Too French?

[Pleatherandlace]

We are a French family living in the UK. We are weeks away for the birth of our (final) child, another girl, but are really struggling with names.

Both of our older two girls have French names but ones that are easily spelt, pronounced and understood here. We really love Anais this time but aren’t sure if this is a step too French? Will we be subjecting our daughter to a lifetime of having to correct peoples and spelling it over the phone? Will she hate us forever? For reference we also have a difficult “foreign” surname.

What do people think? Thanks.

So my question would be is it French enough?!

Electricdreamz, yes, we would be saying at with the “ees” ending. We are also not keen on name shortening FrenchJunebug but I can live with Ana I suppose.

Thanks for all the opinions, glad to hear it’s a well liked name and not too unusual here. It took us so long to name the other girls that no one cared by the time we decided! it would be great to have a name ready to go this time.

Lovely name. Teach your daughter to tell people how to say it and not be offended if sometimes they get it wrong.

My DDs best friend is called Anaïs. Lots of people pronounce it incorrectly but it doesn't stop it being a lovely name! When I first met her I asked her mother (at 2 I wasn't going to get a sensible answer from the child!) And checked that I had it right but most people don't seem to. I wouldn't let that stop you unless it's going to annoy you to screaming point every time you hear it done wrong. I also know a Jolie a CD they gave up with trying to get that said correctly!

My married surname is Richter. I assumed everyone would pronounce it correctly because they'd have learned about the Richter Scale at school. How wrong I was!

Ha Bumblebee! I think with our surname it will definitely be French enough and if there’s any confusion I will ensure that the kids are clothed in Breton sweaters at all times

How is it pronounced - Anus? That’s how I would try to do it. If so do not pick!

the problem is you can't predict your daughter's personality or future
as many PPs have said, this will be frequently mispronounced and mis spelt, my DSs have what are to me very obvious anglo saxon names with phonetic spellings but people still contrive to mangle them
having a French surname helps as this will alert people to the fact that they have to take care with spelling and pronounciation, so if you are happy with a lifetime (in the UK) of saying
'yes, I'm French, I know, yes the perfume but actually you say it XX etc etc' then fine. Is that better than having people anglicise 'recognisable' french names?

I love it, but DHs friends sniggered and told me it sounds like anus. They're about as mature as 13 year old boys so I did worry about some of her future classmates having the same thought and teasing her for it. 🙄😒

I thought the perfume WAS pronounced Anay-Anay?!

But I'd pronounce the actual name ah-nay-is. Which sounds like it may be nearly-but-quite right. It's very pretty though.

I’ve never met one (secondary school teacher) and I have only seen the Gallagher’s daughter’s name written down so wouldn’t necessarily know how to pronounce it. Not common at all!

It’s nothing like anus that’s barmy - it’s An-eye-ees or mispronounced An-ay

Regarding not knowing the kids personality etc I think they grow up not knowing anything different. I have a name that is misspelled frequently & as a child it was just part of my identity ‘my name is x but spelled like x’ & I have many incorrectly spelled certificates etc. It’s just been all I’ve ever known.

The difference is a name that sets someone up for teasing - like people in here seriously asking if the initials BJ are ok

It's lovely.

Make me think of Annalise, Anya and Elise as similar sounding names, if not with similar heritage. Ana is a nice shortening, or even Isa (ee-sa).

I would mispronounce it Anay and even though I've now heard the correct way I would probably continue to mispronounce as it isn't easy to remember in my opinion

But if you do use it most people will eventually get used to the pronouciation

Lovely name. I know of two. No one mispronounces.

but Alban is a boy's name in France and very post. My son is called Etienne which I love.