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?

Just go with Matilda. Why complicate things? Especially for the child.

As a teacher - I would go with Matilda. So much easier when learning phonics!

Mathilde I would pronounce "mat-hil-de"
As someone who has an unusual name who has to spell it out all of the time, I would always choose a name that is easily spelt.

I like it as a French name, but I think it would sound a bit weird with the French pronunciation (i.e. with the 'e' unpronounced) unless you said it in an actual French accent (which people presumably won't if you don't live in France).

I'd pronounce Mathilde as mat-hil-de.

And I'd pronounce Margot as Mar-got.

I would read it as Ma-tilled and I think it’s lovely OP

Mathilde is pretentious and frumpy, whereas Matilda is pretty.

I would also, rightly or wrongly, pronounce it “Math-illed”.

Well the Queen of the Belgians is Mathilde so I don’t think it’s weird or odd ... I think how you plan to pronounce it is key here ...
Matt-Hill-da / ma-Tilda / Matt-eeld etc

lucyfox I’ve only heard it pronounced mat-Hil-duh and ma-tilled and we were going for the second one

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 ja slightly rolled r

That was my point.

Margot is only pronounced the French way insofar we don’t sound the t. But it is at least a well known name in the U.K. and everyone knows how to pronounce it.

It’s a bit odd to use the French spelling of a standard English name but not the pronunciation. And the French spelling does actually sound the ‘d’ .

French Mathilde 2

I’d pronounce as Mat-ild

Is that wrong?

I love it. I prefer it to Matilda

I find it strange that some of you are ignoring the E at the end of Mathilde. It should be May-hil-de!

Do you also ignore the A in Mathilda?

Don't do it!!!

A bit outing but one of my best friends is called Mathilde. Omg she hates it. Everyone calls her Matilda and she has to give a long speil everyone she meets anyone. She always has to go through the same story of why her parents called her that name, the history of why they chose it, how to spell it etc.

Yet due to Matilda being so common, no one can help but call her Matilda! She just goes by Matilda/Mathilde now after as she can't be arsed to correct people. In our friendship group shes called "matty" and no one ever calls her Mathilde due the mental block of trying not to say 'Matilda' which is surprisingly hard. It took me a while to stop the 'A' rolling off the tongue.

I usually never comment on any baby name threads or in real life as i don't care. But after many holidays and outings with 'Mathilde' and the annoyance it causes i just had to comment! Especially as its a running joke in our group now that she says her name is 'becky' or 'lucy' when meeting people in bars or ordering a Starbucks just to avoid the damn Mathilde/Matilda carry on!

I find it strange that some of you are ignoring the E at the end of Mathilde. It should be May-hil-de!

The only 'Mathilde' spellings I've seen have been French, and in French the 'e' is not pronounced. You say it 'mah-teeld'.

Not true. Listen to the French pronunciations above.

The d is pronounced, it just has a shorter e sound.

I am Scandinavian and I like it as a name especially how you wish to say it.

wanted to comment on this

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

Not correct. The Nordic countries and Germany knows the difference between A and E the 2 names are as different as Christine and Christina in Nordic / German

Of course they know the difference, my point was that Mathilde in German and Scandinavian sounds the same to British ears as Mathilda as the e is pronounced.

Tatiana - the 'd' in the French Mathilde is pronounced, much the same as a 'd' in English, like on the end of 'wood' for example (i.e. with a very slight 'duh'). The increased 'euh' on one of the audio clips is there just to ease transition from 'Mathilde' to the surname 'Loisel'.

Just re-read your post. I don't think anyone was claiming the 'd' wasn't pronounced, just the 'e'.

Listen to the 1st French pronuncation above and tell me that’s how the English pronounce wood. We don’t say woode.

And no they’re not changing the end of the name to make it easier to say Loisel, that’s how Matilde is pronounced.

So am I pronouncing the name wrong? Is Ma-tilled not a viable way?

I'd assume it was French and feel conflicted every time I had to pronounce it. Like with piece de resistance. Please imagine necessary accents!)

Mat-hil-de with the e clearly pronounced.

I would use the French pronunciation. In fact, I knew a child with this name, and everyone used the French pronunciation. She went through a phase of calling herself Matilda, but she eventually went back to it.

She was half french, though.