was abused due to the book. Together Gigi and Lola just makes you think of women of the night or dancers etc the names have been used through out film and literature hence the connotation.

Op the middle names would be better as first names.

thecatfromneptune · 18/10/2025 20:40

Chewbecca · 18/10/2025 19:27

I prefer Apolline and Gabrielle are 'classier' and more elegant.

Lola and Gigi sound like party / dancing girls.

This from me I’m afraid — I love Apolline and like Gabrielle, but, like a pp, Gigi and Lola sound very Moulin Rouge to me — the film Gigi is about a girl being brought up to be a high class courtesan/prostitute and Lola/Dolores is the name of the titular character in Lolita and also the Kinks’ song Lola, about a casual sexual encounter with a showgirl/gender-ambiguous person in a SoHo bar.

TheBlueHotel · 18/10/2025 20:39

Apolline and Gabrielle are fab names. Gigi and Lola are definitely on the eurotrashier end of the naming spectrum- sorry. Any chance you might swap the names around?

BluntPlumHam · 18/10/2025 20:37

BreadstickBurglar · 18/10/2025 18:52

Ok being brutally honest I wonder if Gigi and Lola have a bit of a… well an air about them. My immediate connotations are Gigi the film about a child (future) prostitute, and Lolita the book about an abused teenager. The combination of the two kind of strengthens the association. It’s a real shame because I love the names and individually I wouldn’t be thinking of those characters.

This. Sorry.

TippityTappity · 18/10/2025 20:34

I think they’re lovely names. Really cute and feminine. Congratulations 🥂

Tralalalama · 18/10/2025 20:33

BreadstickBurglar · 18/10/2025 18:52

Ok being brutally honest I wonder if Gigi and Lola have a bit of a… well an air about them. My immediate connotations are Gigi the film about a child (future) prostitute, and Lolita the book about an abused teenager. The combination of the two kind of strengthens the association. It’s a real shame because I love the names and individually I wouldn’t be thinking of those characters.

Yes this puts it well, I couldn’t quite explain myself but I agree

CopperWhite · 18/10/2025 20:31

Gigi does sound like a
nickname or pet name tbf.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 18/10/2025 20:31

GrooveArmada · 18/10/2025 20:30

Not Apo...Polly and Gabby would be lovely NNs, though, and both international names.

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A French Apolline would never be shortened to Polly, because it sounds like the word "polite".

GrooveArmada · 18/10/2025 20:30

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 18/10/2025 20:25

I live in France.

Gigi and Lola would both be considered pretty low class names here, whereas Apolline and Gabrielle are considered classy names.

Personally I would call them Apolline and Gabrielle and think of new middle names. You can always call them Apo and Gabi as nicknames.

Not Apo...Polly and Gabby would be lovely NNs, though, and both international names.

Needmorelego · 18/10/2025 20:30

I'm suprised by the comments about Lola.
It's a fairly ordinary name like Evie, Ellie, Ava etc round my way.

tinytemper66 · 18/10/2025 20:30

Fab names. Sod off tell ‘em!

GrooveArmada · 18/10/2025 20:29

BreadstickBurglar · 18/10/2025 18:52

Ok being brutally honest I wonder if Gigi and Lola have a bit of a… well an air about them. My immediate connotations are Gigi the film about a child (future) prostitute, and Lolita the book about an abused teenager. The combination of the two kind of strengthens the association. It’s a real shame because I love the names and individually I wouldn’t be thinking of those characters.

Hit the nail on the head, my thoughts exactly - sorry, OP. It doesn't look like you've fully thought through the cultural context here.

Breadandsticks · 18/10/2025 20:28

I’ve accepted that there are generational differences when it comes to name preferences.

if you like them, that’s all that matters.

I think the names are cute!

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 18/10/2025 20:27

GoldenRosebee · 18/10/2025 19:22

They seems more French than Italian, maybe that's the reason relatives dislike them. Also, I think Apolline and Gabrielle are dated in France and the French kid named Lola is right now on Daily mail news as a victim.

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I know loads of Apollines born in the last five years.

redfishcat · 18/10/2025 20:27

Please give them longer names that can be shortened to the names you love ( but instantly made me think of teenage seductresses and L.O.LA Lola, he was a she )
Grown adults need proper names, please respect your future adult daughters and give them the ability to choose

Needmorelego · 18/10/2025 20:26

MiceAsPie · 18/10/2025 20:04

@Needmorelego Lola by Thr Kinks. Have a google

Oh right.
I've heard of The Kinks.
Don't really know their music that well.
Google says the song Lola is from 55 years ago so I really don't think people would associate the name with that.
My first thought when hearing the name is Lola from the Charlie and Lola children's books/TV programme.

NoisyMonster678 · 18/10/2025 20:25

I love your DDs' names.

You and your DH like the names and that is wht matters here.

Don't let other people gas light you with this, its not their choice and they are being extremly rude.

Your babies names are lovely.

MissScarletInTheBallroom · 18/10/2025 20:25

I live in France.

Gigi and Lola would both be considered pretty low class names here, whereas Apolline and Gabrielle are considered classy names.

Personally I would call them Apolline and Gabrielle and think of new middle names. You can always call them Apo and Gabi as nicknames.

BreadstickBurglar · 18/10/2025 20:22

When I posted about the connotations of the names I was trying to answer OP as to why some people might have reacted oddly to her babies’ names. Not saying that I think they’re bad names - I think they’re both sweet. It’s the combo which has got a strange feel about it. But if they like them just use them, people will get used to them.

also I forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS! So lucky to have two gorgeous babies.

violetpink · 18/10/2025 20:20

Adore their names. Really beautiful.

FrodoBiggins · 18/10/2025 20:19

hereismydog · 18/10/2025 19:55

Disgusting that OP has posted about her newborn babies and people are commenting that they are prostitute/pornstar names 🤮 what an odd thing to do!

I think they sound quite cool OP! Middle names are especially gorgeous.

Edited

She asked for opinions on the name though.

Sorry but I had the same impression - porn or strippers or drag queens. They're both very unserious names imo. Perhaps it's my age but I wouldn't want to be applying for eg Anglophone medical school or a law firm with either name. If they want to be artists or something then all fun.