How would you rank these three names?

[Eloise34]

I apparently love French baby names as the top three for boys at the moment are exactly the style my husband and I like. Keen to hear how people personally rank the top three, they are:

Leo, Gabriel, Raphael.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! Just to clarify - I don’t think of them as ‘French’ names … like Jean or Claude etc would be,I just mean they happen to be the top 3 names on the charts in France right now, and I quite like them all.

Interesting and quite mixed views :) I’ve liked Leo for some time but feel it is absolutely overdone to the point of almost unremarkable/boring, but not sure I am brave enough for the other two.. Leo feels much safer, but do wish I was more confident in using a more unique name! So hearing views definitely helps

Raphael by a country mile, then Leo, then Gabriel but not much between them.

Not French at all 😂

Sound like the ninja turtles gang.

What's popular locally? Our primary school is awash with Raffertys. So lots of Raff being shouted. It would make me avoid Raphael.

But I love Leo.

Leo, Raphael, Gabriel

If you're in the UK I wouldn't say you need to be brave to use Raphael or Gabriel. They are both increasing in popularity. Currently Gabriel 64th and Raphael 156th on dark greener. You hear them both at playgroups etc.

Leo
Raphael
Gabriel

No British kid wants to be called Raphael or Gabriel.

I love Leo, despite its popularity.

I don’t dislike the others but they are not too my taste - find them too fussy unless the boy has some sort of Spanish background.

There are plenty of British kids with those names. Do you think they mope about thinking 'If only they'd called me Noah or Arthur?'.

they have those names yes, but they would have preferred other ones that make them less of a target for mean kids.

Gabriel , Raphael and then Leo but Gabriel is the only one I’d actually use .

Gabriel, then Leo

I don't like Raphael.

As others have said, Raphael and Gabriel are Biblical names, of Hebrew origin. They're used (and are well-known if not wildly popular) in very many countries.

Leo is a Roman name - it's Latin for 'lion'. (Leon is the Ancient Greek equivalent.) Also well-known and well-used worldwide.

I'd rank them Gabriel, then Leo (though I prefer Leonard or even Lionel), then Raphael.

Gabriel is my favourite but all lovely names.

I like them as angels' names but am not at all keen on Gabby/ Gabe or Raffy/Raff/Raphe so on this basis would go for Leo or use the others as middle names. When I was young those names were often signifiers of an observant religious family. This may no longer be the case .

Raphael
Leo
Gabriel

Love them all though.

No British kid wants to be called Raphael or Gabriel.

What do you think they'd all want to be called then ?

Those are both really common, really ordinary names. I’m genuinely confused by your comments.

I don't think any of those are particularly French

If you're going to use Raphaël, use the dieresis. I like Gabriel the best though.

None of these names would raise an eyebrow in London.

Kids have all sort of names these days and they are all used to it. Made up names, classical and biblical, Nigerian, Polish, Vietnamese - and do kids these days really take the piss out of names?

Raphael, Leo, Gabriel

Raphael (and Gabriel) are both biblical, not Spanish.

but they would have preferred other ones that make them less of a target for mean kids.

Like what?

Gabriel
Raphael
Leo

They are all nice, I just like Gabe better than Raff.

Leo is very overused I think, especially when added to all the Theos, so I’d avoid that I think.