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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Genuinely honest opinions needed please.

41 replies

MrsSET · 26/10/2013 21:07

Hey. I'm playing around with a name in my head and would appreciate some honest opinions on it because I really like it but think it could know it will be one of those names that is just a bit to out there.

I would use it if I had a little girl as, despite it being a boys name, I think it is very elegant, classy and feminine but commonly used.

I also think it goes with my first daughters name well which Maud. I'm wary of having another old fashioned name and making them sound like a pair of old woman!!

Anyway, enough of a build up now!

It is Etienne.

Let me know what you think. I know if I really like it overall I should go with it, but am interested in what you say.

While I'm here! If it is a boy, I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with Elwood/Woody Saul.

Feel free to suggest alternatives if you have any you think it is worth me considering.

Thank you!

OP posts:

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bundaberg · 26/10/2013 21:16

Etienne is a boys name

bundaberg · 26/10/2013 21:17

ha... i wish there was an edit button!

now i've re-read your OP I can see you quite clearly state that it's a boys name :-D

i wouldn't use it for a girl because I know that it's the french version of Stephen and that would really annoy me

bundaberg · 26/10/2013 21:17

btw I LOVE it for a boy

sonlypuppyfat · 26/10/2013 21:18

Elwood wasn't he one of the Blues Brothers

scrivette · 26/10/2013 21:19

I love that name, when I mentioned it to a couple of people they did think it sounded like a girls name!

lastnightopenedmyeyes · 26/10/2013 21:19

I love love love it for a boy, but not sure for a girl.

noblegiraffe · 26/10/2013 21:21

Why would you give a girl a boys name? That's just asking for all sorts of confusion.
People would be expecting a French boy.

WhyIRayLiotta · 26/10/2013 21:21

My initial reaction was that it was lovely. Very feminine. I don't know anyone named Etienne so wouldn't have immediatly pegged it as a boys name.

However... bundaberg mentioning that it is French for Stephen - would put me off it as a girls name. Sorry.

User3433399 · 26/10/2013 21:21

I'm not sure your daughter would thank you when she's older. Imagine meeting a French girl called Stephen - you'd think her parents were nuts (or didn't know it was a masculine name and feel very sorry for the girl being lumbered with it)

You may think it's pretty but honestly, don't do it. I know a baby boy Etienne locally (South East England), it's common enough that people will pick up on it constantly.

Allalonenow · 26/10/2013 21:21

The Etiennes I have know have all been male, it is the French equivalant of Stephen, so it would be rather like calling your daughter Harold.
If you have son, Etienne would be a lovely name, but I don't think it works for a girl. Have you thought of Stephanie or Estella?

googietheegg · 26/10/2013 21:22

It's ok. I wouldn't say it goes with Maud at all, not that it matters. Actually, I do like it, but I don't know if its good enough to pick.

User3433399 · 26/10/2013 21:25

What about Vivienne, Juliette, Ottilie?

All very pretty girls names with similar length and 'feel'.

Original poster

MrsSET · 26/10/2013 21:29

You've said the only thing that is stopping me... French for Stephen. But even despite that, I still keep coming back to it. I checked and there were 9 baby girls called it in the UK last year... I'm still going to ponder it..

Let me know if you have any other suggestions.

Re Elwood - my husband really wants it. I'll call the baby Woody though. Happy to let him have it. And yes it was one of the blues brothers!

Thanks for all your comments. Not sure how I'm going to shake it from my mind though...!

OP posts:

Slothlorien · 26/10/2013 21:51

I like it!

PicardyThird · 26/10/2013 22:01

Honestly, no, you can't call your dd Etienne. It will bite her on the bum on her first French exchange. At the latest.

How about Eloise? Elodie? Fabienne? Leonie? All in similar vein IMO and very pretty girls' names.

if you have a boy, mind you, Etienne would be a lot nicer than Elwood (sorry).

DeputyDeputyChiefOfStaff · 26/10/2013 22:08

I agree that Etienne sounds quite pretty and feminine but I think most people would know it's a boy's name so I wouldn't use it for a girl - sorry! I used to know an Etain, which has quite a similar sound, if that's any use to you?

ICameOnTheJitney · 26/10/2013 22:13

I didn't know it as a boy's name...why shouldn;'t the OP call her DD that name? it's not like "Mike" or something...it's feminine sounding.

littlegem12 · 26/10/2013 22:14

I think its lovely, sounds feminine and isnt Renee actually a male French name used be uk girls?
Unisex names are acceptable so why not?

CooCooCachoo · 26/10/2013 22:15

Definitely a boys name! Don't do it, your dd will spend the rest of her life explaining why she has a boys name.

FWIW, I already know an English Etienne, it may not be in common usage but people know it.

JourneyThroughLife · 26/10/2013 22:18

Etienne sounds pretty and lovely, I would have thought it was a girl's name and didn't know it was a boy's. I would go ahead and use it for either actually. I'm not sure people are that bothered about gender-specific names anyway, I know both male and females called Hilary, and a man as well as women called Carol.....

hettienne · 26/10/2013 22:20

Etienne is a better boys name than Woody!

littlegem12 · 26/10/2013 22:21

Journey I think your right, a name becomes unisex because someone uses it for someone of either sex if op is the first it doesn't make it less valid.

Trills · 26/10/2013 22:25

You clearly have different taste in names to me.

I accept that different people like different things.

looki · 26/10/2013 22:48

It is the French for Stephen and its not a unisex name. So personally I wouldn't call a little girl Stephen.

I think most people know this so its not like you can really say 'well it can be used for either gender' type of thing.

Modestandatinybitsexy · 26/10/2013 23:11

The shortened version of my name is a boys name, I've always used the boys name and apart from one incident when some foreign in laws looked me up and down clearly trying to decide if my boy was batting for the other team and I had secret man parts I've never had an issue with it. I'm always really amused by mix ups with my name.

Etienne sounds feminine and if I assume you're in the UK -not France- I don't think you'll get many questions about it. I always think that it may be a surprise at first but once someone's been introduced their name becomes normal.

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