French Girls names that work here

[RoseApp]

My friend really liked Raphaelle for a girl but has received some negative comments over here. What names might work well in France and the UK at the moment.

i know an Elodie, Elyse and a Sylvie but they are older. I suggested Manon as it works well in French and Welsh 🤣

i still think she should go with Raphaelle if she likes it but any other suggestions?

Clemence

Please don't no one will be able to say it.

Yvonne
Yvette
Cecile
Émilie
Annette
Marie

Clementine/ Clemmie for nn
Madeleine/ Madeleina

If people managed to get their mouths around Yvonne and Yvette, they'll manage Clémence.

Amélie

Clemence isn't pronounced how most people think it is and no one will say it correctly.

I speak French and have a goddaughter in Paris called Clémence. Anglophones unfamiliar with Yvonne when it first started being used in the English-speaking world will have said 'Wye-vonny' and the like, but they'll pick it up. In a worst-case scenario, they'll say 'Clemence' as in 'Clemency' without the final syllable.

I heard an American running a webinar see the name Gráinne in the chatbox and pronounce it 'Grainy', but no one died.

I would pronounce it Claymance but I’m guessing you mean they would pronounce it with a shorter last syllable

Odette

What about Vivienne?

That’s what I am but a child today won’t suffer the difficulty I did being brought up in the 80’s with the male Vyvyan in The Young Ones. Industrial NW England didn’t know Vivienne Westwood or even Vivien Leigh. So, I must have had a boys’ name!!!!

Emilie
Chloe
Cecile
Clara
Matilde
Josephine
Adeline
Melissa
Laura
Florence

I'm biased towards Welsh names, Nia which is pronounced Nee-ah, and Seren would work well in France too.

Alexandre
Louise
Sophie

@ginasevern , once you've heard Rapha-YELL shouted across the grotty cheapo supermarket by the trading estate, you can't unhear it.

Manon is very popular in Wales and although it is nice, it's ordinary.

I'm not sure how that would sound. I read it as Clay-manss.
I'd say it as something like Clay-monss (ish)

It doesn't matter how many posters say 'you only have to correct someone once' or 'they could learn', IMO you'd have to put up with it not sounding right to you a lot.

Clemency is OK.

I really like the suggestion of Constance

In response to a pp, does it matter if the names are not pronounced exactly the same in each language? I thought that was a given. Most of them are pronounced with slightly different inflections.

Surely it’s more important that each name in itself works well in both French and English?

I think French names are having a real "moment" in the UK at the moment.

There's something interesting about them and many are pretty but not weak.

I love Amélie, Esmée, Margaux, Manon, Juliette, Celeste, Chloe and Camille.

Celeste is gorgeous! I like Manon and Josette too. Amelie nice but quite common now.

I love all of these. French names are beautiful

Coralie

Rochelle
Delphine
Sophia
Celeste
Lucille

Some nice French girls names here, but Raphaelle? No. Reminds me of the ninja turtles. SO many more nice French names you could have @RoseApp

The Dionne quints plus one?
I recently read their story.

Francoise/Francine
Claire
Therese
Stephanie
Amelie
Florence
Anna
Vivienne
Genevieve

Gabriella

Yes I find it difficult to phonetically get things over but I would pronounce it like you