Suddenly we hate everything on our list!

[TradedAtlanta]

Help! We've been collecting potential names for our DS and were busy debating which one we liked best when we suddenly decided we don't feel comfortable with any of them. They all feel too try hard and fail what my DH calls the supermarket test... would you feel like a numpty calling the name out in the supermarket? DH's family are French, mine English. Names we have on the list that feels try hard:

Xavier
Florian
Yann
Etienne
Elias

Sebastien was top of the boys list when we had our DD but a friend has since had a Sebastian so we don't want to use it now. Help! What should we call him?

You don’t need to worry about Elias and Xavier - the former very popular, the latter not that unusual - he’ll be called Eli or Xav day to day.

Yann is totally inoffensive

Florian and Etienne do sound feminine in English so avoid those.

Fabian, Lucian, Jules, Justin, Julian, Louis, Hugo, Alexander, Maxim, Nicolas, Gabriel, Raphael, Lucas, Marcus, Victor, Blaise, Damien, Henri, Leon, Raoul, Philippe, Ronan.. all work fine

Obvs w French spelling - Lucien etc, If you want

go for Sebastian. I didn’t use a name as a friend had (even though I told her I wanted it but that’s another story) and I am not even that close to that friend anymore, she never sees my kids and it wouldn’t have made the slightest bit of difference!

I like Xavier best on your list but noone in England says it properly so I’d avoid for that reason. Florian is lovely and doesn’t sound feminine to me. Elias probably next.

Elian
Dorian
Lucian
Lucius
Issac
Jacob
Thomas

French English couple I know used Leo and David for their DSs

I like your names a lot!

How about -
Patrick
Eli
Liam
Lucas
Zachary

I like Florian and Étienne from your list. Flo passes the supermarket test to my ears.
If we had a boy, I like Laurent but DP (French) thinks it’s too dated.

I know a few young Xaviers from all walks of life so wouldn't call that "try hard" - some go by Zavvy or Zav.
Love Elias, also.

I love all these names
I also like Jerome

How about Édouard?
Slight difference in pronunciation to Edward but a great classic name in both countries.
Our son is Edward, he is known as Ed, Eddy, and Ted by different groups of friends but Edward at home.

Xavier and Elias are both nice.

I was in the same situation as you and mine is called Hugo. We also liked Raphael.

I have a French colleague called Clement (with the accent over the first e) which I quite like

Thank you everyone for all your name suggestions. I will definitely suggest Édouard to DH. I think a name that has a nod to his French background, without being obviously not British and that doesn't really require a French pronunciation to sound 'right' would be ideal. That's why we liked Sebastien so much. I appreciate those saying just go ahead and use it anyway, but I know I wouldn't feel right having a child with the same name as my friend!

@Luredbyapomegranate Fabian is actually also on our list but we only like the short a pronunciation, not like the Fabian society and feel we would struggle to police that. Gabriel was the other boys name we liked when we had DD but both gone off it now.

Those would be quite unusual in small town Norfolk supermarkets. Might not raise eyebrows in some villages, I guess. I totally endorse choosing a name you like & sod what other people think... but you do care what other people think.

<Pause to think hard>
Nope, I've never met a child with any of OP's candidate names.

Yann is a wonderful name.

Beau
Mathis
Marcel

But I do love your list

It is really helpful that so many seem to feel our choices aren't try hard and might be alright in the supermarket. I suppose you are probably right that it depends where you are and what supermarket you frequent. I tend to do most of mine in Aldi and top up in Waitrose or Sainsbury's for the things Aldi don't stock. So we'll be needing a name that spans the supermarket spectrum!

Elias is quite common so won't sound try hard. It's the only one I like on your list.

Other suggestions:
Rafe
Daniel
Bastian
Bruno

What about Louis?

Dante if you like Gabriel?
I love Florian; also Tristan
Etienne and Elias are fine.
Love Hugo.
Xavier I think is a bit 00's now.
Caspar?
Christian?
Benedict?
Tobin?
Julian?

Off beam but I also like Gulliver and Merlin.

I know a 20 something or child with all of the aforementioned names.

would you feel like a numpty calling the name out in the supermarket?

Other than maybe Willy or Fanny, I can't think why you'd feel embarrassed about any names? If others don't like a name, that's their problem.

Love Fabian, also love Florian and Etienne which someone mentioned.

Bastian is on our list also 🙂

I like your list. I live in a market town, but commuting distance to London, so quite multicultural.

We have loads of European names which aren't common among English families. Things like Lorenzo ans Vittorio. It's completely fine.

However, if you're really concerned, then maybe something like Luc/Luke or Hugo or David as suggested^^

I love Florian. I’m laughing a bit at the poster who thought it sounded feminine, I work on a building site and literally every 10th man is called Florian and they’re pretty big and burly 😂