Leon vs Frédéric (nn Freddie)

[TheGrumpySquirrel]

Narrowed our name choice down to these two.. thinking of choosing between them when he is born but what if I still can't decide?! Votes please!

Leon!

Okay, maybe Félix, Tristan or Leon/Leonard then.. DH isn't a fan of Tristan but I love it!

We live in the uk

I love leon, frédéric and sebastian.

As before love Leon (either pronunciation) but also love love 💕 Leo.

How do you pronounce 'Leon' , other than "Lee - on" ??

I would go for Felix!

It’s really hard to find boys’ names which work in English and French, isn’t it? And the ones that do work seem to get vetoed for being out of fashion.

Definitely don’t go for Hunter or Harrison. I don’t like them anyway, but the French will totally mangle them!

What about Hugo, Max, Xavier or Julien?

Oh and Joseph works well in both languages.

@BackforGood the French would say Léon (lay-on)

@LoveInTokyo I like Max but would prefer something a bit more unusual
Hugo - same issue with the H but I do like it
Julien - pretty sure we will use this for middle name (close family member)
Joseph is too plain / biblical for my taste

What about Orson? Too weird?

I don't like the nn Leo - too popular

Hugo would work in both, it just wouldn’t be pronounced the same. It’s a common name in France but if French people calling him “Ugo” would bother you then maybe it’s not for you.

Oh, Oscar is another one that works in both.

(My husband is French too.)

My nephew is Leon! Great name 😊

I had this issue. Now, many years later, I realise the French would have accepted almost any name . I know some English kids with real tongue twister names for the French and they just do their best to pronounce them. I regret dismissing Jake - the French would have done the caaaake type sound they make for cake, rather than the Jack that I thought they would say.

To answer OP: Leon definitely!

Oh they’ll have a go but they’ll cheerfully mangle a lot of non French names. I think I am going to have to change my surname to my husband’s because the way the French pronounce mine is just awful and I can’t take it any more!

I think of you called your child Hunter or Harrison and then you/they had to endure a lifetime of hearing it pronounced “Unterrrr” or “Arrrrreeeson” by the French, it would get old very quickly.

Will your son have French nationality or anything to do with the French administrative system? If so, do you think the different spellings (i.e. without accents in English but with accents in French) may cause problems? I am thinking computer-says-no type of problems? Not sure whether it would be the case or not but thought it may be worth mentioning.
Agree with PP that Frederick is a bit of a middle aged man's name in France. Leon is also seen as a bit old but in a nice kind of way.

Thanks Grumpy

I think it quite charming the way they pronounce names with a French accent. I have one DC with a traditional French name and one with a very anglosaxon name. The anglosaxon one is pronounced with much Gallic flair and everyone loves it - they see it as exotic or chic I suppose.

Fwiw kids at my son's French school have all sorts of weird and wonderful names, so yeah pretty much anything goes. I would agree Fréd'eric is out if fashion though, definitely a late forties name, like Andy or Steve.

Leon is a fab name. Freddie type names are way too popular