Soliciting opinions on Pascal

[DarlingWednesday]

For a friend

It's a boy's name. It means Easter or 'to do with easter'.
It's the name of a French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal and a programming language was named after him.

There is a feminine form, Pascale.

It is easy to spell and pronounce, international.
Downside: people will put an e on the end or assume it's a girl.
Rhymes with rascal.

I have a northern accent. It doesn't rhyme with southern way of saying rascal.

If they're French or have French origins yes, otherwise no.

I'm a southerner and I don't pronounce it similar to rascal either.

I was thinking you're going to get loads of people asking if your friend is French.

She's not French, but she says she's/the name is Jewish? Says Pass-Kall

I'd say it was French in origin.

Common enough name among middle aged men in Ireland. I wasn't aware of a Jewish connection, I just think 'Easter'. Can't say it's a name I'm keen though as any Pascal I've ever met has been a dweeb.

'From the Late Latin name Paschalis, which meant "relating to Easter" from Latin Pascha "Easter", which was in turn from Hebrew פֶּסַח (pesach) "Passover". Passover is the ancient Hebrew holiday celebrating the liberation from Egypt. Because it coincided closely with the later Christian holiday of Easter, the same Latin word was used for both. The name Pascal can also function as a surname, as in the case of Blaise Pascal, the French philosopher, mathematician and inventor.'

I like it in theory. I can't quite imagine a little boy called Pascal, but maybe that's just because it's unusual. I do think it sounds quite distinguished for a man, without being too posh/pretentious.

Would the school nickname/shortening be Paz?

I love it!

Could shorten to Cal? Fab name!!

It's my dog's name (he's a boy - emphasis on the first syllable, not the second).

The only person I know with the name is a girl named Pascale, with the emphasis on the second syllable.

I obviously like it, but I wouldn't use it for a child unless I had French connections.

It's much more Irish, culturally speaking, than French. I knew a few Pascals in university in the mid 80s. Rhymed with rascal - no French accent necessary.

I was going to use Pascale as DD1's middle name - she was due on Easter Sunday, but then she was a week late so I went with my other option.

Have you asked a French person what the name Pascal is like in French? E.g. Is it a classic like Thomas or is it a bit outdated like Keith (no offence to anyone called Keith!)?

It's not for me at all, there would always be confusion over whether the name was for a boy or girl (despite the "e") and I don't have any good associations for the name either.

It doesn't feel like a name that a child would like to have to be honest.

math Why/how is it culturally Irish?

Irish

Lovely but I think old in French terms - maybe similar vintage to Francois? I don't know but perhaps a French person will be along with the facts.

Pretentious. Just call him Jack or Dan

I just think of this little guy...

That chameleon is cute

I don't think she speaks a word beyond GCSE french, but likes that it means "passover"

There's an RC saint Paschal en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paschal_Baylon.

It's a nice name. Unusual in this country without being too peculiar.

I have a northern accent. It doesn't rhyme with southern way of saying rascal.

It doesn't rhyme with rascal in my northern accent either. The emphasis is on different syllables, isn't it?

PasCAL
RAScal

Anyway OP I'm not a fan of the name.

The Irish Pascals rhyme with rascal rather than the more French pronunciation.