European names

[babyjellyfish]

I'm pregnant with no.2 and starting to think about names. We don't yet know whether it's a girl or a boy.

We need a name which works in both English and French - it doesn't have to be pronounced the same way but I'd like it to be spelled the same way in both languages. It would be a bonus if the name is used in other European languages too.

Our son's name is Hugo, so we're looking for something with a similar sort of vibe. I like the fact that it's an old classic name with a long history but is currently popular in both countries.

Quite a few names have already been used in the family but the ones we definitely can't use are Joseph, Gabriel and Alice.

Any ideas?

Thanks 😊

Theodore

Claire
Odette
Margot
Leo

Anna
Sophie
Juliette or Julia
Marianne
Chloe
Zoe
Estelle
Madeleine
Sylvie - this is considered lovely and fresh to the English but I've heard it's considered a middle aged name in France, not sure about how the other names would be viewed although I believe they've all been in use in France.
Beatrice
Isabelle/Isabella

Boys:

Adam
Daniel
Leon
Joel

Is it a boy or a girl?
Magaly
Romily
Margot
Rosa
Lois
Edith
Sylvie -agree with a pp, i loved this but my french friend wrinkled her nose at it, but she wanted to call her son Martin 🤣

Arnaud
Milo
Leo
Raúl
Grégoir

Emma
Anna

Max
Victor

Louis
Percy
Joel
Lucas
Arthur
Ruben

Colette
Fleur
Clementine
Madeline

Sophie
Emma
Clara
Elizabeth / Elisabeth
Gabrielle
Colette
Marie
Hélène
Anne
Louise
Olivia

Matthew / Matthieu
Oscar
Arthur
Oliver / Olivier
Louis
George
Philippe
Remi

Nina
Jeannine
Mathilde

Carmen
Manon
Nina
Chantal
Sybilla
Ottilie
Matilde
Elodie
Ursula
Isadora
Claudia
Lou/Louise

Emil
Julian
Vincent
Leon
Yann
Otto
Orson
Etienne
Clement

Sebastian and Elodie come to mine straight away.

Elizabeth is a good one though there would be the decision whether to do s or z.

Alexandra? Alexander?
Paul?

Tristan
Sebastian
Viktor
Bjorn
Thomas

Not Sebastian. The OP wants it spelled the same in French- Sébastien.

Elise
Catherine
Charlotte
Caroline (although that's pronounced completely differently in French, Carol-een AFAIK).
Amelie
Natalie (or is it Nathalie in France?)
Natasha
Jasmine
Camille

Marielle for a girl

Elise
Amelie
colette
Fleur
Amie
Zoè
Darcy
Esme
Ottilie
Josephine

Pierre
Sebastian
Julien
Otto
Louis
Arthur
Leo
Oliver

Elise
Amelie
colette
Fleur
Amie
Zoè
Darcy
Esme
Ottilie
Josephine

Pierre
Sebastian
Julien
Otto
Louis
Arthur
Leo
Oliver

Margaux or Louis

Half of those aren’t spelled right in French, though.

oscar
leo
max
arthur
nathan
raphael
lucas
louis

lena
mila
elena
margot
nora
anna
leah
mia
anya
chloe
clara

Quentin
Clement

Emma
Céleste

Sylvie -agree with a pp, i loved this but my french friend wrinkled her nose at it, but she wanted to call her son Martin

Hah, yes. Sylvie is definitely considered an old lady name here, but not an old lady name that has come back into fashion.

I have, on the other hand, had "Colin"' suggested to me by a French person, who didn't understand why I found it so hilarious.

I like these but I don't think I can have a Victor as well as a Hugo!

Ha ha didn’t think of that!!

I'm in the same boat. Easy classics that aren't too middle age in France...

We have an Oscar
Samuel
Noah
Lucas
Marcel has come back and it's really grown on me
Martin is nice in a french accent too
I know it's not the same prononciation but I love Jean - and it ain't hard for the English
How about Luc?

I like Flora for a girl. I have a Zoe and a Juliette.

Sophie or Louise for a girl.

Louis for a boy.