Maybe got it down to 3 girl names

[Sansa87]

We are due in three weeks and have really been struggling with names.

I think we’ve got it down to three names that we both like.

Francesca,
Paige,
Brooke.

Middle name is Vera Jean after grandmothers.

Opinions, (please don’t be too brutal 😂)

@abitfunny

Omg! This thread is hilarious, sorry *@itwillallbeokay* but you’re having a wind up clearly. My guess is that you’re either a keyboard warrior & beyond bored in life wanting some kind of attention, OR as English as they come with no ITALIAN HERITAGE again wanting attention. Maybe even a bit bitter for whatever reason... It’s ok though and referring to your user name it will all be okay. Take a breath and get some fresh air.

@Sansa87 use whatever name you want, it’s your baby, your choice. I also love Frankie if you do go with Francesca.

Why the need to be so rude? I'm half Italian and half English. Bought up my Italian father in England. I've just explained why many Italians (not all because there always exceptions) might feel upset by someone using an Italian name when they don't have heritage. I never said OP can't use it just made her aware of how culturally it could be questionable. How you've spoken to me is really nasty.

@Tallybeebloom

It's interestinh that all the Italians that have commented on here have said that they find it weird (although there is one person who comes across as a non-Italian living in Italy and seems to think this makes them an authority on what Italians think). I think what people don't seem to realise is the whole culture that this is happening in, which is why so many Italians find this frustrating. People wouldn't call their child the Spanish Julio if they weren't Spanish, but non-Italians would call their kid Enzo or Elio. It would be weird for someone not Indian to open an Indian restaurant, but loads of non-Italians will open Italian restaurants and even market them as Italian family-run trattorias or pizzerias. Ignorant stereotypes wouldn't be allowed of other cultures, yet we have to see shit like the Dolmio adverts on TV constantly. I with an Italian dad and Scottish mum, living between Italy and the UK, and in the UK was bullied for having a different name, not being seen as from here, yet now that people see it as cool to use 'different' names, Italian names are seen as fairgame. I'm not saying it's cultural appropriation (although if you take the meaning of the two words, people taking on another culture not their own then it could be argued it is, I understand Italian culture isn't one that has been subjugated by another so I can see why those of cultures who have been would say it isn't cultural appropriation if you take that meaning into account), but yeah, it does piss Italians off or roll their eyes.

People can call their kids whatever they want, and they may not say it to your face, but I do know that many many Italians find it weird when non-Italians call their kids Italian names, and names that people think aren't Italian, such as Francesca and Gabriella, are very much seen as Italian names in Italy. I used to work with a woman in Italy who if she met a British person with an Italian name, would call that person an anglecized version of the name. It wasn't out of spite, she genuinely thought she was doing the person a favour because she didn't think their actual name was Italian and assumed the anglecized version was their real name, because it would be weird otherwise.

Who is this one person? I agree with everything you have said in your post with regards to how some Italians view things. Unfortunately Italians are not allowed to have this view and I have been told it is laughable.

Who is this one person?

The wording of the person who said that they are in Southern Italy made me assume that they are a non-Italian who lives and works there and either married into or lives with an Italian family. Could be wrong but given how I know the majority of Italians that I know, both here and the UK, feel the same about it as you and I, I'd find it strange that all the 300 Italians they say they know would actually disagree with us, unless it's because the person is British so they've just never said it to them so as not to offend.

@Tallybeebloom

Who is this one person?

The wording of the person who said that they are in Southern Italy made me assume that they are a non-Italian who lives and works there and either married into or lives with an Italian family. Could be wrong but given how I know the majority of Italians that I know, both here and the UK, feel the same about it as you and I, I'd find it strange that all the 300 Italians they say they know would actually disagree with us, unless it's because the person is British so they've just never said it to them so as not to offend.

I thought the same but didn't want to say in case I got anymore negativity thrown my way again.

@itwillallbeokay isn’t it ironic how you’ve not responded to certain comments completely shutting down your views and opinion. Well done @MagpieSong - I won’t be responding to this boring toad anymore

@RainingBatsAndFrogs Yes, they do. In my home country it's all the rage just now to give children English names...but, bizarrely, really dated ones like Nicole and Yvonne (no offence to anyone called that...they're nice names, just not current right now).

I think Francesca is quite an international name now. Also names like Gabriella are used widely without being thought of as specifically Italian. I mean, all names start somewhere and then spread. Most names that we think of as English are actually biblical names, so technically Middle Eastern.

[quote abitfunny]**@itwillallbeokay* isn’t it ironic how you’ve not responded to certain comments completely shutting down your views and opinion. Well done @MagpieSong* - I won’t be responding to this boring toad anymore[/quote]
Why are you calling me a 'toad'?
There is no need for being so rude.
Also what is ironic about me responding to different posts?

@Geamhradh the only one being nasty and offensive around here is you.

@Crispina

There's a London primary school named St Francesca Cabrini

That's nice.

Love Francesca- beautiful name and the nicest on your list by far.

However, with regards using "foreign" names... can I please ask anyone to tell me an original English name? I'm English (no Welsh, Scottish or Irish heritage) on either side of my family going back generations. So I have no heritage to draw upon.

My children and I have normal names for the Uk,

Except my first name is French, my middle name is Hebrew.

My eldest daughters first name is French / Germanic, her middle name is Latin.

My youngest's first name is Hebrew, her middle name is Hebrew.

In fact, when I look at the names of everyone in my my very English family, there's not a single name of English origin between us. Yet, all of us have names that are commonly used in the UK. Think something like Charlotte (French origin).

So just intrigued... if you can not use a name from another culture if you don't have that culture because it's cultural appropriation, then what names could an English person use, that are genuinely English?

Or do we accept some use of names from other countries? If so, where is that line drawn?

Francesca and Brooke aren’t bad. I’m sorry but I’m not a fan of Paige.

Francesca Vera Jean has a much nicer tone to it than Brooke Vera Jean. Also Francesca has many nickname options, if that’s important to you.

@sarahfic, great post. The best, yet.

@itwillallbeokay
Crispina
There's a London primary school named St Francesca Cabrini
That's nice.

What an unpleasant and sarcastic poster. The point I was making just above was that many, many names we use are biblical (so not English) and foreign saint names such as Francesca. Presumably though you think that no one around the world should pick saint names unless the saint was their own nationality. Good luck with that.

[quote Crispina]@itwillallbeokay
Crispina
There's a London primary school named St Francesca Cabrini
That's nice.

What an unpleasant and sarcastic poster. The point I was making just above was that many, many names we use are biblical (so not English) and foreign saint names such as Francesca. Presumably though you think that no one around the world should pick saint names unless the saint was their own nationality. Good luck with that.[/quote]
No I genuinely meant that is nice. The saint they are referring to is Italian/American.
What is your point?

Hi OP let's get back to the original question.
Francesca is a beautiful name. I worked with a Francesca she was known as Fran which I also think really suited her.

Love Paige as well. I know a baby with this name, ignore the chavvy comments as it is not a chavvy name.

Brooke nice enough but I remember it from the eighties, very popular from Brooke Shields the actress.
Out of the 3 it's Francesca or Paige for me.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

As someone of Italian heritage I would find it (culturally) in bad taste for someone with no Italian heritage to use that name

Oh give over.

well that would be really silly of you wouldnt it ? my parents gave me a spanish name although there is no spanish ancestry whatsoever in our family , its not like babies have a say in what they are named is it ? do you think i need to change my name by deed poll so i dont offend any spanish because im ` using , it as you have so quaintly put it

Francesca. Sorry, but the other 2 are dreadful

Francesca

chaosrabbitland

Why quote me? My comment was "oh give over" to the nonsense suggestion that it would be culturally improper to use the name. Because it's a ridiculous thing to say.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

chaosrabbitland

Why quote me? My comment was "oh give over" to the nonsense suggestion that it would be culturally improper to use the name. Because it's a ridiculous thing to say.

no sorry , i meant the other poster who said that . im quite tired and didnt look really what i was doing

Francesca is lovely OP, I find Paige and Brooke both a bit dated & ‘American mean girl’.

Regarding foreign names, turns out the most popular girl’s name in Italy right now is Sofia....... a Greek name.

Any Greeks offended?

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

chaosrabbitland

Why quote me? My comment was "oh give over" to the nonsense suggestion that it would be culturally improper to use the name. Because it's a ridiculous thing to say.

Ok it's not a ridiculous thing to say and that is very offensive. Many people of Italian heritage have come on here to say how Italians may feel about others using the name. But that's how they feel. No one is saying don't use the name but just be aware that to Italians it may be viewed as culturally inappropriate.

@chaosrabbitland why would you need to change your name??
Who said babies have a say in their name?
If your parents want to call you a Spanish name fine. I don't know how Spanish people feel about that. Ask those that are of Spanish heritage.

@TownTalkJewels

Francesca is lovely OP, I find Paige and Brooke both a bit dated & ‘American mean girl’.

Regarding foreign names, turns out the most popular girl’s name in Italy right now is Sofia....... a Greek name.

Any Greeks offended?

I don't know ask Greek people. The name Sofia has been used in Italy, Morocco etc for over 100 years so is quite established there.