what girls' names do the French middle classes turn their noses up at?

[NatureAbhorsAHoover]

What would the haute bourgeoisie think of as a tacky/trashy name for a baby girl? I speak french but have no idea what sounds déclassé to a French ear.

Not looking to vilify; am interested in the tonal sounds, themes and signifiers that surely exist just as much in France as here?

Clotilde... Boniface...

I'm not sure that what a PP said about names ending in 'a' being declasse...

I did say some, not all names ending in A. Aurélia, Sabrina, Diana, names like that that are liable to be given by people born to e.g. Portuguese parents.

Hippolyte is commoner than you'd think - it's a go-to name for the chattering classes.

Commonest name round my way is Mohammed, by a country mile

Posh names: boys - Enguerrand, Jean-Eudes, Edgar, Charles-Henri, Henri-Edmond, Amaury... girls, Léopoldine, Marie-Alix, Sixtine, Domitille, Quitterie, Benjamine, Bénédicte...

Sorry just checked back and I didn't say all -a names, though I was thinking it!

My sources tell me the following are considered "classé":

Girls: as mentioned by a PP, anything ending in -ine - Léopoldine, Sixtine, Apolline, Victorine
Also medieval names - Isaure, Sibylle, Constance, Bérengère

Boys: again, medieval names - Engeurrand, Cyprien, Amaury, Blaise

FFS didn't say some names... I need more coffee...

Sylvie is a fairly ubiquitous fifty-something name. Fleur would be unusual and fairly posh.

Medieval names - I used to know a very posh Mahaut, pronounced Mao. Not sure her parents were really aiming for Communist chic...

What about Ellouise where does that stand in France?

Isn’t Ellouise a made up name? It would be Heloise in French or Eloise in England.

@Vaglikeacavern Nope!

Héloïse or Eloise are very fashionable middle-class names.

PattyPenguin interesting. I love Blaise (probably as a middle name) but I think it would be seen differently here in England. Even I start singing 'and the monster machines!' after saying it!

Not to worry gauche I know what you meant now! :)

Other posh names I know
Petronille
Aramis
Léopoldine
Calixte
Philomene
Eloi
Prudence
Hortense
Constance

is there a trad French way of shortening the -ine names? Or is shortening not really done there? I love them but not sure if this means committing to the full name all the time.

I love all the names on this thread basically.

Now, all the Chardonnay mentions here, outraging.

'Tis a classic.

I know a very scary Tiphaine.

I love Apolline. Had never heard of that before. I'll have to get a cat

Éponine? Fantine? Cosette? (Guess my favourite musical)

Are these used today? How would they be viewed?

What about Cecile and Berenice? What kind of names are they? This thread is fascinating!

There's a pretty Boho clothes chain called Berenice in France...not sure what that's an indication of!

Cartoon In my experience the French don't shorten names. I've hardly ever come across it. Not to the extent that the English do at any rate.

Interesting that no one has mentioned Francoise....I've known so many Francoises...but none under 30!

Merci Priam
I thought that must be it.

Not all -ine names are chic though, some are like the majority of -ette names and not at all chic.

Cécile and Bérénice are in their 40s/50s, probably boboish fonctionnaires.
We don't do nicknames much and certainly not for public use, by mere acquaintances, at school for instance.
My children have a number of knights of the Round Table and King Arthur among their friends.
Daytime television names definitely 'place' someone or their family.

Berenice is quite trendy I think. I rather love it.

I also know a young French Sharon (pronouned SharrrONNE). It doesn't have at all the same connotations as in the UK.

Agree that Sylvie is a bit middle-aged now.

Anatole is one I've heard lately.

Oliver is an old French name, as seen in the medieval epic poem La Chanson de Roland ("Roland est preux, Oliver est sage")

How about names like Charlotte, Sophie, Louise, Marie/Maria, Helen(e)? (Ie girls names popular in the 1970s in the UK)

That's interesting madamfrog, the ones I know of are in their 30's now and from quite a well-to-do family (not really sure how to else to describe it and certainly have no idea what that would be called in France!).