Originally asked for advice on a different platform but my sister recommended I post here!
My husband’s family has very strong naming traditions for boys, so I have known since before we got together that our first boy’s middle name would be Andrew. However, my family is French and I am struggling to come up with a name that works well in both languages- ideally I would like a French name but pronunciation is the biggest thing. Names we’re considering:
Oliver Andrew (feels very Irish Catholic to me)
Eliot Andrew (worried people will say it wrong)
Charles Andrew (tribute name, on the fence)
Théodore Andrew (pronunciation worries with nn)
We would probably use nicknames for Charlie or Théo.
The one name I really love is Sébastien but we can’t use S names. I feel very medium about all our options and would love some suggestions!
[name_m]Charles[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] and [name_m]Théodore[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] are my favorites! I think most people would say “thee-uh-dor” in English-speaking contexts, even though the accent might encouarge “theh-uh-dor” instead.
Maybe you would like…
[name_m]Bastien[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] (instead of Sebastien?)
[name_m]Felix[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Leonard[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] ‘Leo’
[name_m]Julien[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] ‘Jules’
[name_m]Edouard[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] ‘Eddie’ or ‘Teddy’
[name_m]Mathis[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Auguste[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] ‘Auggie’ or ‘Gus’
[name_m]Ezio[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]David[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Noel[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Timothee[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] (I think you could use [name_m]Theo[/name_m] as a nickname)
[name_m]Gustave[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] ‘Gus’
[name_m]Marcus[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Aubin[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Charles[/name_m] feels like a solid classic - though would you mind it has a different pronunciation in [name_m]French[/name_m] and [name_f]English[/name_f]?
[name_m]Théodore[/name_m] is elegant and strong though depending on where you are, it is likely to be pronounced Thee-o-door?
[name_m]Eliot[/name_m] is great - strong but soft, appealing and international. I know the [name_m]French[/name_m] pn is slightly different, but it’s not too far from the [name_f]English[/name_f]
Some new ideas:
[name_m]Bastien[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Louie[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] / [name_m]Louis[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Ruben[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Marius[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Nolan[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Max[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Lucien[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Marcel[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Welcome[/name_m] to Nameberry!
Thoughts on your current list:
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] → This doesn’t feel particularly [name_m]Irish[/name_m] or Catholic to me, but maybe it’s a regional thing?
[name_m]Eliot[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] → I think [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers will be able to say it just fine. I’m guessing the [name_m]French[/name_m] pronunciation is slightly different, though.
[name_m]Charles[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] → A great English-French crossover! [name_m]Charlie[/name_m] is cute as well.
[name_m]Théodore[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] → I expect you’ll get THEE-oh-dor and THEE-oh from most [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers. I suppose it depends on your toleration to frequent corrections.
You’ve gotten a lot of good suggestions already, but maybe also…
[name_m]Augustin[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Basile[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Maxime[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Maxence[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Antonin[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Emile[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Pierre[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Elouan[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Damien[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Laurent[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Loic[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Philippe[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Florent[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Eliot[/name_m], and [name_m]Charlie[/name_m] are all wonderful, and I love the middle name [name_m]Andrew[/name_m].
Ideas (though I don’t speak [name_m]French[/name_m], so perhaps some of these won’t work):
[name_m]James[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_f]Ollie[/name_f] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Paul[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Thomas[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]William[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Xavier[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_m]Zain[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
Thanks so much for all your suggestions! I particularly love [name_m]Julien[/name_m], [name_m]Felix[/name_m], and Max/Maxence. It’s encouraging to hear that [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] isn’t necessarily perceived the way I think it is. We’ve also added [name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_m]Adrien[/name_m], and [name_m]Nicolas[/name_m] to the list! I’ll have to think on pronunciation quite a bit more but I’m super grateful for all the help!
[name_f]My[/name_f] brain immediately said [name_m]Lockwood[/name_m] and then [name_m]Alexander[/name_m] but those came from a complicated tangent involving a lawyer in the 1700s named [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] [name_m]Hamilton[/name_m], so, sorry about that. [name_f]My[/name_f] serious suggestions are that out of the ones you like, my favorites are [name_m]Oliver[/name_m], [name_m]Nicolas[/name_m], [name_m]Lucien[/name_m], and [name_m]Julien[/name_m], in that order. I really don’t think you can go wrong.
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] doesn’t sound [name_f]Irish[/name_f] Catholic in the least, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Many or the suggestions above are not [name_m]French[/name_m], though many are international names that work in different languages. Suggest [name_m]Vincent[/name_m] 🩶 or [name_m]Louis[/name_m] (the [name_m]French[/name_m] spelling). You could just use [name_m]Charlie[/name_m]. [name_m]Or[/name_m] [name_m]Tom[/name_m] (international).
[name_m]Dennis[/name_m]? [name_m]Bernard[/name_m]?
Does [name_m]Oliver[/name_m] McSurname sound more obviously [name_f]Irish[/name_f]? [name_m]Andrew[/name_m] is for the apostle and my husband’s whole family is [name_f]Irish[/name_f] Catholic with names to match so maybe I’m just blinded by that haha. And [name_m]Louis[/name_m] is really growing on me- thank you for suggesting it!!
[name_m]Welcome[/name_m] to Nameberry!
Finding a name that work in two or more languages can be difficult, but you seem to be in the right direction!
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m] is a wonderful, classic, international name. [name_m]Théodore[/name_m] is also very charming and handsome for a boy. I think both flow very well with [name_m]Andrew[/name_m].
[name_m]Eliot[/name_m] and [name_m]Charles[/name_m] are great names, just not my favorites.
I also really adore the names that you added to your list from the previous suggestions. [name_f]My[/name_f] favorites are [name_m]Lucas[/name_m], [name_m]Felix[/name_m], [name_m]Julien[/name_m] and [name_m]Nicolas[/name_m].
I think you may like:
[name_m]Timothée[/name_m] / [name_m]Timothy[/name_m]
[name_m]Matheo[/name_m]
[name_m]Arthur[/name_m]
[name_m]Hugo[/name_m]
[name_m]Marc[/name_m]
[name_m]George[/name_m]
[name_m]Christian[/name_m]
[name_m]Robert[/name_m]
[name_m]Eric[/name_m]
[name_m]Noam[/name_m]
[name_m]Francis[/name_m]
[name_m]Killian[/name_m]
[name_m]Edmond[/name_m]
[name_m]Thierry[/name_m]
[name_m]Isaac[/name_m]
[name_m]Liam[/name_m]
[name_m]Oscar[/name_m]
[name_m]Benjamin[/name_m]
[name_m]Dorian[/name_m]
[name_m]Frederic[/name_m]
[name_m]Casimir[/name_m]
[name_m]Patrick[/name_m]
[name_m]Gael[/name_m]
[name_f]Eden[/name_f]
[name_m]Nestor[/name_m]
[name_m]Tristan[/name_m]
[name_m]Vincent[/name_m]
[name_m]Yves[/name_m]
[name_m]Florian[/name_m]
[name_m]Ismael[/name_m]
[name_m]Raymond[/name_m]
[name_m]Daniel[/name_m]
[name_m]Milan[/name_m]
[name_m]Valentin[/name_m]
[name_m]Raphael[/name_m]
Émeric
[name_m]Martin[/name_m]
[name_m]Gabriel[/name_m]
[name_m]Remy[/name_m]
I’m not sure if I have enough knowledge to respond to this, but I believe all McSurnames give me a very strong [name_f]Irish[/name_f] vibe. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if I met someone with a McSurname that had other heritage.
[name_m]Oliver[/name_m] sounds very [name_f]English[/name_f] to me, but I’ve met Olivers from so many different nationalities and ethnicities, that at first sight, I wouldn’t assume he is from a specific nationality or has a certain family heritage.