Elodie ... when we are not French at all.

[MsOliveOyl]

Is it pretentious to give a child a French name when she is not remotely French? I just think Elodie is so pretty. She will be dark haired and olive skinned, if that helps...

I know a little Elodie whose family aren't remotely French either. I think it's fine!

I don't think it'll raise any eyebrows - Elodie has become "normal" in the UK in the same way that Amelie has - but in my opinion, it does try a bit too hard to sound cosmopolitan. I don't always think there's anything wrong with having a name from another country when you're not connected to it, or indeed with being a little pretentious, but I think Elodie is a bit faddy. Sorry. I agree that on paper it's pretty, though.

Lovely name! Will suit her. My name is french and I'm Irish -noone ever said anything...

No one expects Sophie/Natalie/Isabelle to be French. Elodie is fine.

If you were calling her Françoise I'd find that a bit pretentious.

Oh ok, I didn't realise Elodie was faddy atm. I was just reading an article by a French person called Elodie!

Amelie I know has become more popular, and it's lovely but too connected to the film I think. If we used Elodie it wouldn't be an attempt to seem more cosmopolitan - she's going to be a mix of nationalities and races, just not French!

Yes it is. My daughter is called Elodie but then she is French

Francoise - love it! Also Genevieve (pronounced the French way with 4 syllables). But agreed, they are a bit too French and require an attempt at a French accent to pronounce.

Aah, curse my lack of Frenchness. Strangely, a lot of people think I look French for some reason.

Nothing pretentious about the name Elodie - names have all sorts of derivations and it really doesn't matter where you come from. I know two Elodies and neither has French parents.

I think you're right Cointreau, I was just thinking about all the names that are common in the UK and lots of them sound to have their origins elsewhere - Charlotte, Isabelle, Marie etc. Anyway, I am not even pregnant so should probably not be thinking so much about this

As you will see from this graph, in France Elodie was at its peak 20 years ago and has now almost disappeared among newborns. Do you really want to give your DC yesterday's first name?

MsOlive, don't overthink! My DD1 has a name of Italian origin and DD2 has a name of Spanish origin ... and we're of Irish descent! It really doesn't matter and Elodie is gorgeous.

Don't sweat it. Nobody will think anything other than 'Oooh, that's a nice name' x

I like the name Annick, but tjere seem to be several middle-aged ones in my office in Paris - Bonsoir is it a middle-aged name in France..?

Annick had its heyday around 1950 . I find it quite unpleasant myself! It was never très chic so maybe I associate it with rather unprepossessing owners.

You'd never manage to pick a name if you were worried about how it would be perceived world wide (except Pippa, worry about how that will be perceived). Apparently Kevin (!) is a popular name in France. The least we can do is return the favour and nab some of their middle aged names.

That is very true, maples, and it is quite important to work out whether, when you name your child that gorgeous romantic poetic whatever name that you associate with long lazy days in the sun on holiday that you are in fact calling him/her the equivalent of Bryan/Doreen.

MrsGuy: Annick is one of my great-aunts.. I agree with Bonsoir, it is definitely not classy at all and very Breton (like other "ick" ending names). Litterally means "little Ann"

I'd say Elodie is fine even if you are not French - but then again I am. In France it is very 70's/80's (like Isabelle, Florence, Celine, Sebastien...)

What hatebeak said

maples my French neice is also called a terrible chavvy English name - I tried desperately to talk her parents out of it. Whils she is in France it is fine, but as soon as she comes to the Uk, people snigger

What is this terrible chavvy name?