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Baby names

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

Original poster

is Amelie too popular

31 replies

rafa · 21/06/2009 23:01

just asking as i am 24 weeks pregnant with a little girl but seem to have seen this name in so many birth announcements recently!! dh is french and we have a french surname. Others names I like are Mireille ( although i am not sure it will be pronouned correctly in the UK), and Magali. Any opinions or other ideas? thanks!

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CurryMaid · 24/06/2009 19:14

I used to have a housemate called Amandine.

Tinker · 24/06/2009 15:02

Amandine is gorgeous. Fabienne? Severine?

preggersplayspop · 23/06/2009 13:09

I love Amelie, and tend to think if you love a name don't worry about it being 'too' popular.

I also love Elodie and Coralie is beautiful too.

Lori73 · 23/06/2009 13:04

Amelie is only about no 60 or 70 in the top 100 names in England, so not as popular as a lot of other names you hear today. I would not worry too much about a name being linked to a certain era, eg the era of the film. This is a common problem with many names due to their cyclical nature. For example, most Graces or Violets seem to be either 80+ or under 10 but they are still gorgeous names!

good luck with your pregnancy!

Kotek · 22/06/2009 21:58

Have only come across one Amelie at the various classes/activities my ds (toddler) attends in London.

Amelie is a very pretty name though and as your child will have French connections I don't think the name will 'date' your child because of the film - Amelie has been a common name in places like France and Germany for hundreds of years.

The advantage of the film is that at least people will know how to spell the name.

numal · 22/06/2009 21:51

Leonora is lovely, elegant, timeless and no one else in her class with the same name

KleineMaus · 22/06/2009 21:26

I know a little girl whose mum is French with the middle name Amandine. Very pretty.

thedolly · 22/06/2009 19:27

Amalia (Ah mal ee ah) is just as pretty but less popular.

CountessDracula · 22/06/2009 18:53

you're my wife now Dave
(that was to mamalazarou)

We clearly like and dislike the same stuff!

Helennn · 22/06/2009 16:20

I helped out at pre-school the other day. Two little girls were playing jumping off tyres - Amalie and Amelie, twas very confusing, "Amelies turn, no - it's Amalie's turn now" etc. etc.

Hulababy · 22/06/2009 16:04

I like Amelie and personally prefer it to Mireille and Magali.

Don't know any children (or adults) called Amelie.

MamaLazarou · 22/06/2009 15:36

"I couldn't watch that film
I just wanted to slap her"

Thank god it wasn't just me. I turned it off after 15 minutes of shouting at the screen.

Ebonie/Ebony for a white child is just laughable.

dizzydixies · 22/06/2009 14:24

I LOVE Sylvie but dh wouldn't let me have it for DD3

IveGotHamButImNotAHamster · 22/06/2009 13:57

How about Sylvie? Lovely french sounding name

Claire2301 · 22/06/2009 13:29

French people I know have called their various kids: Lucie-Anne, Elisabeth, Anna and Ebonie if any help.

CountessDracula · 22/06/2009 13:28

I couldn't watch that film
I just wanted to slap her
as a result I don't like the name

tummytickler · 22/06/2009 13:22

I think the trouble with Amelie is not even that it is very popular, but that iits popularity coincides with the wonderful film by the same name.
I think Amelie will date your child hugely, more so than other popular names like Emily, or Alice which have been around for ages.
I think it has jumped into fashion too quickly, and as a result with become unfashionable very quickly too.
It is lovely though, and in answer to your question, i know of 3 (but i have 4 children and go to tons of nursery things, 2 different primary schools and loads of toddler groups so mix with a lot of kids).

A French couple i know called their dd Gloria which i LOVE.

Original poster
rafa · 22/06/2009 13:11

thanks everyone some lovely names on the thread and new suggestions, Camille and Clothide beautiful names , still love Amelie but seems to be really over used .

OP posts:
BunnyLebowski · 22/06/2009 11:20

Droves of them in this neck of the woods too.....all with Yorkshire surnames - sounds ridiculous imo.

Mirelle is beautiful.

dizzydixies · 22/06/2009 11:02

Amelie popular here too. what about Otillie or Camille as alternatives?

annasmami · 22/06/2009 10:25

Agree that Amelie is very, very popular and on that basis I wouldn't choose it.

I LOVE Mireille - don't think its too difficult to pronounce in English at all.

bellissima · 22/06/2009 10:02

My problem with Magali is that, for some reason, it seemed to be THE name screeched in a gutteral French accent across a park/supermarket when I was a student there in the early 90s. Fraid I concluded it was chavtastic. Apparently Annemone is well posh (at least I was assured as such by the so-named on my course!). I like Manon but not if you live in eg, Newcastle 'You alreet Manon, man??'. Or there's always the endless Marie-hyphens.

MagNacarta · 22/06/2009 09:21

Yes, tons of them in these parts, some other lovely suggestions on this thread though.

MamaLazarou · 22/06/2009 09:20

Amelie sounds too much like Emily to be a name in its own right. IMO the child would always be having to patiently explain the difference to people.

I don't like it because of that awful twee film with that dreadful simpering woman in it. Ugh.

LOVE Elodie and Clothilde. How about Sandrine or Christele?

Bucharest · 22/06/2009 07:20

I don't like Amelie since the non-French hijack.....I love Magali and Elodie though...I like Gaelle as well....