# More unusual French girl's names?



## emyandpotato

Any ideas? I love French style names but looking for new ones that I haven't heard of. I love Clemence, Clementine, Manon, Ophelie, Olivie, Sixtine, Fleur... but they don't seem right either because they sound weird in English, or pretentious, or I'm worried about pronunciation. So, does anyone have any ideas? Also open to boy's names if they work, or even surnames.


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## purplecupcake

I've always loved Ludivine. Some others - Delphine, Marguerite, Amandine, Christelle, Amelie, Ines, Arianne, Leonie, Arielle, Antoinette, Astrid, Isidore, Marielle.


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## MrsHudson

My nieces name is Clementine. I like it but always think of the old western song "My Darling Clementine". As PP said I really like Antoinette and Delphine is neat too.

Oh and Elodie is a very elegant french name.


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## Button#

I used to know a girl called Blandine. I also like Collette and Vianne.


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## Larkspur

My girl is Manon 

I admit I do have to say her name twice for people, and we usually use a nickname for her. I figure it will get easier as she grows up.

How about 

Adelaide
Isabeau
Marcelle / Marcel
Margaux
Noemie
Romy or Remy


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## emyandpotato

Larkspur said:


> My girl is Manon
> 
> I admit I do have to say her name twice for people, and we usually use a nickname for her. I figure it will get easier as she grows up.
> 
> How about
> 
> Adelaide
> Isabeau
> Marcelle / Marcel
> Margaux
> Noemie
> Romy or Remy

I'm really sorry Larkspur but I think I'm going to have to steal your name. Since you first mentioned it on the other thread I've been a bit obsessed and I realised yesterday it's pronounced Manoh not Manon and I love it even more. I think we may have to use it :blush: Sorry! 

Love Romy but with a Rory it doesn't work unfortunately!


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## cherrylips100

How about Anouk?


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## JumpingIn

Button# said:


> I used to know a girl called Blandine. I also like Collette and Vianne.

Me too. Same one? Brown hair, talks too fast? :p

I like Aurélie, Arielle, Vivienne and Amélie


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## Button#

JumpingIn said:


> Button# said:
> 
> 
> I used to know a girl called Blandine. I also like Collette and Vianne.
> 
> Me too. Same one? Brown hair, talks too fast? :p
> 
> I like Aurélie, Arielle, Vivienne and AmélieClick to expand...

Ha ha, probably not. I don't remember her talking too fast and she had black hair.


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## Larkspur

Heh, you'd be welcome to use it! I couldn't remember if it was your thread I'd mentioned it in the other day.

Yes, the pronunciation is lovely, it does mess with people a little. For now we call her Noni (Noh-nee), which I think will help people understand the pronunciation better. 

I didn't realise your guy was Rory, lovely name. Romy and Noemi (pronounced not dissimilarly) were on our short list too.


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## MrsPoodle

I love Anouk and Manon. Also Severine and Claudie. Oceane is very popular in France also right now.


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## emyandpotato

cherrylips100 said:


> How about Anouk?

I wanted this name had LO been a girl but OH hates it.


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## emyandpotato

MrsPoodle said:


> I love Anouk and Manon. Also Severine and Claudie. Oceane is very popular in France also right now.

I love Claudie too! I pronounce it too much like cloudy though :( Severine is cool, never heard it! I like Oceane but it's too naturey for us I think.


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## AngelofTroy

I used to work in a school in France, have you thought of Anaïs? Emeline? Inès? Odette?

French boys names that I love:
Yoann and Étienne.

Actually I love loads of French boys names but they're often spelt the same or similar to an English name that I'm less keen on, which would be a nightmare! Example: Nicolas


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## minties

I have never heard Manon. It looks very masculine and hard edged on 'paper', I would love to know how it is pronounced.

Anouk, Emeline and Delphine are gorgeous.


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## Larkspur

minties said:


> I have never heard Manon. It looks very masculine and hard edged on 'paper', I would love to know how it is pronounced.

Mah-noh.


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## emyandpotato

minties said:


> I have never heard Manon. It looks very masculine and hard edged on 'paper', I would love to know how it is pronounced.
> 
> Anouk, Emeline and Delphine are gorgeous.

I know, but I like that. On the one hand I am unsure about choosing a name that so many people don't like but on the other I really hate so many 'normal' names and want to go for one I love. I don't like frilly feminine names at all really. :dohh:


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## Lemonade

I really like Lilou. I saw/heard it a bit in France when I was there over the summer.


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## Larkspur

Ooh. That makes me think ... it's not French, but what about Lux?


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## Ummi2boyz

If you want to know how manon is pronounced in French, have a look at the film Manon Des Sources. Surely you can find it on youtube. 

You have Emmanuelle, Céline, Angélique, Maude, Mélodie, Mélanie, Estelle, Estelline, Marion (the end is pronounced the same as Manon), Aude, Noelle, Mathilde, Nadège.


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## emyandpotato

Lemonade said:


> I really like Lilou. I saw/heard it a bit in France when I was there over the summer.

Thanks! I like this name but it isn't perfect enough to use for my taste. It's a bit too girly I think. 



Larkspur said:


> Ooh. That makes me think ... it's not French, but what about Lux?

Love it and have for ages but OH hates it! I like light/celestial names like Vesper, Luna, Nova, Sunny...



Ummi2boyz said:


> If you want to know how manon is pronounced in French, have a look at the film Manon Des Sources. Surely you can find it on youtube.
> 
> You have Emmanuelle, Céline, Angélique, Maude, Mélodie, Mélanie, Estelle, Estelline, Marion (the end is pronounced the same as Manon), Aude, Noelle, Mathilde, Nadège.

Thanks, I know how Manon is pronounced, although when I say it in my head I still say 'man-non' :dohh: I like Maude, Aude, Noelle, Nadege from that list, though don't know if I like Maude enough for a first name and Aude/Nadege I'm not sure how to pronounce? Noelle is beautiful but to me feels slightly dated, though I did hear Noely the other day which I like but I guess sounds a bit made up!


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## Ummi2boyz

Aude is pronounced like O-d (the -e at the end is silent)
Nadège: na-de-j (e like in elephant), and -j is really soft, not -dj. 

Hope it's not too confusing


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## minties

I'm not good with French, being a common kiwi chick. I think my own name has a French origin? Michelle?

I will look for the movie. I keep thinking it's like the chef, Manu Feildel, but with an 'oh' sound at the end.

French female names to me are very pretty and feminine but I don't know many. Anouk is my favourite.


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## Ummi2boyz

Yes. Michelle is typically french. 

The -on sound is quite difficult for english speakers because it doesn't really exists in english. It is a very nasal sound. Not really like an -oh. But hard to explain in writing.


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## leiaorgana1

Manon is lovely! I also like Camille (double L is pronounced j like young) and we for the last one we'd have picked Mazarine (but he turned out to be an Arnaud)


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## Larkspur

minties said:


> I'm not good with French, being a common kiwi chick. I think my own name has a French origin? Michelle?
> 
> I will look for the movie. I keep thinking it's like the chef, Manu Feildel, but with an 'oh' sound at the end.

Haha, yeah, I'm really asking for trouble naming a Kiwi kid Manon. Most people are going to pronounce it like Mehnnin. :haha:

You have the first syllable about right. The second syllable is hard, as Ummi says... The o has about the same vowel sound as the Maori o ... Kind of a shortened version of awwww, the sound you would make if you saw a cute puppy.

Then for the final n, it's like you start to say it, but don't finish. You kind of just breathe the start of it as you finish the o sound, but don't close the sound off, if that makes sense?


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## irinac

Vivianne


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## Dime Cuando

Reine (prounced Rainy), Violette, Mathiled (mat-iled), Emmanuel, Annick.


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## StillPraying

I wanted Brielle for my DD but DH said no. If this one is a girl I mat push for Brielle again lol


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## JumpingIn

Dime Cuando said:


> Reine (prounced Rainy)

Reine (queen) is pronounced more like wren but with a French rolled R...Difficult to explain, but it's nowhere near Rainy


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## minties

Larkspur said:


> minties said:
> 
> 
> I'm not good with French, being a common kiwi chick. I think my own name has a French origin? Michelle?
> 
> I will look for the movie. I keep thinking it's like the chef, Manu Feildel, but with an 'oh' sound at the end.
> 
> Haha, yeah, I'm really asking for trouble naming a Kiwi kid Manon. Most people are going to pronounce it like Mehnnin. :haha:
> 
> You have the first syllable about right. The second syllable is hard, as Ummi says... The o has about the same vowel sound as the Maori o ... Kind of a shortened version of awwww, the sound you would make if you saw a cute puppy.
> 
> Then for the final n, it's like you start to say it, but don't finish. You kind of just breathe the start of it as you finish the o sound, but don't close the sound off, if that makes sense?Click to expand...

I enjoyed that explanation, thank you! I love the way you write. I'm practising whispering Manon in the dark so I don't wake madam Sophie up.

My mum reminded me today that we have some French heritage and that her middle name is Augarde which she said is a French surname from somewhere in our family tree.


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## stiletto_mom

Ummi2boyz said:


> Aude is pronounced like O-d (the -e at the end is silent)
> Nadège: na-de-j (e like in elephant), and -j is really soft, not -dj.
> 
> Hope it's not too confusing

Nadège is beautiful. We have a macaron shop here named Nadège :happydance: I pronounce it "Nah-dehge".


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