More unusual French girl's names?

[emyandpotato]

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.

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...

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' 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!

 

[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

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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)

 

[Larkspur]

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.

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?

 

[irinac]

Vivianne

 

[Dime Cuando]

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

 

[StillPraying]

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

 

[JumpingIn]

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

 

[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.

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

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?

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.

 

[stiletto_mom]

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 I pronounce it "Nah-dehge".