Florence or Fleur

[DitzyDonkey]

I'm in Ireland so neither are popular here, however the popularity of Florence in England does put me off a bit as I want something not too popular (I'm weird like that).

I love Fleur dh prefers Florence, Flora has been shelved atm due to the margarine connection. Ds is Eli. I love the nn Flo and Florrie and would use them for either name (I know they are not usually nn for Fleur but I don't give a toss )

There shouldn't be any pronounciation problems with Fleur here with our accent.

So advice please, my dh is ready to pull his hair out over my obsession with baby names, I don't think I will ever pick a girls name!

Florence

Florence.

Fleur sounds like someone vomiting.

Please, no offence to mummies of Fleurs, but sounds like bleurgh. Just shows you, one mans meat...

Florence is nice but getting popular, but that is preferable to Fleur.

Florianne? How about Fawn?!

Flora. Forget about the margarine thing!

Otherwise Florence. Fleur in nice too, but a find it a little awkward to say.

It used to be a playground tease though, 'spreads easily' Too obvious an insult, imo

Florence

Florence. Love it. Know two adult Florences and they are two of the most elegant, sophisticated and intelligent women I know. In Ireland by the way. Very strong name.

Love Florence.

Also in Ireland & I don't know any. Love Flo & Florrie.

I'm not keen on Fleur, but agree it's nicer pronounced with an Irish accent than an English one. In the interests of research, I compared how it sounds when I say it to how it sounds when DH says it, & it definitely sounds much better in his (Irish) accent than mine.

Fleur is beautiful. As is Flora. Bored of Florence.

Florence.

I really don't think fleur is a nice sound.

I love Floriana

Florence, although I would also reconsider Flora.

Florentina?

One or the other must go better with your surname? both are nice choices.

DramaAlpaca thanks for the research re accents

I think I'm starting to reconsider Flora, which would actually be my favourite name. I worry that it would really stick out as weird in Ireland as it would not be used much at all here where as in England there is also the butter thing however there is more of a history of use.......am I over thinking?

Any Irish mumsnetters out there....how do you think Flora would go down in Ireland. Also do you know many children called Florence in Ireland?

I quite like the name: Florence.

I prefer Florence, I don't like how Fleur sounds.

I have a Flora. I've never heard of or met another one (although it seems to be becoming more popular on mumsnet), but the only person who's mentioned margarine is my Mum. Flora's brother and sister just think it's unfair that they don't get personalised butter with their toast too :-)

I've never heard the "spreads easily" thing, so hopefully it will be so long ago by the time she starts school that nobody will have heard it! Too late anyway, that is her name! She is often Flo. I umm-ed and aah-ed about the margarine, but it's by far my favourite name ever anid I'm glad we used it, it suits my lovely little Flora.

Flora has always been popular with certain groups in Scotland - quite a posh name.

It is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Floraidh, which is linked to the Irish Fionnuala.

Ditzy, I think Florence used to be a man's name in Ireland.

(I only know this because there was a male character in a TV show (made in the 1980s but set pre-independence) called Florence.)

I think it was used as an anglicisation of something, but I'm not sure what for.

www.babynamespedia.com/meaning/Florence/m

Florence is lovely.

Fleur is awful unless you're French or in France. Otherwise it's just try-hard awful.

Flora is nice. I like Felicity as well.

Florence - overused and IMO not a very nice name. Also, do you really want to pick the same name as the British Conservative prime minister did?

Fleur is nice I think. Flora is my cat's name as chosen by ds and it's grown on me a lot. Certainly better than Florence. I agree that Irish pronunciation of Fleur will improve it.

I love them both. Would have gone for Florence a couple of years ago, but now prefer Fleur, because less prevalent.

Fleur is beautiful and classy.

Florence is a bit too "old lady" but not in a good way, and I really dislike Flo as a nn and the various Flo links.

Flora is OK, but not as pretty as Fleur.

What about Felicity or Fenella? (Though they are still not as lovely as Fleur.)

Glad you liked the research, Ditzy

DH says that he has come across a few Irish males called Flór which might be a shortened form of Florence as badtime says.

I do like Flora, it's very pretty. If it's your favourite name you should just go for it. You might regret it if you don't.