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Maison / Mason ??

58 replies

justhayley · 03/11/2011 10:29

Hiya I'm not sure what I'm having yet and have about a million girls names but need to start thinking of boys. Came across Mason or Maison the other day and really like it. I like it Spelt with the I but not sure if that makes it a bit feminine?

What does everyone think of the name and which spelling do u prefer?

Also any ideas for a middle name?
I kinda like Maison James or Maison Jay (after my little brother) but all ideas welcome xx

OP posts:
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PercyMcPigface · 24/08/2023 22:03

ZOMBIE - Mason / Maison is nearly 12 now

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Ramond · 24/08/2023 19:29

For you, yes but for others?

Is it max or macks?

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RuthW · 23/08/2023 09:50

I would say both differently.

Mason = may sun

Maison = maze on

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Fivebeanchilli · 23/08/2023 09:45

Just to reply to the other poster, there are rules about pronunciation in English.
If one is using a name from a different language then of course you use those rules - so Jacoby is usually Yacoby because it's usually Polish, for example.
But the op is English.
I can't think of any English words where a, i, single s would be pronounced with a soft s. Even in English it would have a hard s (albeit without the French pronunciation of the -on). And that's without its being a very very well recognised French word.

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Fivebeanchilli · 23/08/2023 09:28

Mason is not my style at all but it's very popular and a well recognised name.
I know 2 Maisons. It never occurred to me when I met them (I see names before I see the people in my job) that they were Masons. Both of them I pronounced as in the French. The parents were clearly very pissed off but also clearly had experiences it A Lot of times already (the boys were a few months old).
You'd have to spell it Maisson to get the same pronunciation I think.
Mason is much better.

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user1492757084 · 23/08/2023 03:13

For me, Maison, Mason, James and Jay all rhyme too much to be in the same name.
You could just go with Jason.
Jason Mark

Using James or Jay as the second name you might like ..
Evan James
Byron James
Alex James
Victor James
Lawson James
Roland James
Michael James

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Brexile · 22/08/2023 22:05

Maison is also a surname (as in the singer René Maison) so it's just as valid as Mason as a first name.

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Ramond · 21/08/2023 10:36

Yes it is a serious post.

Yet is it cark or Karl, max or macks? Dark or darel? You say wich is right.

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afterdropshock · 17/06/2023 23:26

They both mean house/builder, don't they? Just one is pronounced Mayzonn, almost everyone would say that if they saw it.
A mason is a house builder, both words come from the same root. Mason is fine.

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KirstenBlest · 17/06/2023 20:06

Like Maison Margiela? NN Maisie?

Mason is a pleasant enough surname but not great as a first name. Too close to May.

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ThomasinaLivesHere · 17/06/2023 19:17

When you said the comment about Maison being feminine I did wonder if this was a serious post as I believe it is gendered female.

There is a lot of snobbery but if you like Mason and don’t mind it go for it. Although I’m surprised baby site/book mentioned maison spelling.

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Ramond · 17/06/2023 18:40

Well, people here got it wrong.

Maison and Mayson can be pronounced as Mason, the only thing Frens doest pronounce is the letter n. Het ein the Netherlands we have children with the name, June, Lente (meaning spring) fleur (flower french) and Floor ( floor from a house)

For example is it Carl, Karl or Carel, Karel? Is it Max or Maxs or Macks? Is it Darl or Darel? Does this change pronunciation?

When you take a look at Facebook their are people with the name Maison.

Greetings and keep save.

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oohlaalaa · 04/11/2011 15:01

It has to be Mason, but I don't think it's a very nice name.

I much prefer the name Miles.

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FreckledLeopard · 04/11/2011 13:50

JustHayley - essentially, what kind of name you choose will have certain connotations. Names like Jayden, Tyler, Harrison tend to be 'looked down upon'.

Essentially, to be blunt, I would only call my child a name that would pass the 'Prime Minister, judge, barrister or doctor' test. If I couldn't imagine my child being one of the roles with the name they were given, then I wouldn't name them that.

I do know of people discarding CVs etc based solely on judgments made about the name - yes, it's wrong to do so, but, it happens.

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Montsti · 04/11/2011 12:09

Grubbalo - yes I do agree although there do seem to be some slightly more old-fashioned and unusual names that tend to get lots of positive responses whereas you are guaranteed a barrage of "too popular"/"every second child is called" comments if you mention Thomas/Oliver etc...

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grubbalo · 04/11/2011 11:35

Monsti - if you go for an unpopular "non chavvy" name then it gets slated from some quarters as being too "try hard"! I have said before on here that no matter the name, it will get stick for being either chavvy, boring or try-hard, i.e. you just can't win.

OP - go for what you like. It wouldn't be top of my list but I have no doubt you'd say the same about my children's names. At the end of the day, it's what you like that matters! Life would be very boring if we all liked the same thing. Agree Mason is a better choice though!

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cat64 · 04/11/2011 09:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

ShowOfHands · 04/11/2011 09:06

sleepywombat, isn't that the point though? Where you are, surnames as first names aren't worth of comment, yet you judge names ending in 'o' as 'Etonian'. Reverse snobbery at its best. I just see Arlo and Cosmo as ordinary names. Where you are makes such a difference to how you perceive a name.

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Montsti · 04/11/2011 06:22

JustHayley - I agree some very harsh comments, but I think they were mainly for Maison (I also thought most people who went to school in the UK would know that, but maybe you didn't?) not so much Mason...as it goes I think Mason is a nice name, but just not my choice. I live in a new world country and this would not be seen as a particularly unusual name here. Lots of "surname-sounding" names such as Coopers, Coles, Harpers, Taylors around (in my opinion too hard sounding for girls).

Personally I prefer traditional (in the UK) names such as Oliver, William, Benjamin etc..but they also would get bad press on this website as being far too popular/boring/top ten etc.. etc...it does seem as though you need an unusual old-fashioned (non-chavvy) name (however odd) to get positive responses..

You obviously really like the name so go for it!

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AitchTwoOh · 04/11/2011 04:03

in scotland it more or less means 'bigot'. Grin

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sleepywombat · 04/11/2011 04:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AitchTwoOh · 04/11/2011 03:41

mason is not good in scotland.

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nooka · 04/11/2011 03:26

In England everyone studies French at school, it's pretty much compulsory, even if you are really rubbish you are likely to learn and remember words like house/maison. So yes that sis the first thing that comes to mind.

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ShowOfHands · 03/11/2011 23:44

justhayley, Mason is a certain 'type' of name and will suffer because of this. It's very difficult to hear it as a stand alone name as it's bogged down in a pit with other surnames used as names. See Tyler, Brogan, Harrison etc type names. Sadly, these names conjure up two images. One, it's a peculiarly American thing to do. Not that anything American is bad particularly but it seems like it sort of doesn't fit our delicate English sensibilities. The other thing is, like it or not, they're names that seem to be used by people of a certain socioeconomic status. Likely to also have a Chardonnay and a Jayden. It's a cruel and unfair assertion and I hate myself just a bit for typing it, but these are the sorts of things the name Mason throws up, merely by association.

But if you really like it you MUST use it. There's nothing 'wrong' with it and a child is always so much more than their name in the end.

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justhayley · 03/11/2011 23:32

God you ladies are rather harsh!
Nope never did a days French in my life I always did Spanish so wasn't aware of it's meaning In French. But I think after 100 posts all saying exactly the same thing I get it - Maison means house in French!
in the naming books they have both variations of spelling - both pronounced the same way, they all just say that Mason is the more old fashioned way of spelling the it.
I still really like the name but think I'd go with the majority and go with the Mason spelling.
I think there are nicer ways to say an opinion than how alot of u have Sad but hey appreciate ur input Smile

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