[name]Long[/name] story short, my husband and I nearly divorced naming our first daughter: [name]Sabine[/name] [name]Arabella[/name]. There were (and are) circumstances which make the naming game incredibly stressful and tedious. [name]One[/name] is that we live in [name]France[/name], so the French pronunciation of any name can ruin what would be an otherwise lovely name. If you have ever heard the name [name]Aurore[/name] or [name]Catherine[/name] pronounced in French you know what I mean.
[name]France[/name] only allows THREE days to name your baby. If you don’t, there are huge consequences both financial and legalistically. I had no idea how horrible it would be to name a baby under such pressure having just given birth, but it is something I refuse to do again. So, I after reading forums, lists and so on, I find myself still stuck!
I think we MAYBE have agreed on naming our second daughter [name]Serena[/name], who is due in about 7 weeks. I would love to hear positive thoughts on the name because as I say, this name was selected because it isn’t destroyed by the French tongue and not because I adore it. The question is now, what about a middle name.
My first daughter is called [name]Sabine[/name] [name]Arabella[/name] Qasmi (pronounced Khas-mee). Would it be too weird if [name]Serena[/name]'s middle name was [name]Isabelle[/name]?
[name]Sabine[/name] [name]Arabella[/name] and [name]Serena[/name] [name]Isabelle[/name]. Is it odd for such similar first and middle names for sisters?
If so, what about:
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Olive[/name] Qasmi
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Opal[/name] Qasmi
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Iris[/name] Qasmi (whole lotta s’s)
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Rowan[/name] Qasmi
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Isabelle[/name] Qasmi
I really do not want the name to end in another “A” or start with an “S”, nor do I want anything too long. Beyond that, I am very open! Much thanks in advance to any and all suggestions. I promise to let you know what we finally name the girl officially.
I think Serena is a good choice, it obviously works here and since Italian, Spanish and names ending in “a” are going over so well there and Serena is growing in popularity there I think its a great choice for you. I like all of your choices, the only one I see as problematic is Rowan, I’m not sure that any of our family and friends over there could say this as beautifully as I would like plus it’s more of a boys name there (and here I think) but I love the combo the more I say it. I think Isabelle is fine but I also like Serena Opal!
Do you just want French or short in general? If you want short and classic in both countries then I suggest Diane!
I also like
Garance
Sixtine (but wouldn’t work as well here? plus the alliteration but I LOVE)
Renee (not so fashionable now but I love)
Albane
Thais
Clea
Noa
Laure/Laura
Lise/Lisa
Myriam (LOVE THIS!)
If you want suggestions can you tell us what you liked about Serena, give some names you love and hate and what kind you are open to or not (nature, french, frilly, etc) so we can come up with more from there if you want suggestions.
PS I’ve always had a soft spot for Sabine because I like Sabine Azema so much
[name]Love[/name] [name]Serena[/name] [name]Opal[/name]. Beautiful.
Would you consider a french name?
[name]Amelie[/name]
[name]Juliette[/name]
[name]Elodie[/name]
[name]Maelle[/name]
I’d go with [name]Serena[/name] [name]Isabelle[/name]. If you’re concerned about the first name being pronounced well in French, I feel like the middle name should get the same consideration.
Are there no French first names you like? Because if you don’t like [name]Serena[/name], and you have to pick a name that works in French… why not pick a name you actually like? Or is it because this is the only name you and your husband can agree on? I’m just a little confused…
As for suggestions, maybe:
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Blanche[/name]
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Flore[/name]
[name]Serena[/name] Daphné
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Delphine[/name]
[name]Serena[/name] Esmée
[name]Serena[/name] Hélène
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Juliette[/name] (normally I don’t care for this spelling but I think it’s stunning in this case!)
[name]Serena[/name] Maëlle
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Olympe[/name]
I love the name [name]Serena[/name]! I think it has a great quiet beauty and is very pretty without being over-the-top.
Would you consider a French middle name? Because my favorite option would be [name]Serena[/name] [name]Cosette[/name]. I think that flows nicely and I love the alliteration.
Well, my 7 week old baby girl is [name]Serena[/name] [name]Isabel[/name] so of course I am bias I think [name]Serena[/name] is a beautiful choice! I love the way it sounds with [name]Sabine[/name]! Second to [name]Serena[/name] [name]Isabelle[/name] on your list I would choose [name]Serena[/name] [name]Opal[/name]! [name]Both[/name] are stunning combos
[name]Hi[/name]- Thanks for the suggestions [name]Lucia[/name] (love YOUR name btw!). The reason why it matters how it sounds in French is because we live in [name]France[/name]. I have discovered with my first daughter that I hear her name being said multiple times a day by people around her. It is funny how you don’t realize how much a name is said throughout the day until you hear it being pronounced weirdly.
Another factor to consider is how it would be for your mom and her friends to call you one thing and everyone else around you to say it differently. I have no idea how that would be personally as my name is [name]Nicole[/name] and is luckily said the same way in English and in French, but my friend [name]Liz[/name] said everyone calls her “Leez” and it bugs her.
I think of this thoughtful list, [name]Serena[/name] [name]Helene[/name] is really pleasant.
My last name is [name]Rowan[/name], which as txtbelle already pointed out is not pronounced nicely in French. It sounds like “Woah-whon”… still there is a part of me that would love to share my last name with one of my daughters.
[name]Just[/name] curious, how do YOU pronounce your name: “Lusha” or [name]Lou[/name]-see-ya"?
I really like the name [name]Serena[/name] [name]Isabelle[/name] but I find it very close to [name]Sabine[/name] [name]Arabella[/name]. Which is also a beautiful name but two in the same family would trip me up all the time.
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Opal[/name] Qasmi is my favourite of your names. Very beautiful.
[name]Serena[/name] [name]Marguerite[/name] <–Marguerite is one of my favourite French names.
Serena Delphine - I like this but the ena-phina sounds might be too much?
Serena Margaux - I think both Margot and Margaux are used in France, I happen to favour Margaux.
Serena Violet/Violette
@nicoleinparis I think [name]Rowan[/name] might be a good choice if it’s meaningful and especially if there’s a chance you would ever move to the States but I know prn is a huge deal for me as well (which is why [name]Meredith[/name] and [name]Ruth[/name] are off the table ).
I also propose the following unless they’re too popular for you
[name]Yasmine[/name]
Noémie
[name]Ghislaine[/name]/Ghizlane
Inès
Imène
Zélie
[name]Colombe[/name]
I realize you live in [name]France[/name], but I was asking why you didn’t try to find a French name, rather than an English-name-that-works-in-French. I do understand if there’s just none that appeal to you, though.
Having my name pronounced differently depending on my location/ who I’m talking to doesn’t bother me at all. My name started out as “lu-sha” but I lived in Spain for a year and the Basque Country for another year and so “lu-sha” obviously doesn’t work there without changing the spelling… and getting weird looks, haha.
I actually go mostly by [name]Lucy[/name]/ [name]Lucie[/name] when I’m at home (I’m from a bilingual French/English city and so it depends who I’m talking to and in what language), and [name]Luc[/name]ía in Spanish (so lu-THEE-a). I have Italian friends who default to “lu-CHEE-a”. I actually really love that my name translates well to different languages, regardless of how it’s pronounced. I travel a lot, I know people from all over and it’s nice to have a recognizable, pronounceable name pretty much across the board (so far). So, yeah, my family & friends call me one thing, and everyone around for me 2 of the past 3 years have said my name differently than that. I like it, but I’m pretty easy-going and [name]Lucia[/name] is multinational.
[name]Hi[/name] [name]Lucia[/name] -
It is funny you say all that because in your case, I love all the pronunciations and tried to convince my husband we should consider [name]Lucia[/name] as baby #2’s name. That said, I also don’t mind when people say my name in the very French way … but for some reason I just do not want to hear my daughter’s name pronounced oddly at every turn. I love love love the name “[name]Michaela[/name]” but pronounced “Mik-khi-ee-lah” as they would say it in French, just offends my ear. [name]Ah[/name] well, believe it or not, I have recently revived my interest in the middle name [name]Phoenix[/name]. [name]Just[/name] trying to get papa to agree … then we might just have a name. [name]Serena[/name] [name]Phoenix[/name]. What do you think?
).