Mignonne?

[HelloKittyGirl]

Just came across this and I think it’s quite possibly the worst name I’ve ever heard. Its recipient was not the slightest bit mignonne which made it rather unfortunate. The pronunciation is also very similar to minion.

Possibly you need to explain that it's French for something like "little darling/sweetheart"....

Literally too cutesy.

Its also means "pin-up", is a type of fruit, and the name of an app for casual sex...

Oh dear, I didn’t even know about the app…

But yes, means ‘cute/good-looking’ in French.

Makes me think of fillet mignon.

I know a Mignon and Minion never crossed my mind, but I can't unthink it now

Oh yuck!!

You could really butcher the pronunciation too. Mig-non-ee.

I think of beef then the hairstyle (a bun?)

My aunt, and godmother, was Mignon

Is that not chignon?...

There was a Mignonne in a ballet school story in a very old-school "Gels' Own" type annual I had as a kid - even at the tender age of 9 I wasn't a fan!

I think it's the kind of "name" that might seem exotic in England but actual French people would find it hilarious and awful.

I'll never understand this trend of using random foreign words as names, when they aren't actually used as names in their native countries.

Good grief, that's awful.

Would probably get a "non" from the mairie if you tried to register your baby with that name in France.

Definitely worse than Nutella, which was famously vetoed.

Like in the film "Mignonnes"?
😕

Mignons Morceaux

I don’t think the phoneme for the gno exists in English, or at least I haven’t heard it. Won’t people tend to use a hard G?

It makes me think of Henri III of France's mignons.

Reminds me of some sort of contraceptive pill

Sounds like it could be a brand of contraceptive pill to me. Ironic!

Haha! Great minds!

I hasn’t even thought of the contraceptive pill link.

Awful on so many levels!

I’ve known a few people called Mignonne, all West African. I wish people would consider that naming conventions are culturally specific before writing on name threads. My classroom is full of kids called things mumsnet deems awful like Mignonne, Tracy and Precious. Absolutely delightful kids.

@MadameMinimes I hear you. However I do think it’s wise, if you know that you’re going to be raising your child in a particular culture, to consider how any name possibilities might be perceived locally.

I think it is possible to agree that a name can be overloaded with unfortunate connotations in one cultural context while being popular and respected in another community.
See also Sweetie and Pretty.