French name we'd love as much as Inès?

[Noname94]

Hi everyone

I'm due another girl early March and we don't have a single name we both love.

Our DD is Inès (French heritage). We'd like something French that would also work here and is ideally shortish like Inès. We'd like it to complement her name if that's possible. To me, Inès was pretty but not too flowery or twee, a bit modern (but not too much so) and a bit less common compared to more classic names like Sophie and Amelie for example, although these are both beautiful names.

Thank you in advance!

@deeahgwitch , try saying it in an English accent.
I made up the meaning, because that's what posters often do on here

The only French child I know is a little girl called Sarah, which I love. It's pretty but not too frilly.

Ines and Sarah sound lovely together.

I don't like the French pronunciation of Sarah. The English is much softer.

Yves or Sylvie

No I got it - honestly!
The poor child would be teased mercilessly.

Fauve is lovely

Lovely for who? Fauve. Is that like the beans?

I'd prefer not to have 'toilet' in mid-name too...

Though it would take no time at all for some class wag to add the T to the end of 'Etoile'.

Sheesh...

Ines (with accent) is a perfectly acceptable French version of the name. It's been popular in France for a long time.

In the nicest possible way, the Spaniards won't give a hoot. But surely if you're worried, want to avoid an international incident, and prevent untoward consternation, ruffled feathers, and mocking laughter, the best approach is to simply introduce yourself as Ines.

I mean, it is marginally a name but again it lends itself to teasing. Ça sent le fauve means it smells like sweaty jockstraps

Kick him in the balls and then see if boys don't cry!

Me: Hi, My name is Shannon. I'm British with no Irish connections or heritage whatsoever despite my name being of Irish origin'.

Irish person: Why are you speaking like a robot?

Anouk ? Would go well with your oldest name.

Actually, I think the dialogue would go

Ines: Hi, I'm Ines, I'm from the UK
Spanish person: Hola Ines
Ines: And you can actually pronounce my name. Fuck, that makes a change.

Great username! 🤣

millicant , those are fèves.

Good one. 😆

Fauve means a big cat like lion, tiger or a kind of amber, pumpkin colour, there’s also a famous French dancer called Fauve Hautot who’s regularly on TV shows, she’s about 40. I’ve never met anyone else or heard of anyone else called Fauve.

(I’ve also never met or heard of any Inès in France except for de la Fressange.)

I would avoid names spelled with letters that aren’t in the English alphabet like Raphaëlle or Anaïs or Chloé or Irène as it can be a bugger when filling in forms or names that also exist in English with another spelling or pronunciation (Aliénor or Éléonore v. Eleanor) or names that non French speakers will mangle (Agathe, Yaëlle, Geneviève - bear in mind the latter was last used in the 5th century) as that will just be annoying for your daughter throughout her life. Also Fanny.

Inès is a current top 50 name in France, so I would go for something else which is quite current. Names like Amelie, Sophie and Isabelle are quite dated now in France.

I'd suggest something like Apolline or Céleste. Or Léa or Élise if you want another short name.

Otherwise, many names which are currently popular in France are 'international' names like Anna, Emma, Rose, Chloe or Louise, which would work just fine but might not have the specifically French vibe you are looking for.

Fauve has a connotation of 'wild beast', doesn't it, too? The Fauvism art movement was all about vividly, boldly expressed colours and a sort of 'wild' look.
It's a nice name, really unusual.

Jeanne
Eloise

Are you any closer to deciding on a name, OP? I'd be interested to know which names are on your shortlist or which name you choose!

Aurelie is very pretty.

@deeahgwitch , written down it's pretty, but in the UK it would sound like Orally.