First attempt at a girls longlist...

[frakkinup]

Okay baby needs a name that works in French and English without too much alteration. I want names which is unusual but not massively eye-brow raising so here's our combined initial compromise list in alphabetical order:

Adeline/Adele/Adelie
Alys
Arianne
Helene
Isolde
Lilianne
Leonore
Lucie
Marguerite
Melisande
Melodie
Ophelie
Prudence
Sabine
Stephanie
Victoria

Thoughts? Opinions? Boring? Impossibly to say? Terribly trendy?

Any good sibling pairs bearing in mind this is DC1 and we would like another?

Surname very similar to 'Try'.

I like Alys.

i like Prudence and Marguerite

It's a good list (IMHO)
My favourites are -

Adeline
Arianne
Helene
Marguerite
Sabine

I really like Prudence.

Does Isolde have 2 syllables or 3?

Love Marguerite and Prudence.

I was going to say that Prudence is the only name I don't like, but I see you have 3 votes for it already! It just seems a bit prim, the kind of girl who wears sensible, frumpy clothes and does needlework.

I like Alys and Lilianne best.

Alys and Marguerite.

Alys and Lucie - very pretty and feminine

Adeline/Adele/Adelie - ok
Alys - love
Arianne - love
Helene - love
Isolde - not keen
Lilianne - close to Lily which is pretty but too popular for me.
Leonore - no keen
Lucie - love
Marguerite - love
Melisande - ok
Melodie - no.
Ophelie - love
Prudence - absolutely love (thinking of the Siousix and the Banshees cover of Dear Prudence)
Sabine - see prudence
Stephanie - too 70s for me
Victoria - see Stephanie

My favourites are

Alys
Lucie
Adeline
Sabine
Lilianne but prefer Lilian

Not sure how to pronounce Helene. Arianne is a bit old ladyish. Stephanie and Victoria are a bit boring and the others are a bit out there.

Helene is Helen in English and more similar to Ellen in French. We're going with French spellings because it's easier to register, livin in France....

my faves are:

Isolde
Lilianne
Leonore

I have to vote against Prudence, I can't see it on a cute little girl :)

Love most of the others though.

Didn't Isolde have a sticky end in the story Tristan & Isolde? Or am I overthinking now?

Don't think Marguerite 'Try' sounds bad. And it has family significance for you so would put it to the top :)

I like all your list but especially Melisande, poss nickname 'Sandy' in English,

and Leonore is lovely.

Prudence conjures up an image of a lovely little girl, I love that name.

Hi Frakkinup

Some lovely names.

I love Adeline.
Helene - I love the sound of it in French but not so keen on it in English.
Isolde - might have probs with pronunciation/spelling (or could be just me!)
Lilianne - love this
Leonore - love this
Marguerite - like this but not the potential nn of margie/margo/marge
Melisande - not so keen
Melodie - not so keen
Ophelie - love it
Prudence - again, like but don't like the nn Prue
Sabine - love it
Victoria & Stephanie - not as orginal as the others

Adeline ok
/Adele/ bit chavvy and old fashioned (not in a good way)
Adelie nn liar?
Alys not sure how to pronounce- like A-lish
Arianne prefer arianna
Helene- too contrived
Isolde- same
Lilianne- oh god no more lilis please!
Leonore- looks like a boys name
Lucie- will be spelling it her whole life, what's wrong with lucy?
Marguerite-ugly
Melisande- never heard of this
Melodie- maybe, prefer with y
Ophelie- no
Prudence- god no
Sabine- sabrina instead?
Stephanie- nn fannie?
Victoria- fine but hate vicki etc

Definitely not Prudence. It's utterly hideous.

Darlene people will spell it wrong in one country or another with ie/y or the e on Helen and as baby is going to be born in France and educated in the French system up to the age of 11 French spelling wins.

DH and I agreed even before we were married that where we were living at the time of birth and registration got dibs on spelling if different.

frakkinup agree with you on spellings. Lucie is a lovely name whichever way you spell it

What a fabulous list!
I love...
Alys
Isolde
Marguerite
Ophelia
Sabine
Good luck deciding between them! x

Hi Frakkinup

My 3 favourites are:

Adeline
Alys
Helene - I know a Helene, her mum is French she prefers to go by the name Ellie but I think Helene is nicer. I also used to know an American called Adeline

I havn't heard of Melisande before, is it common in France?

You're very organised. I havn't started on my list of girls names yet. I knew I was having a boy last time but this time am going for the surprise. I've had a couple of ideas for boys which I didn't think of first time around. I will have to find something that goes nicely with Alexander (my DS) so will probably go for a traditional name that can be shortened. I usually call him Alex but like having the option of using the longer version too.

My favourite French names are Odile and Margaux, both of which work in English.
Otherwise, I like Marguerite and Leonore best.
And prefer Marianne to Ariane.

Love these from your list:
Adeline/Adele/Adelie
Alys
Arianne
Helene
Marguerite
Melisande
Melodie

By comparison, these are a bit more everyday, but ok:
Stephanie
Victoria
Lucie

I also love the next two but, and it might just be me, but the English pronunciations are unfortunate. Maybe not an issue though if you're living in France?
Ophelie(awfully)
Isolde (Is Old - innit?)

Not keen on:
Lilianne
Leonore
Prudence

Good sibling names - any combination of:
Arianne, Helene, Marguerite or
Alys, Adelie, Melisande

I really like Marguerite and Melisande too.

Great names BTW.