Mathilde?

[Hernam3waslola]

DH loves Mathilda/Matilda but I’m not keen however I do really like Mathilde and before I suggest it to him I’d like to know whether it comes across as trying too hard to be unique?

I know an Italian Matilde. I have never heard of Mathilde - where's it from?

It's the Nordic spelling (and probably some other languages too) so I wouldn't assume trying to be unique.

My concern in the UK would be people not pronouncing the e at the end

The problem with Mathilde is if you put the H in it, do you then insist that people don't pronounce it? I mean it'd be pretty weird unless you are actually French, to be named Catherine and expect people NOT to pronounce the H. So either you pronounce the H, and then it's kind of ugly without the a, or else you spell it Matilde, but is that made up name?

I know a couple of French Mathildes (though I do work in modern languages). I think it's gorgeous!

Mathilde/Mathilda is the same name in Nordic countries and Germany as the E is pronounced.

Only the French pronunciation would be different and you’d have a lifetime of correcting it.

Ah right. You say it's the nordic spelling, but it's not, really, is it, because all 60 million French people think it's the French spelling. I get it, because I have Norwegian family, my niece, who has a name like Henriette, it's not quite Henrietta, but the E is pronounced. You aren't going to get people to say the e in that nordic way I don't think.

Ah sorry, just noticed it is not the OP saying it's the nordic spelling.

I'd think it's a bit odd (assuming you are English) not to go with Matilda

Empress Matilda is a pretty awesome namesake

How I’ve heard it been pronounced is, I’m assuming, the French pronounciation where the e is silent

*be pronounced oops

I would assume the French pronunciation if I saw Mathilde. It's a French name to me. I like it, probably more than Matilda, but I can't explain why.

I would also assume the French pronunciation, silent 'h' & 'e'.

I like it.

I would assume the German spelling and pronunciation: Ma-til-de

Mathilde = Mat hill de

I would assume the French pronunciation but I'd also think you were pretentious choosing it unless your family is of French descent.

hundredmilesanhour that’s my worry with it, DH being 1/8 French doesn’t really deserve a French name for his baby

I would assume the French pronunciation as 2 not 2 syllables. I think it's absolutely gorgeous and think I prefer it over Matilda which I also like a lot. I don't think you need to be French to use it. I say go for it!

Sorry, typing error, I meant 2 not 3 syllables.

Told DH about it today and he loves it. He still prefers Matilda but I just oddly don’t feel it’s right even though I like it on other people.
Now the question is whether it’s too pretentious

Unless you’re from a country that spells it Mathilde then to me it does seem rather pretentious

Matilda is lovely and you would avoid any issues of pronounciation and spelling and having to say “yes it’s the french/Norse/German/whatever spelling, no we’re not french/Norse/German/whatever”

I wouldn’t assume I would just ask. Why would you assume someone was French when they could be German or Norwegian?

From that POV it’s a lot of hassle for not much.

Apart from anything else - the French pronounce all syllables equally so it’s MAATeeld, altho they do pronounce the final d slightly, whereas in the U.K. it would be rendered MaTILD.

I think you either like the name or you don’t I don’t think cropping the a makes much odds.

tatianalarina they’re two different names. I think cropping the a changes it completely as it makes it less frumpy.
I thought the ‘French’ pronounciation (of course it wouldn’t be exactly how a French person would say it) would be assumed as with other names such as Margot we assume the French pronounciation in England

They’re not different names, but variations of the same name.

Nobody in the U.K. pronounces Margot or Mathilde as they are in France.

The sort of French pronunciation of Margot is dominant in the U.K. but living in London, I never assume as people could be from anywhere. If Margot is German the T is pronounced.

Unless you’re calling your dd Maateelde you’re not really using the French pronunciation at all you’re just changing the spelling.

But if you’re applying that logic the way we say Margot (not the German way) isn’t French either as we go AR whereas they have an open a and a slightly rolled r

Anyway that’s besides the point as I’m not asking how to pronounce it I was asking whether it’s usable