Or is it too much of a stereotypical “French maid” name, or too cutesy, or somehow objectionable because it has the letters “[name]Babe[/name]” in it?
[name]Babette[/name] might be to silly for me as a first name, but as a middle it could be perfect - I love [name]Babs[/name] as a nickname and find [name]Babette[/name] less tired than [name]Barbara[/name]. Plus, [name]Babette[/name] seems to lend itself more naturally to the nickname [name]Babs[/name] than [name]Barbara[/name] does.
Not sure why it never really caught on as a middle name (among the people whose middle names I’ve known, at least), as it has the rhythm that many seem to like in a middle name.
I think it is! A lot of people seem to dislike -ette names but I like quite a few. [name]Babette[/name], [name]Annette[/name] & [name]Bernadette[/name] are vintagey and cool and [name]Claudette[/name] is my fave w nn [name]Claudie[/name]. Not getting the sexual vibe thing…maybe it’s from something I didnt read or see?
I like [name]Babette[/name] as a middle, but it’s a bit too much as a first name for now. I don’t picture a French maid (that’s more of a [name]Yvette[/name]/[name]Collette[/name] thing) but I do picture the nosy neighbor from [name]Gilmore[/name] Girls, [name]Babette[/name] [name]Dell[/name]. She was way over the top! I think it could be darling as a middle name, and maybe in five or ten years it might be ready to be a first name again.
@Random: There are definitely French girls named [name]Babette[/name], the name may be rare but the stats in your link and the one I posted below show there are some some out there. I’ve always wondered where it’s reputation of being a stereotypical French name came from, I guess from the [name]Brigitte[/name] [name]Bardot[/name] film?
Personally I don’t think it will age some where but it makes a very cute nn for [name]Barbara[/name] or maybe even [name]Elizabeth[/name]?
I agree this name seems very sexual in a way that other -ettes don’t, (such as [name]Claudette[/name], [name]Bernadette[/name], [name]Collette[/name], etc.) I honestly couldn’t tell you why I feel that way, but I do. It does seem French maid-sy…
I think it would be fine as a middle name. And if you are really set on [name]Babs[/name], I think it could be done. It just might take some getting used to for some people.
If you are living in the USA then I would say no to [name]Babette[/name]. The possible nickname “[name]Babe[/name]” and potential teasing from other children would not be a good thing for the child. However I have heard this name used in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium…I’m sure it’s possible that it would also be used in [name]France[/name] as well. I really love names that end in the -ette suffix or something similar. If it were me I would look into other lovely choices that end with -ette. For example [name]Annette[/name], [name]Colette[/name], [name]Antoinette[/name], [name]Cosette[/name], [name]Juliette[/name], [name]Nicolette[/name], [name]Lunette[/name], Joliette.
It’s pronounced [name]Bobette[/name] in French, but most English speakers would pronounce it with a short a - hence the connection to [name]Babs[/name]. ([name]Babs[/name] seems the most natural nickname for the English pronunciation of [name]Babette[/name], and [name]Barb[/name] seems the more natural nickname for [name]Barbara[/name] to me.)
I also put it in the same category as [name]Colette[/name] (which I find too tied to the author - but [name]Nicolette[/name] is pretty and used to be one of my favorite names!).
Hmm, I do wonder where the “more sexual than other -ette names” thing comes from. The [name]Brigitte[/name] [name]Bardot[/name] character (I’d forgotten about that until this thread)? Or is it because the “babe” part jumps out at English-speakers? Or both, plus some other association I’m unaware of (a character named [name]Babette[/name] who was a prostitute, perhaps, as someone mentioned associating the name with prostitutes)?
I really don’t like it, but I think it’s because the nickname [name]Babs[/name] doesn’t appeal to me at all. The “babe” thing could be an issue too. If I had that name and couldn’t go by my middle, I would want to be called [name]Etta[/name].
