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French and Italian - Help pick a name

17 replies

Nottodayplesse · 28/05/2024 13:34

My DH and I have been living in the UK for 15 years, he is French, I am Italian. We are married, he still has his surname, I changed my name to have his first and hyphenated (we decided it sounded better this way).
We also decided on Italian first name, French middle name. Im keen to keep it easily pronounceable as DHs surname isn't pronounced intuitively.

I love Francesca but would want to use Cesca 99% of the time and just Francesca on the birth certificate. DH would prefer Alessia or Elena.
Surname is Maillard-Ricci, middle name undecided but Camille is front runner.

Thoughts? Ideas? Opinions?

OP posts:
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Fontainebleau007 · 28/05/2024 13:37

Elena Smile

vincettenoir · 28/05/2024 13:39

I would go for a shorter first name if the surname is long. Elena is my fave out of your choices.

Isitisit · 28/05/2024 13:40

I love Alessia

FayCarew · 28/05/2024 14:07

Lionel
Maya/Maia
Nina

BlackStrayCat · 28/05/2024 14:10

Cecilia

Tuwhituwhoo · 28/05/2024 14:11

Elena

Pieceofpurplesky · 28/05/2024 15:01

Camille is the best name out of your choices! But I would say Elena for your first, if using Camille in the middle

Camille Elena sounds better than Elena Camille

Alasia24 · 28/05/2024 15:04

Pieceofpurplesky · 28/05/2024 15:01

Camille is the best name out of your choices! But I would say Elena for your first, if using Camille in the middle

Camille Elena sounds better than Elena Camille

Is Elena pronounced Elayna?

My ex is Italian and he has a niece with that name, pronounced that way.

I really like Camille, Francesca...while nice, seems a relatively common name to me (as in used a lot, not the other type of common!)

I also like Alessia. If it's pronounced as it's spelt, not like Alicia.

Springwatch123 · 28/05/2024 15:08

I’d go for Alessia or Camillle.

Alessia Russo (footballer) has made the name Alessia known to the UK, and Camille is more classic, but probably more known again due to Death in Paradise.

Elena could be pronounced the same as Eleanor in the Uk or spelt that way by people .

Moreteaandchocolate · 28/05/2024 17:48

I like Elena best but you might find some pronunciation differences with EL-e-n-a, El-AY-na etc. She might also become Ellie.

Francesca nn Cesca is nice but you might end up with a Frankie in the teen years, if that matters to you?

Alessia is pretty - may get shortened to Ally / Lissy, if that matters to you?

Ideas

Sofia
Gabriella
Livia
Evelina
Aria

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 29/05/2024 08:08

Camille Francesca would be gorgeous if you are happy to switch the order.

StartupRepair · 29/05/2024 08:09

I love Cesca Camille

RogueFemale · 30/05/2024 01:09

Both surnames aren't intuitively pronounced in English, neither Maillard or Ricci.

Camille fine as middle name, better as first.

Francesca is harsh sounding. Alessia or Elena very bland. So I can't vote for either.

jlox · 30/05/2024 01:18

Rafaella. Gabriella. Gia. Alessia. Anastasia.

Oriunda · 30/05/2024 02:27

Cesca unlikely to be pronounced correctly unless people specifically told how to pronounce/short for Francesca. Plus you can never determine what nickname she’d prefer/be given eg at school, eg Fran, Franny, Frankie etc.

Camille/Cammi is lovely imho as first name. I also adore Alessia (was a huge fan of Marcuzzi). Elena would be pronounced Ellena but agree many would mispronounce as Elayna.

FayCarew · 30/05/2024 18:31

You need something that works in French, Italian and English.
The surname is fine but you'll probably spelling it out a lot.

The first surname tends to get dropped in the UK (in my experience anyway) so you need something that sounds good with M..-R... and R...

SudExpress · 31/05/2024 21:57

I prefer Elena.
I love Francesca but not Cesca. (plus, your Italian relatives wouldn't instinctively use that as a nickname, and you'd be having to explain to them why it was Cesca and not Francy or Fra)
Alessia is so so so popular in Italy. I have a class with 6 of them and another with 5. I have 10 classes this year and not one without an Alessia.

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