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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Amelie?

77 replies

pgwithnumber3 · 28/12/2008 21:33

Still on the hunt for a name we love for DD3 (due in 5 weeks) and on reading the thread about beautiful girls names, Amelie has stood out.

DH likes it BUT thinks we would have a lifetime of people saying "What, Emily? and us replying "FFS, NO AMELIE!".

Opinions please!

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misscathcart · 28/12/2008 21:35

I think Amelie is lovely and have heard it a few times recently. If you like it go for it.

preggersplayspop · 28/12/2008 21:36

I love it, was our choice for a girls name (but we had a boy). Think its getting fairly popular now though.

chequersandroastedchestnuts · 28/12/2008 21:36

I like it but I'm never sure about it with an English surname 'Amelie Bates' or whatever I'm just not too sure about.

My friend has an Amelie but her DP has a french surname so it goes beautifully.

Lulumamaloveslatkes · 28/12/2008 21:37

ha ha ! i have deja vous. tis why it is DDs middle name, not first name

i do really, really like it, and i think if we had a less forrin surname, we would have used it , but poor girl having to spell both her names ad infinitum felt too cruel

Mung · 28/12/2008 21:39

I think people recognise the name now,so she wouldn't be asked to spell it. I had to spell Thomas the other day...so no name is free from it!

Original poster
pgwithnumber3 · 28/12/2008 21:40

Lulu! How strange! Is it really your DD's middle name?

Hmm, I can kind of see how might not sound quite right with our very British surname. Amelie Owens?

OP posts:
Lulumamaloveslatkes · 28/12/2008 21:41

yes, it really is. I can show you her birth certificate !! i think it sounds fine with your surname . and goes lovely with the other DDs.

chequersandroastedchestnuts · 28/12/2008 21:42

See, I see that, and I think along these lines: Emily Owens, Amelie Cousteau (or something, not big up on french surnames!)

That said, it's become so popular that it's probably not as strange as I thought it might be.

Amelie, as it stands is a beautiful name though, really lovely.

CrushWithEyeliner · 28/12/2008 21:43

I just don't like or get the popularity of this name at all.

Emily, yes.

fishie · 28/12/2008 21:45

is it french emily or amelia though?

i like millicent. so numeric.

Original poster
pgwithnumber3 · 28/12/2008 21:46

Thanks Lulu! We may have found THE NAME!

chequers, I suppose that could be said for a lot of French names that we use, have look at this link I am surprised to see how many french names I thought were English.

OP posts:
paolosgirl · 28/12/2008 21:46

Like it a lot, but I think you will have to repeat "Amelie not Emily" a lot as it will sound different depending on the regional accent that pronounces it iykwim.

chequersandroastedchestnuts · 28/12/2008 21:52

Yes I agree pgwithnumber3. I just don't think Amelie has yet had a chance to 'bed in' yet and it became popular hot on the heels of the film as well which can make it seem a bit contrived.

But, it's a lovely name.

I think I found it jarred a bit when I first heard it commonly because the McCann twins are Sean and Amelie and always unconsciously in the back of my mind I was thinking it seemed strange to have one Irish name and one french one. I think, though, that it is becoming so popular that people will forget it is french soon.

ByThePowerOfBaileys · 28/12/2008 21:56

DS1 has an Amelie in his class - there is no confusion in his class about pronunciation,

very pretty name

estuaryfairy · 28/12/2008 23:19

It's my DDs name and she has an Irish surname, strange mix, but it rolls off the tongue like a little song. Not sure if she'll agree when she has to pronounce it and spell it though! She's 18 months and calls herself 'Umma' at the moment. Chose it because I messed up my name research when heavily pregnant and thought Amelie meant 'beloved' (her middle name means 'fairy') but it actually means 'hard working'. But she is a very beloved hard working fairy .

Kotek · 29/12/2008 08:34

I think Amelie Owens sounds very nice indeed.

People do tend to associate it as French following the movie, but I understand from French friends it is a lot more common in places like Germany, Austria and Belgium than it is in France even!

I don't think the fact that a name is not traditionally English is a problem if you like the name, and the link you have referred to just goes to show how many names are used in various countries and have crossed over to become well known and loved names in places other than where they originated.

I have noticed some people pronounce Amelie with an 'A' as in 'cat' and others with an 'A' as in 'father'. Do you have a preference?

Again, it probably doesn't matter as we have German friends who pronounce their daughter Ava's name (a name of German origin) as 'Ar-va' whereas English friends pronounce the name 'Ay-va', so it's not necessary to try and replicate a French pronunciation!

Anyway, to sum up, I think it is lovely and goes very nicely with your surname. Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy!

lljkk · 29/12/2008 09:37

I don't understand how to pronounce Amelie, and would probably struggle to spell it unless it became common (I don't know anyone with the name, only that there was a strange film of same name).

Neighbour child is Amelia and my tongue trips all over it -- DS2 has a speech disorder and I secretly think I'm slightly verbal dyspraxic, too.

Anyway, I don't like these names, but only because I struggle to say them. Which doesn't matter to OP except that other people may stumble often on them, too. Something to be prepared for, at least.

What about Amy?

Original poster
pgwithnumber3 · 29/12/2008 11:11

Kotek, thanks, I am glad you think it sounds okay with our surname. I would pronounce it with an "A" as in "cat".

llijkk, I agree, if you trip over names a name like Amelie is not ideal. Hopefully we won't have too many problems with it and no doubt and knowing my luck (I have a Grace and it wasn't common when I chose it! ) it will become a Top 10 name in the next few years and people will not question how to say it! We already have an Amy (cousin) so can't have that.

I need a middle name now, anyone give me any clues? Can't be Elisabeth or Rose (already DD1 and DD2's middle names).

OP posts:
foxytocin · 29/12/2008 11:18

i like Amelie. tell dh it will say something straight away about those who get it right or have that reaction he is worried about.

LiffeyeRamhairAnois · 29/12/2008 11:22

It's a very pretty name, but I think right now, she would be lost in a sea of Emilias, Emilys, Amelias etc.... The sound Ms and Ls is very of the moment.

Original poster
pgwithnumber3 · 29/12/2008 12:35

I think it also depends on where you live, near me, I do not know of one Amelia or Amelie or Emilia and only know one Emily.

The problem I find in choosing a name (especially a girl's) is that you ultimately end up in an "era" and there isn't a lot you can do about it so instead of worrying about how many Graces, Amelies etc there are, I have decided to just go with a name that we both love.

OP posts:
MumofBaby · 29/12/2008 17:06

Love Amelie, but it sounds like Anne-Marie- which is a bloody awful name.

Wolfblass · 29/12/2008 17:15

I love the name - but think it's getting so incredibly popular now!

DD is Georgia-Mae and i remember Georgia's not being popular when i was pg with her (i posted it on here and many other forums and it wasn't high on many peoples agendas although people liked it)

We still have to spell Georgia out to people though

If you like it go with your hunch!

MumofBaby · 29/12/2008 17:15

Georgia-Mae is lovely.

Othersideofthechannel · 29/12/2008 17:17

Amélie is the French version of Amelia
Emilie is the French version of Emily