I actually think we may never, ever find another baby name which fits our criteria. What are yours?

[Psammead]

I am British. DH is German. We live in Germany but spend a lot of time in the UK.

The name must be pronounced very similarly in both languages, if not the same. This means no 'th' sound, no 'j', no 'e' at the end. R can also be a problem.

The name must also be spelt in a logical way that comes naturally to both languages. C and K can be problem letters here. As can Z and S, and sometimes C and Z.

The name cannot be too modern or too old-fashioned in either country. Fashions in the two countries do not correlate with each other.

It should not be too biblical, too nerdy, should not be the name of people we know, or people we disliked at some point in our lives. It can't be too long, start with an M, or have any negative cultural associations.

It would be nice to have a nice nickname potential, and a not utterly hideous meaning.

Oh and it can't be French. Or too British or too German.

I think the next one will be named Bob. Regardless of sex.

Tell me about your criteria!

My friend is half German is called Kirsty and has a brother called Mark. She was brought up in Germany.

DH and I both had lists, with no crossover of any names on them...if there had been just 1 name we had on both our lists we would be OK!

I didn't like ANY of his names, except one which is a top 10 name therefore I vetoed because our surname is common. He likes 1 of mine. We are both desperately hoping we don't go off that name!

My criteria:

• Name more than 2 syllables as surname is 1 syllable
• Not in top 20 (or ideally top 100) names as surname is common

His criteria:

• Not difficult to spell or pronounce (pity as we have Irish and Welsh heritage between us, but he has vetoed any Celtic origin names).
• Not going to generate any nasty nicknames, as far as possible

Both criteria:

• No names of exes or name that has negative connotations (I haven't had that many exes in my time, but even just going through that list has discounted some pretty nice names if we were having a DS. Luckily baby is going to be a DD so that problem is avoided. I don't know what my DH's exes were called, though!)
• No names ending in T as that doesn't sound right with the surname.

We haven't really argued about it as we aren't 'arguing' people, but I think we are both a bit paranoid about what will happen if we go off the one name we like. I really couldn't bear any of the names he likes, except the really popular one, and I have suggested so many that he's rejected I don't want to put any more forward!

Really can't bear to think of my DD ending up with a name I don't like - think people who 'take turns' to name children and leave the decision 100% up to the other person are very brave!

Heidi
Stephanie

Conrad

Henry

Thomas

Same problem here: I'm British/Welsh, DP is German. Also I'm a teacher which means lots of names are ruled out (as in "urgh I knew a Max/Ben/David and he was awful")

Megan, Leonie, Mariella, Lisann, Ella, Lena?

I'm useless on boys names I'm afraid - haven't found a single German boy's name I like. In fact, I'm tempted to go for a Welsh boys name and just say screw it....

Our criteria was

(Im Danish dh British)

Names had to be pronounced the same in Danish and English

(leaves out names like Christopher Frederick Christian Joan Christine Amelia)

I prefer unusual names dh traditional names

Dh does not want biblical names

We ended up with Phoebe Eloisa Conrad and Aoife. My mother still cant say Aoife (calls her fifi and I HATE that - also think after 8 years she ought to have learnt it is NOT that hard to say - She also spells Phoebe Phebe but I will forgive that she is dyslexic)

Will say finding a non biblical uncommon traditional boys name was HARD

My dream name would be Scottish and biblical and honouring an ancestor and not too popular and unused by close family and friends, and beginning with a different letter from other DC! struggling

My friend is Scottish/Austrian and is called Lauren. Her brother is called Tim.

I also went to school with a German Lorenz which is easy to spell and pronounce in English.

My stepdad is German and his ex-wife British. Their children were brought up in Germany and are called: Emily/Emilie (MN Annalise), Philipp and Patrick. All of them work in both, I think?

Must be a suitable name for a prime minister,
Must not start with T, J or V
Must not end "in"
Must be pronouncable in French.

JoantheFennel: Margaret/Marguerite?

Hell would freeze over before I name a baby after her.

Psammead -But why can't the name be pronounced differently in the two languages? My children's names are pronounced differently in both languages, and it's never been a problem, although I would rather english people pronounce the names the english way, and flemish people pronounce it the flemish way.

Lorentz for a boy

Maybe Anna or Ada for a girl?

Ottilia
Frieda
Minna
Elsa
Anna
Maria

I like Ada, DH wants it for possible future DD2.

My Our criteria was:

Not the same as any of our friends or family members or anyone I went to school with.
Pronouncable and works well in Wales, England, New Zealand and Germany.
Not too posh or try hard or fashionable.
Not too obscure (DH has an ancient greek names obsession)
Sound good for a geeky spotty teenager and a sporty type.
Not ending in a S sound.
Not any kind of plant.
Must be nicknamable, but we must also like the full version.

And for DS:

must contain a reference to the 2011 Rugby World Cup All Blacks line-up!!

K- names work in english and german

Katia/Katrin/Klara
Kasper/Oskar for boys
Izaak
Otto

Sacha for boy or girl.

Oh God - I've been there too. (Amazing how many of us there are with German DHs???) Our first is Harriet - which we thought worked, until she got to Kindergarten and they all call her "Herriet" which drives her potty. So I stressed and pondered for nine months with number two. It was only after discussing it with a friend, that I think I gave up and thought "what the hell." Her son is called Max - a more German name you couldn't get. But because the kids at school know he's British, they don't pronounce it "Max", they say "Mex." And even spell it "Mäx." Because they think they're clever little beggars. So I figure that even if you were to find what you thought was the perfect name, they'd bugger it up somehow.

We went with Beatrice and it already annoys me when they pronounce it in a Cherman way. So I call her Bessie. They can't get that wrong. Can they?...

I guess these work:
Oliver
Tom
Vincent
Victor
Barnaby
Lennard
Bennett
Matti

Louisa
Emma
Lara
Anna (bel)
Isabel
Lotta (ie)

Good luck.

...Tess
Matilda
Hannah
Veronica
Flora
Susannah
Sylvia
Kitty
Lily
Olivia

I'm German, DH is Scottish, we live in Scotland.

Criteria were:

• needs to work in both languages

-....

Think that was it.

DD was born 2 weeks ago and is Frederika Sophia, called Frieda!

Alternative would have been: Helena
Really liked but DH vetoed: Nina, Antonia, Flora

A boy would have been: Phillip
Other favourites: Christopher, Frederik

My dh is German, too. DS's name is Leopold Alexander. Our second choice was Maximilian. These are quite traditional I suppose but are coming back into fashion both in UK and in Germany. The majority of bilingual couples I know have Daniels.

Oooh, MrsHuxtable, your names are BRILLIANT! We are deciding between Frieda and Helena for DD2...

Ours are quite complicated but seems to work well! I choose an Italian name I like, DH chooses a French name he likes and then together we choose an English name. We then put the three together to make the final combo (first name and two middle names). This sort of works but quite a lot of comprimising is needed to get the name to flow properly. As I'm half Italian and DH is half French we also need names that work in both languages but don't sound too poncey in England! So far we have a Camilla, a Marco and an Aurelia but are completely stuck this time!

From your criteria the best boys name I can think of is Leo/Leopold. Popular in England and Germany and is a lovely name. In fact I think Leo might be making its way onto my own list!
For a girl how about Saskia, Sophia or Emilia?

Katrina is good.