Bilingual Boy Names

[TheOneWithTheBaby]

Hello everyone,

We found out a few weeks ago that we are having a boy. We had quite a few girls names but boys I'm finding a bit trickier. We are a German/English family, so ideally we'd like names that sound similar in both languages or at least are pronounceable in both.

I think taste wise we are slightly more traditional. We have a long list of maybes so far but nothing is sticking somehow. Any opinions on our names or further suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

James (I know a lot in their late teens/early twenties at the moment but no younger children it seems)
George (so many younger children with it at the moment)
Benjamin (But not a fan of Ben so might be a Nono?)
Benedict
Jacob
Logan
Henry
Jasper
Edmund
Edward
Nathaniel (Nate, but th could be an issue in German)
Albert
Leopold
Samuel
Ezra
Sebastian
Christopher

Quentin
Thomas
Sebastian
Alexander
Finnian

all work well in German and English!

James
Henry
Edmund
Albert
Leopold
Christopher

Oliver?
Otto?
Frederick?

Sam works in any culture

Hmm not sure Sam sounds great in German actually...

Helmut

Adam

Dominic
Florian

Simon
Peter
Gregor
Robert
Patrick

Max
Joseph
Filip
Oscar
Jacob
Michael
Adam
Erik
Henry
Sebastian
Karl
Mark

Loads anything with a hard sound ie Erik/c will be Germanic anyway.

Nicholas
Christian

In my experience, Sam is pronounced the same in German. Samuel is not though.

Thomas and Joseph are international Imo.
Max would work well for German / English

Absolutely NOTHING with the "th" sound in it.

I'm from a bilingual German/English family and have a name with th in the middle.

It's a nightmare. Literally not one of my German relatives can pronounce my name.

Funnily enough I am in a German, English family, we have a DD called Sam, short for Samantha, but pronounced the German way of SamanTa.

Before kids, DP and I agreed he would name girls and I'd name boys, but we had 2 girls. If we'd have had a boy I'd have the name Henning, but no one in DP's family likes it.

Surely all the Js would be pronounced as Ys so James would be difficult.

Sebastian or Florian are lovely names.

Elliot
Arthur
Phillip

I really like the name Ezra best from your list.

Adam
Arthur

Matthias
Marcus
Simon

Thank you everyone for your opinions and suggestions!

I do think Sam is probably pronounced the same and any th sounds have to be out. That sounds really frustrating MissWimpy.

AnnaMagnani, you're right in hat J is more like Y so it would change the sound of e.g. Joseph completely. Not a huge fan of the German pronounciation of If it be honest.

For James I wouldn't be too worried as there isn't really a German version as far as i am aware, so people would know to pronounce it the English way.

Tobias/Toby/Tobi?

I know British and German men with this name.

Bananalanacake, I don't really know any Henning below the age of around 40. I think it's not quite made a come back yet which may explain your husband's opinion?

MamaDane, how would you pronounce Mathias in English?

Hi OP, I'm currently in Germany and have DS2 who is a James! Kids and adults have no problem in pronouncing it, definitely with a J sound and not a Y.

Agree to no 'th' sounding names, Germans find it very difficult to pronounce. Also W's are pronounced with a 'V' but DS1 doesn't mind!

Kids names at school / kindergarten we have come across

Alex
Jacob (pronounced Ya-Kob)
Fabian
Benjamin (ben-ya-meen)
Bastian
Peter
David (Daa-vid)
Oskar / Oscar
Felix
Levi
Christian

Hugo?