Names to link our family (English/French names)

[Mazzard]

DH and I are expecting our first child together and, as our first priority, we want the name to sound 'connected' to those of my DSC, who all have very French names. Neither DH nor I am French. So I suppose my questions are -

1. Is it important for the name of our DC to sound connected to those of the DSC? The last thing I want is for them to feel at all pushed out as we have a very good relationship.

2. Would it sound pretentious to be very obviously english but have a french name?

3. Can you suggest any names that are of french origin but would work in england?

Not especially important but nice that you want to keep that link. I'm sure your DSC wouldn't feel pushed out if you chose an English name (if anything they might like the difference) but I'm really impressed that you're thinking about this and trying to work out what would make you all feel connected.

Not pretentious either as there are lots of names these days that work well in both countries. We are currently overrun in our school with Amelies, for example!

I love lots of French names but will leave it to other posters to suggest as mine are probably too French for the UK (Mireille) or ones I like but are not cool in France (like Louise which is not actually a name I like especially but is fine here but apparently a real old lady name in France).

I know an English girl called Fabienne. No French in her family at all and no-one's ever wondered why she has a french sounding name.

Also, Aurelia is such a beautiful girls name.

For boys, it may be a little more difficult - Aaron, Bay, Beau, Ross.

My DSSs are French, and I wanted DD to have a name that (a) worked equally well in English and French (b) "went" with her brothers' names so that they sounded like siblings.

What are your DSC called?

Thanks for the replies and suggestions, they're really useful :)

My DSC are called Mathilde, Corentin and Arthur (pronounced Ar-tuhr without the 'h' sound).

I have a French friend married to an Englishman - their daughters are Clara and Amelia, their sons are Daniel and George - they can be pronounced either the French way or English without sounding too different.

Vincent, Henry, Camille and Therese are lovely and would work in both languages.

My dd is Elodie which is a fairly common French name. I'd not heard it much in the UK before we chose it but I think it's a bit more common lately.

I think you can't go wrong with French names. I also think it's lovely to link all the children together with name style.

Mathilde
Corentin
Arthur

et...

Flora (my DD's name)
Lucie
Constance
Clementine
Violette

Hugo
William

I have a french surname so we went for a french name for DD - Eloise. We're currently thinking of names for number 2 and think Arianne/Ariane for a girl but have no clue for a boy. Boys are far harder.

There are some really lovely suggestions here, thank you so much. Lucie and Eloise are both gorgeous.

Blanche, Adrienne, Fleur
Ludovic, Raoul, Martin

Benjamin
Charles
daniel
David
Gabriel
Gaston
Gerard
Giles
Guy
isaac
Leon
Luis
Marc
Nicolas
Paul
Theodore
Thomas
Tristan

all apparently common names in France

girls

Adele
Aimee
Anastasia (Tasia)
Alice
Caroline
Chantal
Charlotte
Colette
Corrine
Elise
Gabrielle
Inez
Juliette
Louise
Sophie
Sylvie
Zoe

I'm French. Louise is not an old lady's name at all (it's in the top 10).
Gérard, Gilles and Guy are middle-aged men. Corinne and Sylvie are about 50, Chantal 60-70.
Popular names at the moment : Emma, Chloe, Lucie, Charlotte, Alice, Laura, Julie // Louis, Gabriel, Hugo, Clement...

maybe it was my French exchange being a bitch to me then because my middle name is Louise and she told me it was old lady . Mind you she also grumbled through two whole weeks and told me our food was disgusting (it was re Queen of Puddings btw, which is obviously awesome and literally the Queen of Puddings). It may be time to get over this now as this was thirty years ago

Louise is a really lovely name in French and reasonably popular these days.

I am as English as can be and have a name that could easily be French (Charlotte Louise) and no-one has ever thought this odd.

drjohnsonscat my friend told her French exchange that English people ate owls.

These suggestions are really lovely, thanks :). Charlotte in particular is really nice, as is Nicolas.

I think it is a brilliant idea to link the children with the same kind of names! Heloise, Lucie, Charlotte work perfectly well with Mathilde, Corentin and Arthur to my French ear. Nicolas is a bit 80's in France.
Some other ideas:
Tristan
Antoine
Gabriel
Raphael
Etienne
Loic (loh-eek)
Quentin
Alexandre
Baptiste
Clement
Thibault (ti-boh)

Alix
Alice
Florie
Margaux/Margot
Sophie
Marianne
Marine
Enora
Erell
Nolwenn
Maelle
Clemence
Coline
Marielle
Typhaine
Faustine
Gaelle
Arielle
Lucile
Leonie
Zelie