Are these names too similar?

[thistlemuncher]

After discarding the name I've been calling the bump (left over from last time) we can't agree on a name. DH likes Juliette. I don't! I suggested Nathalie, DH doesn't like it etc etc.

DH has suggested Catrine (spelled Catherine, but pronounced Catrine) which we both agreed is an "acceptable" name, but neither of us love. We have a bit of a language problem, DH is French native language so wants the French pronunciation and spelling. I'm British and am happy with the French pronunciation, but would rather it's written as it's spoken else she'll be forever being called by the wrong name by my side of the family. DH argues that as we don't live in the uK, we're better to use the local spelling i.e. the French spelling else she'll be forever having to correct people's spelling. The name also needs to work in German.

And now I'm asking myself if it's too close to the name Christine... Help! Thoughts, suggestions...

I think if you are in France then it should be spelled the French way!
It's a lovely name

It's too confusing to have a name pronounced differently than it's spelling...

Hmmm if you go with Catherine, all the English side of the family will pronounce it the English way. Not the end of the world but there are lots of names that would be pronounced the same. Also the German pronunciation would be slightly different again. If you live in France, use the French spelling. I am Katherine with a K and this is non-standard in France, so not only was my name pronounced differently when I lived there, I had the nuisance of having to spell it every time.

Christine works in both languages. Have you used that name already or something? I think in the French pronunciation it would sound a bit matchy pairs if you also had Catherine.

Names that work in both languages and would also be ok in German:

Emilie
Sophie/Sophia
Anne/Anna
Maria
Emma
Clara
Camille
Adèle
Freya
Isabelle
Lara
Lana

Are you likely to move from France? We knew we will move around so went for as international name and spelling as we could agree on. We have a plain Kate as we never did get around to sorting which of the x,000 spellings of (C/K)at(H)(E/A)rin(E/A) to go with!
If you have a French-sounding surname I would think it matches better with the French spelling+pronunciation. Just be sure to tell your family on the phone before they see it written down and you won't have any problems.

I'd take the name you like and just tell others how it's pronounced.
And don't bank on your child using it.
Mine had a similar name and my mum warned me that there would be trouble at school with people mispronouncing. But there wasn't as by the time she was at school she had adopted a nickname that grew from what her not very much older sister called her and would answer only to that.
Her sister abbreviated her own name too so both my children, whilst they like their given names, are called something completely different.
As are their cousins.
I sometimes wonder why we bother spending so much time deciding upon names...

We're not likely to move. I am debating telling my family/friends back home the name is Catrine. To be honest, I much prefer Catrin out of all the variations, but DH wants the French way and I feel I have to let him have it as our son's name is the English version (I only just realised it's spelled differently in French . the thing is it's not a name I really like (I know too many!) but it's the only one neither of us actively dislike.

We have a German surname and my niece is called Christine (which I'm not a great fan of!) and as Catrine is not a name that I LOVE, I'm wondering if I want to use it at all.

Thanks for the list, but most have already been discussed!
Emilie - DH doesn't like, too old fashioned
Sophie/Sophia - I don't like
Anne/Anna - best friend's daughter
Maria - we're not religious
Emma -DH doesn't like, too old fashioned
Clara-both don't like
Camille - I don't like - and that wouldn't be pronounced the same in French German and English anyway.
Adèle - I don't like
Freya - too close to a brand name
Isabelle- too close to my name
Lara - I hate (plus which very common here)
Lana - I hate

We're difficult to please!

Will he budge for Nathalie? I had a friend with French mum called that and I used to love her accent and the way she said it. Sounds much nicer in French than English pronunciation.
I'd keep trying if you don't love Catrine. Sure you'll get inspired from somewhere!

Plenty of "English" names such as Jessica and the like are becoming popular these days in both France and Germany, so you could pick a name which, although not technically a "French" name, would not be too tricky for the French to pronounce.

I don't like Catherine pronounced Catrine either. I think it sounds a bit harsh. If you don't like it keep on looking!

How about
Sylvie
Anouk
Brigitte
Cerise
Simone
Elisabeth
Delphine
Cosette
Gabrielle
Genevieve
Ines
Odile
Laetitia
Madeleine
Louise

Surely Catherine would be more 'Cathrine' and not rhyming with latrine?

No, it does rhyme with latrine in French. The French are not hot on pronouncing the "th" sound. Used to drive me crazy as it's my name and I hated it in French.

Combining Nathalie and Juliette, I give you Nanette!

I know a 'catrina' that is spelt 'cathrina' so the th definately disapears -used to confuse the hell out of people lol

Oooh, Catherine-pronounced-Catrine is my Mum's name (she's French), and is also one of my middle names. I really like the way it sounds, but maybe it helps that I've grown up with it. It doesn't sound harsh to my ears at all.

I suspect you'll not be keen on the name Karine either?

What sort of names do you like - have you got any examples of English names which appeal to you, but are ruled out already for not being known in France? Knowing this might help us think of some more appropriate ideas!

Other suggestions:

Elodie
Clementine
Fabienne

Catrine and Christine - too similar, yes.

My first thought also was that it rhymes with latrine. Sorry.

Soooooo I should write off anything that ends in e if it's got to be German-friendly then. How about going more Italian?

Marina
Catrina/Katarina
Mariella
Sara/Zara
Della
Mina / Una / Uta
Elsa
Etta

Ideally I'd like a Greek based name (which Catherine is), but for me it makes sense to take a name from a 4th language so it's the same in all three if that makes sense.

Mathanxiety & Desert Orchid- to me those are all really French names and I don't want them to be obviously French. I'm not French.

We don't actually live in France, but Switzerland. DH's family is German speaking (hence the German surname) but he grew up in the French part and considers French his native language. Hence the need for it to fit well in all three languages. Which really rules out most names ending in -e although we can get away with it a bit more as the Swiss are used to French names.

I suggested Nathalie, Joanna, Chloë, Zoë, Emily, Natasha...
He suggested Juliette, Sandra, Barbara, Lena, Lara (i.e. typical German names!), Isabelle (but that's my name!)
DS is Alexander so we need to avoid anything starting with A.

We can't have Mariela as that's one of DS's current girlfriends. I might suggest Zara to him.

Cathrine pronounced his way is lovely, especially if you're in France. Can you not be persuaded?

Soz, just seen you're in Switzerland.

Actually, I love Zara - this will definitely be on our short-list if we're ever crazy enough to go for No. 3.

If he'd let me spell it Catrin... Although I still think it's a very overused and over-common name and can't really get excited by it.

Oh tricky.
Is Hannah close to Joanna but not Anna? If you like Emily, do you not like Amelia/ Emelia/ Amelie? Is he against the idea of more Germanic names to fit well with the surname? So Sabine/ Susannah? Plain names like Elizabeth, Margaret, Lydia?
Hope you find a name you both love.

Ah, I see.

How about Elke? A German ex-colleague of mine was called that. That should work in all languages and is pretty.

Or Elise?

Sorry -- didn't read the OP properly with your specifications.

How about:
Mirabel
Calista
Astrid
Romy
Alannah
Josephine
Charlotte
Mia
Eva
Leonie

Go with Catherine - so what if one side say it one way and the other a different way.

I knew a William once whose father and one set of grandparents called Guillaume. The child just used one name in one language and another in his other language.