Help Requested - Annabel, Genevieve, Audrey, or...?

Girl Names
1

[name]Hi[/name] there,

We’re expecting our first child on [name]September[/name] 23rd, and we’ve elected not to find out the gender.

A name for a boy has been chosen - before we were even married, my husband and I discussed names, and as I ran through the entire alphabet (eg., “[name]Andrew[/name]?” “No.” “[name]Aidan[/name]?” “No.” “[name]Ashton[/name]?” “No.” - you get the picture) it became evident that he liked only three male names - [name]Jack[/name], [name]Michael[/name], and [name]William[/name].

I love [name]Michael[/name] to pieces, but wouldn’t use it as a first name at this point, simply due to its rampant popularity. So it’s between [name]Jack[/name] or [name]William[/name] (he’d be called [name]Will[/name]) and my husband and I have decided that he can make the determination if our baby is a boy.

That leaves a girl. Sigh. :slight_smile:

A little bit of background - we’re Canadian, and my husband is originally from Montreal (the English-speaking part - meaning, he’s not Francophone.) I bring this up because although we don’t live in Montreal, we do travel there frequently, and would like a name that is easily said in both English and French (I am bilingual due to French Immersion. Confused yet?) :slight_smile:

So…a name that can easily be said in French and English. A name that is not overly popular. A name that has nickname potential. That’s our criteria, and here’s what we’ve come up with thus far (and we are open to suggestions.)

[name]Annabel[/name] - nickname [name]Anna[/name]
[name]Genevieve[/name] - nickname [name]Gen[/name], [name]Genny[/name], [name]Genna[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name] - nickname [name]Dree[/name] - [name]Audrey[/name] was the name of my husband’s mother (now deceased.) Worried about rising popularity here.
And finally, the wild card - [name]Magnolia[/name]. Nickname [name]Maggie[/name]. I love the Grateful Dead. [name]Sue[/name] me. :slight_smile:

Last name begins with an L and has two syllables, if that helps.

And - a middle name. Something [name]Marian[/name] - we’re Catholic. Considering [name]Carmel[/name]. Any other suggestions?

THANK YOU!!! I’ve lurked here for several weeks, and you all do great work. :slight_smile:

2

[name]Annabel[/name] - nickname [name]Anna[/name]: [name]Annabel[/name]/[name]Annabelle[/name] is one of my favorites! I [name]LOVE[/name] it! :slight_smile: It’s becoming more popular, so this may be an issue for you.

[name]Genevieve[/name]: [name]Genevieve[/name] is another one of my favorites. :slight_smile: Have you thought of [name]Evie[/name] as a nickname? (The [name]Gen[/name] nicknames sound very much like [name]Jen[/name]/[name]Jennifer[/name]…)

[name]Audrey[/name] - nickname [name]Dree[/name] - [name]Audrey[/name] was the name of my husband’s mother (now deceased.): [name]Audrey[/name] is indeed very popular, so if popularity is an issue for you, I’d go with one of your other names.

What about [name]Audriana[/name] or [name]Audra[/name]?

[name]Magnolia[/name]: I think [name]Magnolia[/name] is great, and has a lot of spunk. If you don’t want to use it up front, what about in the middle?

[name]Amelie[/name]
[name]Camille[/name] (nn [name]Cammie[/name] or [name]Milla[/name])
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name])
[name]Cecile[/name] (nn CC)
[name]Coralie[/name] (nn [name]Cora[/name])
[name]Delphine[/name] (nn [name]Della[/name] or [name]Delle[/name])
[name]Esme[/name] (no good nickname…)
[name]Elodie[/name] ([name]Elle[/name])
[name]Francesca[/name] (nn [name]Franny[/name], [name]Francie[/name], Cesca)
[name]Juliette[/name] (nn [name]Jules[/name] or [name]Etta[/name])
[name]Josephine[/name] (nn [name]Josie[/name] or Feenie)
[name]Lisette[/name] (nn [name]Etta[/name])
[name]Marielle[/name] (nn [name]Elle[/name])
[name]Mirabelle[/name] (nn [name]Mira[/name] or [name]Belle[/name])
[name]Margot[/name] (nn [name]Maggie[/name])
[name]Rosalie[/name] (nn [name]Rose[/name])
[name]Simone[/name] (nn [name]Simmy[/name]/Simi)
[name]Sandrine[/name] (no good nickname…)
[name]Vivienne[/name] (nn [name]Vivi[/name])

Good luck to you! :slight_smile:

3

Thank you so much for your input, [name]Jill[/name]! :slight_smile:

[name]Amelie[/name]
[name]Camille[/name] (nn [name]Cammie[/name] or [name]Milla[/name])
[name]Charlotte[/name] (nn [name]Lottie[/name])
[name]Cecile[/name] (nn CC)
[name]Coralie[/name] (nn [name]Cora[/name])
[name]Delphine[/name] (nn [name]Della[/name] or [name]Delle[/name])
[name]Esme[/name] (no good nickname…)
[name]Elodie[/name] ([name]Elle[/name])
[name]Francesca[/name] (nn [name]Franny[/name], [name]Francie[/name], Cesca)
[name]Juliette[/name] (nn [name]Jules[/name] or [name]Etta[/name])
[name]Josephine[/name] (nn [name]Josie[/name] or Feenie)
[name]Lisette[/name] (nn [name]Etta[/name])
[name]Marielle[/name] (nn [name]Elle[/name])
[name]Mirabelle[/name] (nn [name]Mira[/name] or [name]Belle[/name])
[name]Margot[/name] (nn [name]Maggie[/name])
[name]Rosalie[/name] (nn [name]Rose[/name])
[name]Simone[/name] (nn [name]Simmy[/name]/Simi)
[name]Sandrine[/name] (no good nickname…)
[name]Vivienne[/name] (nn [name]Vivi[/name])

Out of your list, I really like [name]Josephine[/name], [name]Rosalie[/name], and [name]Delphine[/name]. I love [name]Charlotte[/name], but my husband’s ex-girlfriend is [name]Charlotte[/name], so no dice. :slight_smile: I also really like [name]Francesca[/name], but my husband and I are both fair and blue-eyed - I cannot, for whatever reason, picture a blonde and blue-eyed [name]Francesca[/name]. So I crossed it off my list.

Perhaps you or another experienced “namer” can answer - how popular is [name]Audrey[/name], really? Is it on the rise? If we named her [name]Audrey[/name], would she be one of three or four in her class? My husband and I both have classic names that were not popular when we were born (although mine’s now hugely popular) and we kind of liked that neither of us were one of many Jennifers or Michaels. I would not want my [name]Audrey[/name] to be one of many…if it’s on the rise, it’s out. We may use it as a middle name, though, to honour my husband’s late mother.

I will run your suggestions by my husband. Thanks again.

4

You’re so welcome! I’m sure more people will be along to help soon. In the U.S., [name]Audrey[/name] is presently #44, so that’s pretty popular. If you enter a name into the box on the left, you’ll be able to see its popularity.

You’ve got so many great names from which to choose! :slight_smile:

5

I love [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Carmel[/name] or [name]Magnolia[/name] [name]Carmel[/name]. (Simply adore the nickname [name]Maggie[/name])

6

You have some great names. I don’t think you can go wrong. I had [name]Genevieve[/name] and [name]Annabel[/name] on my short list…but my husband nixed them. Personally, I think if you go with [name]Genevieve[/name] that you should use [name]Eve[/name] or [name]Evie[/name] as a nn.

I am also a dead fan and think [name]Magnolia[/name] is a great name. It seems sweet and romantic. The only reason we are not thinking about it for a girl is that my husband isn’t fond of the nn [name]Maggie[/name]. Here are some other girl names that incorporate a “dead” vibe. I think you can’t go wrong with the dead origins b/c the songs come from classical references like nature, the bible, old blues/folk songs, literature, etc. Here are some on my list of favorites (it seems we might have similar taste). And I am not a hippie in my every day life…just have a soft spot for the Dead. Some of these names might not have a good nn, but you could use them as a first or middle name. Let me know if you need some options for a boy middle name…but [name]Jack[/name] is definitely in some dead songs.

Favorites:

  • [name]Stella[/name]
  • [name]Scarlett[/name]
  • [name]Jane[/name]
  • [name]Lucy[/name]
  • [name]Rose[/name]
  • [name]Viola[/name]
  • [name]Cassidy[/name]
  • [name]Althea[/name]
  • [name]Delilah[/name]
  • Clemintine
  • [name]Willow[/name]
  • [name]Lilac[/name]

Origins:

  • song “[name]Stella[/name] [name]Blue[/name]”
  • song “[name]Scarlett[/name] Begonias” (i am debating [name]Scarlett[/name] right now for a name for my daughter due in Oct.
  • [name]Jane[/name] = song “Truckin”
  • [name]Lucy[/name] - song “Loose [name]Lucy[/name]” Although, i don’t know if naming a daugher after the song “loose lucy” is such a good idea.
  • [name]Rose[/name] - everywhere in Dead songs. I would use it as a first name or mn [name]Rosalee[/name] / [name]Rosalie[/name]
  • [name]Viola[/name] - not a dead song but they cover an old blues song called “[name]Viola[/name] [name]Lee[/name]” my other choice for a girl name right now.
  • [name]Cassidy[/name] - song “[name]Cassidy[/name]”
  • [name]Althea[/name] - song “[name]Althea[/name]”
  • [name]Delilah[/name] - song “[name]Brown[/name] Eyed Women”
  • [name]Willow[/name] - song “Broke Down [name]Palace[/name]”
  • [name]Lilac[/name] - lilac [name]Rain[/name] is in “Unbroken Chain”
7

I love [name]Lilac[/name], [name]Willow[/name], and [name]Lucy[/name] [name]Rose[/name]!!!

8

[name]Annabel[/name]”I love [name]Annabel[/name], especially with this spelling. It definitely translates between English and French.

[name]Genevieve[/name]”Another beautiful name. I know a [name]Genevieve[/name] that goes by [name]Viv[/name] (also like the suggestion of [name]Evie[/name]); also translates well

[name]Audrey[/name]”Very pretty, although I don’t love the nn [name]Dree[/name] (feels very different from the ultra-feminine [name]Audrey[/name]); also translates well into French

[name]Magnolia[/name]”[name]Love[/name] it! I could never use it, being from the SE in the U.S. (it would be a bit much!) but I think it’s lovely. The nn [name]Maggie[/name] makes in more accessible. I’m not sure that the full name would translate as well into French, but I haven’t studied French since high school :slight_smile:

I’m a huge [name]Delphine[/name] fan as well! Also, have you considered [name]Celeste[/name]? It has some of the same sounds as [name]Charlotte[/name] (without the ex-girlfriend association).

Other [name]Marian[/name] names:
[name]Luz[/name]/[name]Lux[/name]
[name]Maris[/name]
[name]Regina[/name]
[name]Lourdes[/name]
[name]Mariam[/name]
[name]Miriam[/name]
[name]Manette[/name]
[name]Marabel[/name]
[name]Marilla[/name]

9

Possible Combos:

  • [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Willow[/name]
  • [name]Genevieve[/name] [name]Lilac[/name]
  • [name]Josephine[/name] [name]Rosalie[/name]
  • [name]Delilah[/name] [name]Audrey[/name]
  • [name]Delilah[/name] [name]Jane[/name]
  • [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Magnolia[/name]
  • [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Rosalie[/name]
  • [name]Audrey[/name] [name]Viola[/name]
  • [name]Magnolia[/name] [name]Delphine[/name]
  • [name]Magnolia[/name] [name]Josephine[/name]
  • [name]Magnolia[/name] [name]Clementine[/name]
  • [name]Annabel[/name] [name]Rosalie[/name]
  • [name]Annabel[/name] [name]Cassidy[/name]
  • [name]Stella[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name]
  • [name]Rose[/name] [name]Josephine[/name]
  • [name]Rose[/name] [name]Annabel[/name]
  • [name]Rose[/name] [name]Clementine[/name]
10

Americans say [name]Genevieve[/name] as [name]Jenny[/name]-vive i think the french say john-vi-eve which is prettier I think…

11

I wanted to follow up on the last post about the pronounciation of [name]Genevieve[/name] - your daughter will be forever going back and forth between “[name]Jenna[/name]-veeve” and “Zhean-vee-ev” (sorry for the weird pron. spelling!).

Personally, even though [name]Audrey[/name] is #44 I don’t think it’s that popular/common. [name]Don[/name]'t know many people with this name, so …

I think [name]Annabelle[/name] would be a great one that could go back and forth but it’s more “popular” to me with all the Isabelles and Isabellas and Annabellas and so on …

12

I love [name]Michael[/name] to pieces, but wouldn’t use it as a first name at this point, simply due to its rampant popularity. So it’s between [name]Jack[/name] or [name]William[/name] (he’d be called [name]Will[/name]) and my husband and I have decided that he can make the determination if our baby is a boy.

I love both [name]Jack[/name] and [name]William[/name] nn [name]Will[/name].

That leaves a girl. Sigh. :slight_smile:

A little bit of background - we’re Canadian, and my husband is originally from Montreal (the English-speaking part - meaning, he’s not Francophone.) I bring this up because although we don’t live in Montreal, we do travel there frequently, and would like a name that is easily said in both English and French (I am bilingual due to French Immersion. Confused yet?) :slight_smile:

So…a name that can easily be said in French and English. A name that is not overly popular. A name that has nickname potential. That’s our criteria, and here’s what we’ve come up with thus far (and we are open to suggestions.)

[name]Annabel[/name] - nickname [name]Anna[/name] - love
[name]Genevieve[/name] - nickname [name]Gen[/name], [name]Genny[/name], [name]Genna[/name] - love with nn [name]Evie[/name] or even [name]Vivi[/name]
[name]Audrey[/name] - nickname [name]Dree[/name] - [name]Audrey[/name] was the name of my husband’s mother (now deceased.) Worried about rising popularity here. - So popular. I love [name]Audra[/name].
And finally, the wild card - [name]Magnolia[/name]. Nickname [name]Maggie[/name]. - I despise the Grateful Dead. My husband is a huge fan and has been to 143 shows. But I do love the name [name]Magnolia[/name]. Her nn could be [name]Maggie[/name], [name]Maisie[/name], or [name]Nola[/name]. I think of a tree rather than [name]Sugar[/name] [name]Magnolia[/name].

Last name begins with an L and has two syllables, if that helps.

And - a middle name. Something [name]Marian[/name] - we’re Catholic. Considering [name]Carmel[/name]. Any other suggestions? - [name]Love[/name] [name]Marian[/name]. [name]Love[/name] [name]Carmel[/name].

[name]Giselle[/name] [name]Marian[/name]
[name]Estelle[/name] [name]Marian[/name]
[name]Blanche[/name] [name]Marian[/name], oops, initials are B.M. Ick.
[name]Camille[/name] [name]Marian[/name]
Illuminee [name]Marian[/name] nn [name]Minnie[/name] or [name]Lulu[/name] - extremely different!
[name]Rafaela[/name] [name]Marian[/name] nn [name]Raffi[/name]
[name]Martine[/name] (instead of [name]Marian[/name])
Francoise [name]Marian[/name] - I don’t know if Francoise is cool or not in your neck of the woods. But I love [name]Frances[/name] and [name]Francine[/name] nn [name]Francie[/name] or [name]France[/name]. I would pick [name]Francine[/name].

[name]Love[/name] [name]Genevieve[/name] so much.
[name]Love[/name] [name]Martine[/name] [name]Amelie[/name].
My favorite might be [name]Francine[/name].

13

I think that [name]Audrey[/name] is a chic international name, but unfortunately it is on the rise.

Some names popular in [name]France[/name], although I’m not sure if the pronunciation easily converts to English…

[name]Chloe[/name]
[name]Alexia[/name] (nn [name]Lexi[/name])
[name]Veronique[/name] (nn [name]Vero[/name])
[name]Clara[/name]
[name]Lily[/name]
[name]Rose[/name]
[name]Camille[/name] (nn [name]Milla[/name] when in the States)
[name]Elise[/name]
[name]Elena[/name], [name]Lana[/name], [name]Lena[/name] (nn [name]Lane[/name] or [name]Laney[/name])

14

Speaking as an adult [name]Audrey[/name] (I’m 24), I gotta say that’s my favorite. Growing up I never met another [name]Audrey[/name], but I guess it’s getting popular now, bummer. But it’s an awesome name, so if you love it, just go for it! Good luck!

15

[name]Annabel[/name] is a great choice - sophisticated, pronounceable in French and English and not overly popular. However, it does fit into the current trend of -bel names such as [name]Isabel[/name] and [name]Isabella[/name], and [name]Anna[/name] has always been very popular- neither of its options for nicknames are particularly unusual. The ‘el’ end may slide and combine with your surname.

[name]Genevieve[/name] - I agree with previous posters about the disparity between the pronunciation of [name]Genevieve[/name] in French and English. It is a lovely name, and if you can cope with the two pronunciations then go for it! It’s rather long so you may end up using a nickname ([name]Jenny[/name], Vivvy, [name]Evie[/name], Veevee, [name]Neve[/name]) so the pronunciation may not be a problem.

[name]Audrey[/name] - Regarding its popularity, it is indeed #44 in the whole of the US, and whilst this sounds quite impressive, it does only count for 0.26% of births - that’s 2 and a half Audreys in every 1000 births. [name]Audrey[/name]'s popularity also varies regionally - the US gives the top 100 names for each state, and [name]Audrey[/name] does not appear in several of the New [name]England[/name] states, while it has a higher popularity than its national figure in several Midwest and [name]East[/name] Coast states.

You say that you are Canadian. [name]Do[/name] you still live in [name]Canada[/name]? The various Canadian provinces publish their own statistics for top names - try searching on Google - ‘Popular names [your province]’ eg popular names [name]Alberta[/name]. Most of the provinces have similar top names, but [name]Quebec[/name], due to its Francophone population, is a little more unusual and has many French names in higher positions (eg [name]Laurence[/name] is #4 for girls). [name]Audrey[/name] is #48 in [name]Quebec[/name], and so is more popular than your other names (though [name]Annabelle[/name] is #23).

[name]Magnolia[/name] - I love [name]Maggie[/name], but [name]Magnolia[/name] is somewhat ‘blah’ to me. [name]Magnolia[/name] as a colour has rather a bad press here in UK as it is the colour that new-build homes are automatically painted, and so is seen as rather pedestrian and dull. Whilst the plant is rather attractive, I cannot get beyond that association!

Some other suggestions:
[name]Caroline[/name]
[name]Adeline[/name]
[name]Anneliese[/name]
[name]Emmeline[/name]
[name]Isabelle[/name]
[name]Louise[/name]
[name]Melusine[/name]
[name]Natalie[/name]
[name]Penelope[/name]
[name]Sabine[/name]
[name]Victoire[/name]
[name]Violet[/name]

[name]Carmel[/name] is a great middle name. Here are some other [name]Marian[/name] names that may appeal:

Addolorata
[name]Amparo[/name]
[name]Angeles[/name]
Anunciacion
[name]Annunziata[/name]
Angustias
[name]Assunta[/name]
[name]Asuncion[/name]
Azucena
Begona
[name]Belen[/name]
Candelaria
[name]Carmel[/name]
[name]Concepcion[/name]
[name]Concetta[/name]
[name]Conchita[/name]
Conseja
[name]Consuelo[/name]
[name]Dolores[/name]
[name]Encarnacion[/name]
[name]Immacolata[/name]
[name]Immaculada[/name]
[name]Lourdes[/name]
[name]Luz[/name]
[name]Mercedes[/name]
[name]Milagros[/name]
[name]Montserrat[/name]
[name]Natividad[/name]
[name]Nieves[/name]
[name]Nunzia[/name]
[name]Paz[/name]
[name]Pilar[/name]
Presentacion
Remedios
[name]Rocio[/name]
[name]Rosario[/name]
[name]Socorro[/name]
[name]Soledad[/name]