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Baby names

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

Original poster

French boys names that work in the UK

54 replies

ch1134 · 20/02/2015 20:10

Hi,
I'm after suggestions for French boys names that work in the UK please.
I want them to work in both and not sound overly 'French'.
For example, I like but can't use: Louis, Fabien and Maurice.
Less keen on 'Jean-Pierre'...
Ideas gratefully received! Thanks.

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StoneBaby · 21/02/2015 13:55

I'm French and DH is British and we called our DS Samuel.
It works in both languages and it's the same spelling too.
Good luck

SunnyBaudelaire · 21/02/2015 13:59

Patrick works well in France oddly

threepiecesuite · 21/02/2015 14:00

I like Matthieu and Arnaud and Félix the most.
Love all these names though!

2cats2many · 21/02/2015 14:02

Claude?

BikeRunSki · 21/02/2015 15:08

My Anglo-French nephew is called Marthew and his name confuses English and French people.

squoosh · 21/02/2015 18:31

Serge.

Such a cool name and works well everywhere. Anyone called Serge is bound to grow up to be super suave and handsome.

BikeRunSki · 21/02/2015 19:28

Gah!!

I meant "Matthew" in my last post. "Marthew" would be very confusing.

Branleuse · 21/02/2015 19:35

Yes Serge. If i had another boy, id call him Serge.

for the one above that suggested Nicholas, that doesnt work at all, because the english pronounciation sounds like a girls name to the french, and the french pronounciation sounds like a girls name to the english

MaraThonbar · 21/02/2015 19:36

Gaston?

BikeRunSki · 21/02/2015 19:39

Gaston will forever be a ladybird to me!

DoItTooJulia · 21/02/2015 19:41

Didier
Axel
And love Etienne!

Original poster
ch1134 · 22/02/2015 12:09

I'm thinking Pat, but unsure on Patrick and Patrice. Can it be short for anything else?

OP posts:
MaraThonbar · 22/02/2015 12:11

Haha, Bike - he was eternally the hairy thug from Beauty and the Beast for me until I met one IRL.

OP - how about Nelson?

KikitheKitKat · 22/02/2015 12:14

Rafael
Robin
Eric
Gerard

GreatAuntDinah · 22/02/2015 12:23

A lot of the names being suggested, like Patrick, Didier, Gérard and Serge, are veeeery middle-aged, and not in a good way. FWIW most French kids I know these days are called non-trad names like Enzo, Dylan, and Noé. Or Mohamed Smile

Original poster
ch1134 · 22/02/2015 12:33

Good point, but I actually love 'dad names' in the UK. Not keen on 'grandad names' like Arther/ Billy/ Albert etc. but I do like Pat/ Jeff etc.

OP posts:
GreatAuntDinah · 22/02/2015 12:36

Also FWIW in the same situation we went for a crazy Celtic name as DH is Breton. Re. Biblical names, you might need to know that Old Testament names like David or Simon might lead people to assume you're Jewish.

Original poster
ch1134 · 22/02/2015 12:37

I know. I do like Old Testament names.
And concerned that I have no reason to pick (Irish) Patrick...

OP posts:
olympicsrock · 22/02/2015 20:16

What about Francois? I have a good friend who is Frankie to his mates...

Qwebec · 23/02/2015 14:45

hmm, met quite a few Davids, Simons and Patrick and none were Irish or Jewish, I guess it varies from place to place.

Caleb
Daniel
Ezekiel (rare)
Isaac
Jacob
Joshua

Jennifersrabbit · 23/02/2015 14:54

I know a lovely Breton Yann. Although it took me a year or two to stop trying to spell it Jan!

Qwebec · 23/02/2015 14:54

oh Joseph
Bernard

Qwebec · 23/02/2015 14:55

splitting head ache so there may be repeats with others

youbethemummylion · 23/02/2015 14:56

Nathan is a really popular name in France.

kaycat · 23/02/2015 22:57

I have a Lucien, it works well here.