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?

Yes to using full names, even as an adult I have 3 friends who share the same name (Thomas...) in our extended social group and we always use their full names when mentioning them.

When I was at lycée ( and this was only 10 years ago) we still used to get called by our surnames by some teachers as well.

Who was asking if Laurence is always a girls' name and Laurent a boys' name?
Well yes of course - it works like Florence and Florent, Clémence and Clément. But confusingly Maxence is a boys' name.

And you will be delighted to learn that Lilian (who in GB is an old lady), in France is a teenage boy or a famous male football player.

A country that calls ‘ninety’ ‘four-twenties-ten’ is not going to lower itself to abbreviate first names

I know a female Maxence in her 40s'

Elodie: typical nineties name.

Luc: knocking fifty.

Médéric: dead posh.

Hugo: pronounced oo-go.

Coralie, Aurelie, Sandrine, Anne-Dorothée and Raphaelle : of those, only I'd say Anne-Dorothée and possibly Coralie is remotely posh, though you've reminded me of two women I know called Anne-Orange and Anne-Myrtille. I keep wanting them to meet an Anne-Clémentine and make a fruit salad ;-)

Swann: yes probably Proust, but I think it's usually a boy's name.

Félicie, Gaston and Gautier: Félicie: v. 19th c, not made a come back. Gaston: old country fella, marginally grandad chic. Gautier: well used among the chattering classes.

Claire: fairly timeless though not particularly of the moment.

Katell: definitely Breton.

Jolie: not used.

Céleste: have come across a few young'uns, mainly from French-speaking Africa.

Anything I've missed?

I loved lots of what I thought were beautiful french names and my husband said I'd listed the names of his friends parents!

DH and I both had this. The names he suggested in English were dreadful

Mederic malakoff is all I can think of whenever I hear Mederic.... It's the name of a mutuelle ( health insurance)

I absolutely love Sabine and can only imagine I've watched or read something with Sabine as a heroine.

I know a Médérique (girl), I also think of the mutuelle ("ici on vous aime avec deux m") Sabine has to be over 40. Gaston is a lovely basset hound, but possibly due a come-back, in spite of Gaston ya téléfon qui son (a silly song that young people won't know, soon).
Celine Karine Blandine etc are at least 30.
There seem to be lots of made-up name birth announcements of both sexes in my local paper, mainly shortish names with lots of random vowels. Back in the day the administration was quite strict about what you could call a baby but it is much less so now. I don't think it is as lax as in GB or the US though.

Céline, sorry.

I know loads of Coralies, not posh. Also a Doralie..

How fascinating- how is Jade pronounced in France? I can make a stab at most of the others, but am stumped!

It's pronounced Zhud.

And by zh I mean the sound in "plage".

Aliénor is beautiful. This thread is fascinating.

I'm a bit depressed by the idea that names might be considered déclassé because they're connected with languages of immigration.

I know a female Swann, pronounced anne with a sw. Her grandparents told me proudly that she had an English name. 😀

Thank you so much for the lowdown on Félicie, Gaston and Gautier. Félicie is about 20, possibly a little younger. Gaston and Gautier both a little older. 'Chattering classes' is v apt for the family I am thinking about

How about Antoinette and Stéphanie?

I don't know if anyone has done this one, but how about Marianne? I also have a vague idea that maybe it should be spelled Mariane with one 'n' in France, and is connected to the national symbol/personification of France, or some statue or other?

If so, is Marianne with two 'n's not actually French then?

at Swann

I was wondering about how to say Jade in French too. Zhud sounds awful. I guess it would be truly naff to throw an acute accent on there and go for zhaday- like Sade ?

Jolie: not used

Only used in countries where not enough people speak French to be at the parents for making their DD a hostage to fortune. Like the US.

If you want everyone she meets to pass judgement on your DD"s appearance, this is the one to go for

I have a Swann. Plus a Venus, Romeo and Dixie.. but also Sixtine, Achille, Hippolyte, Prune ( very trendy, Hermine and Hermence. Student bien sur!

There is also the Indian girls' name Priti. And Linda (once so popular here and in the US) means 'pretty' too, in Spanish. I suppose 'Beau' and 'Belle' are really mistakes, too.

Achille, Hippolyte etc. are very middle class then? They do sound quite pretentious, sort of Ptolemy equivalents, maybe? And of course 'Sixtine' does sound a bit bizarre to an English speaking person. What does it derive from?

Worry not, Marianne with two Ns is fine!

Stéphanie is late forties, Antoinette seventies or even older.

Love this thread. On French shortenings, what about Clo Clo?

I know a Cendrine which, to me, looks much prettier than Sandrine but, I'm guessing, the French succumb to their yoooneeek spellings as well sometimes?

for those unfamiliar with Cloclo's oeuvre:

Cendrine is a variant spelling, not massively common but not yooneek.