2 replies to this topic

[Yanny]

Both my husband and I are English but love French names. My name, Deanna ((Dee-Yann-uh)), is often mistaken for being French so the baby names wouldn't seem too strange (or at least that's what I keep telling myself! We are strange people though so it's not too bad). Etienne ((ay-TYEN)) is my absolute favourite name for a boy and hubby warmed up to the idea when we thought of the nn Eti/Etty. There are just a few problems - we have no idea what to call his siblings when the time comes as they will need matching names. Suggestions? We like Antoinette but it's a bit frilly and hubby can't stand the nn Toni. Maybe as a middle name? I like Dominique but hubby doesn't (he is just being fussy!). Also, Etienne and a lot of French names don't really match our families (Connor, Ellie, Teresa, David etc.) so might be extremely silly to them. We also wish to give all of our future babas meaningful middle names (like Rachel for my sister and Bryan for his father and grandparents etc.) but none of these names really suit the French thing. Etienne Bryan? Another thing, if we decide to stay here after baby #1, the kiddies will have these odd names whilst growing up in England. Is that cruel when their friends will have more ordinary names? Not that I have ever been one for ordinary but we don't want them to feel embarrassed of their names. Any ideas, suggestions or solutions? Much appreciated - Yanny and Aidan x

[Addison]

I love Etienne <3 I feel a boy of that name could fit in fine. There's much weirder names out there.

Alouette would be a good sister name for Etienne. Other good options:
Amelie
Aurelie
Elodie
Genevieve
Jaqueline
Odette
Isabeau
Violette
Margaux
Lydie
Heloise
Ophelie
Eulalie

Benoit
Alain
Gaston
Arthur
Blaise
Mael
Laurent
Percival
Lucien
Pierre
Cedric
Aubin
Pascal
Stephene
Yves

There's always the option of double middles: one meaningful and one french. A random example: Thomas Bryan Etienne ______________.

[Truffle_Berry]

Hello, maybe I can help! I am French-Canadian and will definitely be giving my kids French names! (Or at least names that sound nice in both English and French). Even though I speak French every day, I would hesitate to give my own children names with French-only pronounciations. English is the dominant language in my area (as in yours) so I would want to choose a name people won't trip over in everyday conversation. With that in mind, I think Étienne (with or without the accent) is a very nice choice!

As for sibling names, here are some suggestions that sound more deliberately French:

Stéphane
Antoine
Pascal
François
Pierre
Loïc
Rhéal
Rémi
Louis
Raphaël
Marcel

Renée
Yvette
Noelle
Cosette
Madeleine
Océane
Juliette
Simone
Colette
Angelique
Christianne
Sophie
Élise
Solange
Odette
Patrice

As for Étienne Bryan, it does seem mismatched. I think adding a more neutral-sounding name in between would sound better:

Étienne Alexander Bryan
Étienne Paul Brian
Étienne James Brian
Étienne George Brian
Étienne Thomas Brian
Étienne Felix Brian

In the end, as long as you and your husband love the name, you've chosen well