Noel?

Tuesdaymars · October 18, 2022, 10:52pm

Looking for a middle name for the boy name [name_u]Noel[/name_u], something more masculine to offset the neutral first name. Also- if you were meeting him for the first time, how would you pronounce it? We are going for the [name_f]Noelle[/name_f] sound, commonly associated with [name_u]Christmas[/name_u]. Im worried his teachers will read it as [name_m]Nole[/name_m], rhyming with pole. Let me hear your thoughts.

tallemaja · October 18, 2022, 10:58pm

I think it depends on where you’re from! I believe British people might typically say Nole, but the two American Noel’s I know pronounce it like Noelle. It’s a really lovely and fresh choice for a boy!

Some middle name ideas:
Noel Archer
Noel Benjamin
Noel Barnaby
Noel Bennett
Noel Beau
Noel Callahan
Noel Cassian
Noel Caspian
Noel Cormac
Noel Conrad
Noel Desmond
Noel Dexter
Noel Everett
Noel Finley
Noel Finnegan
Noel Gideon
Noel Harrison
Noel Hugo
Noel Jasper
Noel Maximilian
Noel Orion
Noel Rafferty
Noel Ruben
Noel Rhys
Noel Simon
Noel Theodore
Noel Tobias
Noel Victor
Noel Vincent
Noel William

the_common_fool · October 18, 2022, 11:03pm

[name_f]My[/name_f] instinctive and personally preferred pronunciation is the rhyming with “pole” one, but I feel like it would be an easy one-time correction!

some mixed suggestions

[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Oliver[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Percival[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Christopher[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]David[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Julian[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Isidore[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Matthew[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Victor[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Edwin[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Dante[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Henry[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Fraser[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Ivan[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Quentin[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Malachi[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Tiberius[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Vincent[/name_m]

LynnG · October 18, 2022, 11:37pm

[name_u]Noel[/name_u] rhymes with pole.
[name_f]Noelle[/name_f] is pronounced no-ehl, but it’s the girls-only variant.

I don’t know how to get to no-ehl for a boy’s name that isn’t constantly mistaken for a girl’s name, to be honest.

[name_f]My[/name_f] best suggestion would be [name_u]Noah[/name_u], with a family NN of no-ehl. If his middle initial is L., that would make it fit nicely.

[name_u]Noah[/name_u] L. LASTNAME.

[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_m]Leopold[/name_m]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_m]Leonard[/name_m]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_u]Leon[/name_u]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_u]Leo[/name_u]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_u]Lionel[/name_u]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_u]Lennon[/name_u]

[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_u]Elliott[/name_u]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_u]Ellis[/name_u]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_u]Ellison[/name_u]
[name_u]Noah[/name_u] [name_m]Elson[/name_m]

Alix2016 · October 18, 2022, 11:42pm

I’ve always understood it as boy gets the [name_m]Nole[/name_m] pronunciation; girl gets the No-elle pronunciation. I’m in the US if that makes a difference.

Natawa · October 18, 2022, 11:59pm

I’m in [name_f]Canada[/name_f] (primarily [name_f]English[/name_f] speaking province) and I’d pronounce it [name_m]Nole[/name_m] (rhymes with pole).

Tuesdaymars · October 19, 2022, 12:46am

Interesting, I adore the L theme.

Where are you located?

To help your confusion, “le noël” in French is how we got the masculine version, as it is also a family name on his side. It is also not pronounced “nole” in French.

Ehrob1 · October 19, 2022, 1:16am

[name_u]Noel[/name_u] is soooo sweet !

[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Owen[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Michael[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Christopher[/name_m]

TiffanyS · October 19, 2022, 1:20am

I’d assume boy and say it like pole. To get the “-elle” sound in the end, I’d need to see an umlaut.

[name_u]Noël[/name_u]

I know the USA won’t put that on his birth certificate, but you could teach him that it’s part of his name.

wishmay · October 19, 2022, 3:01am

I pronounce Noel like pole but two distinct syllables, sort of NOH-uhl or NOH-ell (a bit like Noelle but with the stress on the first syllable).

whatchamacallit · October 19, 2022, 3:19am

I always read it as no-ELL for either gender. Guess I learned something new. Lol

Dmunley · October 19, 2022, 4:08am

I read it as [name_m]Nole[/name_m] because I knew one, but I love both!!

diane921 · October 19, 2022, 5:55am

I’m in the US. [name_f]My[/name_f] understanding is that the masculine name, [name_u]Noel[/name_u], is pronounced rhyming with pole and the feminine name, [name_f]Noelle[/name_f], is pronounced No- el, like the [name_u]French[/name_u] word for [name_u]Christmas[/name_u].

I would use the pronunciation and spelling that fits for the area you live in to avoid confusion.

For a middle name, I’d pick something unusual with three or four syllables.

[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Atticus[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Sebastian[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Thaddeus[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Nathaniel[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Theodore[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_f]Auberte[/name_f]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Devereaux[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Dougray[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Marcellus[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Leopold[/name_m]

Greyblue · October 19, 2022, 6:19am

I would assume [name_u]Noel[/name_u] would be pronounced noll, rhyming with pole, as generally that’s how everyone I’ve known of/met in the UK would pronounce it as such. I could be corrected though.

[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Alexander[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Victor[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Benjamine[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Frederick[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Malachi[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Julian[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Asher[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Julius[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Maverick[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Isaac[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Vincent[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Wilbur[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Arthur[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Zachary[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Benedict[/name_m]

persephonescrown · October 19, 2022, 8:39am

In the U.K. I think it would definitely be Noel as in pole, there’s a few celebrities with the name and it’s pronounced that way. But then we all know that at Christmas, Noel = no-elle! Maybe you could add the accent, Noël?

XxIzzixX · October 19, 2022, 11:37am

I would pronounce [name_u]Noel[/name_u] as [name_m]Nole[/name_m] automatically, but I can get used to the actual sound pretty quick.

emarias22 · October 19, 2022, 5:00pm

For a boy, I would instinctively pronounce it as “Knoll”, but that is easily corrected.

snowmaiden · October 19, 2022, 8:29pm

I know a (male) [name_u]Noel[/name_u], pronounced like [name_f]Noelle[/name_f]! Our teachers growing up did constantly pronounce it the [name_m]Nole[/name_m] way, but it’s absolutely correctable. People mispronounce names all the time. It happens! Perhaps the [name_u]Noël[/name_u] spelling could help? Both are lovely! Best luck x

Elizabethann27 · October 20, 2022, 12:38am

You are correct, the male [name_u]French[/name_u] pronunciation is [name_u]Noel[/name_u], not [name_m]Nole[/name_m]. I think it is a great name.

[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Andrew[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Benjamin[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Daniel[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Joseph[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Mark[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Mateo[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Patrick[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Pierre[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_u]Rocco[/name_u]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Soren[/name_m]
[name_u]Noel[/name_u] [name_m]Vincent[/name_m]

LynnG · October 20, 2022, 1:48am

Oh, if you live in France / predominantly Francophone country, that would change things, certainly!

My answer is based on US phonetics. Agree with @diane921 above, I would use the pronunciation and spelling that fits for the area you live in to avoid confusion.

In a country where the diaresis is mainstream on the keyboard and in name spellings, problem solved. The diaresis to double the sound of the letter that carries it, in this case the ‘e’, would give the no-el pronunciation that you’re looking for (i.e. Noël). Easy solution!

Best of luck!