Laurence for a girl

[peperethecat]

I really like the name Laurence but my husband is French and we live in France, and Laurence is a girl's name here.

You definitely couldn't call a boy Laurence in France, but could you call a girl Laurence in the UK? Too weird?

@SlothRunner

forvo.com/word/laurence/

I have a very glamorous clever French friend called Laurence. Pronounced Lore onse. I like it !

Pretty much the same only with a French accent! If you can imagine how the French pronounce Florence, well it rhymes with that.

No, not Lawrence instead, it is not a girl's name, unless she is tall with a beard.

I wouldn't use Laurence either, unless you live in France.

I think in all honesty they'd get picked on. Mumsnetters might like it but in the UK other kids would probably pick on her for it.

I have a German friend with the name, usually shortened to Laurie for friends.
It isn't pronounced exactly the same as it would be in the UK though.
After establishing she was a she I haven't ever thought about it again on reflection.

I know a (fab) woman called Laurence, pronounced the french way.

Lawrence is a pretty uncommon name these days. I don't think a child would be picked on.

I think it's elegant

I think it’s only fair on the child to choose a name that works in both languages. It is most definitely a boys name in the UK. Pretty sure it won’t be pronounced ‘prettily the French way’ if you’re not living in France and the poor thing will go through school being called Laurence (Uk male pronunciation...) & probably the workplace too... How about Lauren? V similar & works in both languages? Though obviously, as per everything, it sounds better in French!

If you are likely to be living in the UK, I wouldn't give her a name that is known to be a boy's name.

In my 12 year old's class of 26 children there are no less than five children called variants of Laurence:

Laurence
Lorenz
Lauren
Lorenzo
Loren

We live in Germany though. That was a random fact.

I would not call a girl Laurence if I was considering moving back to the UK, but its not the worst thing you could pick - at least she was born in France and it's not a random "aren't I cool because I gave my baby girl a boy's name" decision.

People will assume she's s boy/ man if they only see her name and she lives in an Anglophile country. It's not the end of the world and no way to know whether shell hate that or find positives in it.

No, I woudn't choose it.

Laura or Lauren are great names.

I honestly am shocked at how rude people are saying its ridiculous! You would never say that to someones face so why should people think it's ok to say on here?

I actually think it's nice, unusual but it's still a soft name..its not like its Dave of gods sake lol. Also she can be nicknamed laurie ..come one peeps have some manners. Theres a way you say things to be polite still.

Ha, it's OK. The baby is entirely hypothetical at this point since we are struggling to have one. I just wanted to get people's honest opinions to see whether this is unusable for us. I suspect it probably is.

The name Laurence in the U.K. is most associated with Laurence of Arabia.

It’s not even a good name for a boy let alone a girl.

99% chance she would be teased for it.

I think it's lovely.
Calling a name "ridiculous" because it's not English is bloody awful. Ignore ignorant people.

I don't think it's ridiculous at all, but if people in the UK think it's ridiculous then it's probably not one we should go for. I wouldn't call my son Michel for the same reason, even though it's a perfectly normal boy's name in France. Just testing the water really!

"The name Laurence in the U.K. is most associated with Laurence of Arabia." only amongst the over 80s, and it is pronounced entirely differently

People call their children some really silly ugly unconventional made up names.

Laurence is lovely.

Just chose a boy’s name that works in both languages and reflects both your cultures. There’s plenty to choose from.

What about Biblical names like

Nathan
Ethan
Gabriel
Adam
Lucas
Thomas
Noah
Samuel

Isaac
Simon

Or French boys names that also work well in English, like

Hugo
Louis

You don’t need to go for names that are potentially confusing like Maxime.

I’m a woman and I have a first name that was mostly used for boys when I was younger. I hated as people always commented. There was a famous ( Male) children’s TV personality when I was a child and I was teased for having the same name as him.

Might be weird if she decides to move to a country like the U.K. or USA as an adult, definitely a male name here.

Why not Dave or Terence?

If you are confident she won’t be returning to the UK as a child go for it, but if there is uncertainty pick a name that works in both countries.

Why not Dave or Terence?

As far as I'm aware Dave and Terence aren't girl's names anywhere in the world.

I knew a French boy called Yves whose family went to live in the UK. The poor lad was really miserable at having what sounded like a girl's name.

There are hundreds of names that work well in both countries, there's no real need to pick one that you know in advance could be problematic for them.

I know a french woman living in the UK who’s called it, it’s pronounced Lor RONCE, Lauren is better OP, if you like that noise.

Mm it might be a bit confusing here in the UK. I'd go for Laurey.

As far as I'm aware Dave and Terence aren't girl's names anywhere in the world

Somewhere on MN there is a girl cat called Fluffy Dave. [helpful]

I really like Laurentia.