Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Baby names

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

Original poster

is Amelie too popular

31 replies

rafa · 21/06/2009 23:01

just asking as i am 24 weeks pregnant with a little girl but seem to have seen this name in so many birth announcements recently!! dh is french and we have a french surname. Others names I like are Mireille ( although i am not sure it will be pronouned correctly in the UK), and Magali. Any opinions or other ideas? thanks!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
chisigirl · 21/06/2009 23:08

Amelie seems to have become very popular. There are 2 in my DS' class (only 24 children in total). it's very pretty, though.

I like Mireille but I think you (your child) would always have to be explaining how it is pronounced...

Scorpette · 22/06/2009 00:56

What about Elodie? Totally French, but easier to pronounce than Mireille. Although I like Mireille and don't think it's THAT hard to pronounce - some people pronounce completely bog-standard names wrongly, so I wouldn't let that be the deciding factor.
My friend and her French DH called their DD Mirabelle, which is adorable.

seeker · 22/06/2009 01:11

There is 1 Amelie in ds's school of 420 children - if that helps.

Cynthia32 · 22/06/2009 01:39

I like Amelie, but yes it is popular. My friend is half french and her child is called Odile (pronounced Oh-Deal) which I really like

Cork · 22/06/2009 03:55

How about Solene?My friend is Frenach, and that's her daughter's name-I think it's so pretty! x

ninedragons · 22/06/2009 04:32

I have a French friend called Clothilde, which I think is fabulous but I'm not sure how well British tongues would handle the pronunciation.

Bucharest · 22/06/2009 07:20

I don't like Amelie since the non-French hijack.....I love Magali and Elodie though...I like Gaelle as well....

MamaLazarou · 22/06/2009 09:20

Amelie sounds too much like Emily to be a name in its own right. IMO the child would always be having to patiently explain the difference to people.

I don't like it because of that awful twee film with that dreadful simpering woman in it. Ugh.

LOVE Elodie and Clothilde. How about Sandrine or Christele?

MagNacarta · 22/06/2009 09:21

Yes, tons of them in these parts, some other lovely suggestions on this thread though.

bellissima · 22/06/2009 10:02

My problem with Magali is that, for some reason, it seemed to be THE name screeched in a gutteral French accent across a park/supermarket when I was a student there in the early 90s. Fraid I concluded it was chavtastic. Apparently Annemone is well posh (at least I was assured as such by the so-named on my course!). I like Manon but not if you live in eg, Newcastle 'You alreet Manon, man??'. Or there's always the endless Marie-hyphens.

annasmami · 22/06/2009 10:25

Agree that Amelie is very, very popular and on that basis I wouldn't choose it.

I LOVE Mireille - don't think its too difficult to pronounce in English at all.

dizzydixies · 22/06/2009 11:02

Amelie popular here too. what about Otillie or Camille as alternatives?

BunnyLebowski · 22/06/2009 11:20

Droves of them in this neck of the woods too.....all with Yorkshire surnames - sounds ridiculous imo.

Mirelle is beautiful.

Original poster
rafa · 22/06/2009 13:11

thanks everyone some lovely names on the thread and new suggestions, Camille and Clothide beautiful names , still love Amelie but seems to be really over used .

OP posts:
tummytickler · 22/06/2009 13:22

I think the trouble with Amelie is not even that it is very popular, but that iits popularity coincides with the wonderful film by the same name.
I think Amelie will date your child hugely, more so than other popular names like Emily, or Alice which have been around for ages.
I think it has jumped into fashion too quickly, and as a result with become unfashionable very quickly too.
It is lovely though, and in answer to your question, i know of 3 (but i have 4 children and go to tons of nursery things, 2 different primary schools and loads of toddler groups so mix with a lot of kids).

A French couple i know called their dd Gloria which i LOVE.

CountessDracula · 22/06/2009 13:28

I couldn't watch that film
I just wanted to slap her
as a result I don't like the name

Claire2301 · 22/06/2009 13:29

French people I know have called their various kids: Lucie-Anne, Elisabeth, Anna and Ebonie if any help.

IveGotHamButImNotAHamster · 22/06/2009 13:57

How about Sylvie? Lovely french sounding name

dizzydixies · 22/06/2009 14:24

I LOVE Sylvie but dh wouldn't let me have it for DD3

MamaLazarou · 22/06/2009 15:36

"I couldn't watch that film
I just wanted to slap her"

Thank god it wasn't just me. I turned it off after 15 minutes of shouting at the screen.

Ebonie/Ebony for a white child is just laughable.

Hulababy · 22/06/2009 16:04

I like Amelie and personally prefer it to Mireille and Magali.

Don't know any children (or adults) called Amelie.

Helennn · 22/06/2009 16:20

I helped out at pre-school the other day. Two little girls were playing jumping off tyres - Amalie and Amelie, twas very confusing, "Amelies turn, no - it's Amalie's turn now" etc. etc.

CountessDracula · 22/06/2009 18:53

you're my wife now Dave
(that was to mamalazarou)

We clearly like and dislike the same stuff!

thedolly · 22/06/2009 19:27

Amalia (Ah mal ee ah) is just as pretty but less popular.

KleineMaus · 22/06/2009 21:26

I know a little girl whose mum is French with the middle name Amandine. Very pretty.

Swipe left for the next trending thread