Long list of names I don't love enough...

[ChesterBelloc]

I'm sorry for the mammoth list!

These are names that I like, but I don't love any of them quite enough, IYSWIM.

Miranda
Kezia
Lydia
Marguerite
Jessica
Imogen
Genevieve
Juliette
Severine
Jeanne-Marie
Melisande
Rosalind
Florence
Magdalene
Vivienne
Mathilde
Valerie
Vanessa
Veronique
Martha
Abigail
Chantal

If anyone can suggest similar names (not too 'pretty' I.e. not too many initial/ending vowels, fairly strong/classic, with a vague French connection), I would be very grateful... or pick those that you particularly like from my long-list.

Can't use Anna, Sophie, Elisabeth, Marianne, Beatrice, Evelyn, Charlotte, Eleanor... and have already asked MN for specifically French suggestions but most were too 'pretty'!

No idea why Vivienne is popular on here, it’s basically an 80s beautician from Essex.

Celeste I completely love !

Sidonie

Mackenzie

MacKenzie 😂
How is Melisande pronounced?
Is Lucie the same as Lucy just different spelling?

Not all French, bit names of French people I know.

Manon
Anouk
Athena
Frances
Pauline (which sounds so much nicer than in an English accent, more of a Pol sound)

Melisande = Meh liss ond

Ines

Solange

Stella

Valentine

Fabienne

Francoise

Susanna

Annalise

Nina

Agnes, French pronunciation is lovely.

I like Manon, but we already have one in the extended family. Already have an Anna, so Anouk and Anaïs would be too similar, unfortunately.

I'm also very fussy about sounds/pronunciations - e.g. I don't like how 'r' is pronounced in English - so there are many names I like in French that I don't like so much at all in an English accent - anything with an initial J sound, for example: Jacqueline, Jeanne, Genevieve... all beautiful with a soft French 'J' and nowhere near as nice with a hard English one...

Sorry guys, your suggestions are all much appreciated, I'm just a very fussy person who's already named 5 daughters and has about 17 nieces (really!) and I'm struggling to find a name that I Really Like...

@ChesterBelloc What are you daughters' names? Are they the ones in the list of names you can't use?

I won't choose names as I wouldn't give my child any of them.

But, whatever name you choose, you will love it because you love your child.

I went with my second option for DS and I actually prefer it now to my first. Not because of the name but the person.

So, my advice is to narrow down the list and then randomly choose one. Or wait for the birth and go for the first name that comes to your head.

I love Agnes in French, but not in English, and it's my brother-in-law's girlfriend's name.

@tdam they are the first 5 on the 'prohibited' list, yes.

@Lweji we can't risk leaving it until we see her face as I need to get her passport STAT (long story), so want to have the form all filled out well in advance...😅

I think I could learn to love Genevieve, for the reasons you say, it just feels like a risky strategy..!

Both DH and I quite like Jessica (to be mostly called Yeshca as a nn - also have a looong thread about that!), I was thinking Jessica Magdalene... still don't LOVE it tho!

I also do quite like Kezia, Imogen and Audrey... and Mathilde, but not sure how that would end up being pronounced.

Your daughters have beautiful names. I like your first choice, Miranda, or Ines. Jessica is lovely, but I much prefer your other choices.

If I were you I'd go with Mathilde, it's beautiful and suits your daughters' names.

Kestra
Tessa
Temperance
Constance
Astrid
Nyx
Thora
Tedra
Thea

Imogen goes really nicely with your other daughters I think. Still more ideas that also 'go':

Luisa/Louisa
Laura (the one I know rhymes with cow-ra)
Alma
Eleanor

Margot

Sylvie
Jacinta
Marielle
Raphaelle

Leocadie

I was going to Suggest Rowena as I felt it fitted nicely with your suggestions however not French and then you added you didn't like R sounds. However sticking it in just in case..

Heloise or variants Eloise/ Eloisa

Floralie

Honora/Honoria

Pia

Silvie/Silvia

Monique