Claude Quentin or Quentin Claude

[MumThree3]

Baby name conundrum!

Baby 3 was a boy and he would have always been Vinny but a close friend used it and I’d rather not use the name now, she would rather that too!

so we are down to Claude Quentin or Quentin Claude and the family name will be Bonfrer! French heritage but we are British.

what are your thoughts on Claude as the first name or Quentin as a first name? I like both but have doubts about both. Namely, is Quentin too posh? We are normal income people. My other children are Jasper and Connie.

I also like Raphael/Raphy but my husband thinks it’s too Spanish to use.

I have until tomorrow am to choose between Claude or Quentin!

any feedback welcomed! Or other names but probably will be veeto’d by my other half as he wants me to decide asap!

We have a Quentin too! He's 17 now and likes his name - Q is a cool initial and nickname. We're definitely not posh and our kids went to the local primary/secondary.

Quentin is well known, timeless but not overused (only about 30 babies a year) and most people's reaction seems really positive.

We have family in Germany and France and the name is actually much more popular over there.

I'm less keen on Claude, especially if not pronounced in French.

Jasper, Connie and Quentin is a lovely sounding sib set!

Off topic but this name has serious Famous Five vibes because in the French translations of the books there’s uncle Quentin and George is called Claude.

I think Quentin Claude if in the UK.

I love Raphael.

I don't see why you couldn't have Vincent as the middle name, even if you feel you can't as the first name.

I think Quentin rather than Claude as it goes better with your other two IMO.

Also I agree with everyone saying Claude is very old fashioned and usually hyphenated like Jean-Claude or Marie-Claude or something. I used to know an old lady Claude who lived in an old windmill and had a horse instead of a car so I like it for that reason!

Quentin sounds great and is much easier to pronounce in English than Claude - it might become Clawd or Clohd...

If you can him that he'll sound ridiculous if you don't use the French pronunciation, which is unpronounceable for Brits. So I'd skip Quentin.

Quentin is great and I prefer the initials QC to CQ. I also adore the nickname Tintin too.

Oh, yes, QC is a great set of initials. If he becomes a senior barrister and all the male heirs to the throne die out, he coud be QC Surname QC.

Thanks! Just throwing out Clement as another potential as I like the nicknames Clem and Clemmie.
Thoughts on Clement?

Why would it sound ridiculous? It's a perfectly well-known name!

Clement sounds a bit unfinished...like Clementine but missing the lovely flourish at the end.

Quentin is ace!

I don’t think Clem or Clemmie are great shortenings for a boy, sound quite feminine to me.

Because it a very clearly French combination of names which together would be pronounced Cloud Kontan, not Clawd Kwentin. To pronounce it the British way would be as ridiculous as a French family deliberately picking two very English names and pronouncing them the French way (first not good example I can think of John Billy pronounced Jean Bi-i, better examples exist, but equally ridiculous). If you want the British pronunciation, only choose 1 French name to make it obvious that it's the British version.

Agree.

FYI Clementine nn Clemmie/Clem is very popular for girls

But Clement nn Clem is OK - I prefer it to Claude or Quentin

Still much prefer Raphael though!

I prefer Quentin Claude with Jasper and Connie but love both names equally. Also remember that having two first initials names in the house can be confusing (Connie and Claude).
I like Clement but it’s not as nice as Claude or Quentin.

How about Marcel?

I think Claude would be tricky in the UK because it’s the go-to French stereotype name. It conjures up a cartoon of someone in a Breton top and a beret with a baguette, rather than a real person.

I wouldn’t choose Quentin myself, but with a French connection and alongside your other children’s names I actually really like it. I can’t see it being an issue at school (my kids’ state primary is full of Winifreds, Millicents, Wilfreds and Leonards - don’t see why Quentin would raise an eyebrow!) and Quentin Blake is a great namesake. Quentin Letts maybe less so…

You can't use Clemmie as a nickname for Clement, it's a girls' name. Clem is ok I guess but Clement doesn't exactly roll off the tongue in an English accent.

I much prefer Quentin over Claude or Clement. It goes best with your other children's' names!

Clem/Clemmie sounds quite feminine imo

*Clement sounds a bit unfinished...like Clementine but missing the lovely flourish at the end.

Quentin is ace!*

I agree - Quentin is a great name, classic and well known but not overused. I really like it.

Claude makes me think of Claude Littner, on The Apprentice... agree that Raphael is nicer.

I like both but Quentin if I had to choose one (as the first name)

I too like Raphael, especially with your other children!

Quentin unfortunately sounds too much like you are ‘trying’ to be posh.

Claude is ok but Raffy wins for me!!

Quentin is a lovely name and Quentin Claude flows nicely with your surname.

We know a young Quentin and there's nothing remotely 'posh' about him... Quentin Blake, Quentin Tarantino come to mind. It's a great name and no different to other 'old man' names like Albert, Wilfred or Stanley.