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I like the way it sounds but not the way it looks - I do find it a little masculine. Also I would avoid it in a non-French-speaking country because people are definitely going to pronounce it wrong.

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I know one Manon, who is probably about 15 now. She is French though, so it's different. Also she has a little sister called Justine, which I adore with the French pronounciation but not the English!

My ballet teacher when I was little was named Manon. So my association is always with an older slightly bourgeoise woman. It`s definitely very French; I don`t think you would hear it in Quebec or French Africa, etc. It`s pronounced ma-NOHn. The final "n" being only a nasal sound and not so much an actual consonant.

Listen to it here:

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I'm sort of sick of hearing because its so popular in France but I think it would be fresh here.

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http://www.forvo.com/word/manon/#fr

Manon is also a Welsh name, and in Wales it's pronounced MAH non, not unlike Shannon. I know several, it's fairly common in North Wales.
I like both versions, but I don't think either of them would be much fun to have in the US.

it's not pronounced like Shannon...

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It's more like Mah-NAWN, with the final n very indistinct.

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I don't like the name at all. The rhymes-with-Shannon pronunciation is ugly, and the French is no better to my ears. Also it just looks ugly on the page.

Since it's a nickname for Marie I would use your favorite version of Mary and use Manon as a nickname. You can still use it, and spelling/ pronunciation is not an issue.

I LOVE Manon! It's such a beautiful name. But if you think realistically, almost everyone in an anglophone country is goung to pronounce it like Shannon. Which makes it very ugly to me.

Nope, it doesn't rhyme with Shannon. The last syllable sounds like no(n). With that nasal not-quite-an-N on the end. There was a little French speaking girl in my daughter's gym class named Manon. The teachers (American English speakers) knew about the nasal final N, and attempted it, but they stressed the last syllable like they were saying filet mignon, which was wrong. Even though they heard her mother calling her something more like MANo(n). They called her maNONG, basically. It annoyed me ... Manon in French is cute, and feminine enough, but I don't think it works too great in the US because of the pronunciation.

I knew a French woman named Manon. It was pronounced like Mah-no (but more French sounding). I don't know how easy it would be here in America. Also, I'd say only use it if you're going to pronounce it the correct way.

I wouldn't use it in the US. I speak French and have never heard anyone in the US pronounce Manon correctly. I know several because it's super common in France. One went to school with me. Her name got butchered into MANN-nonng, MAN-yong, MAH-nyong. Her dad is German and her mom Korean.

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And no, it is definitely not rhyming with Shannon. I mean if you want to use that pronunciation it's fine with me but it's not the correct French pr. Try to listen to an audio file or something, it's hard to explain. The first part sounds like MAH, the second syllable like NAW (but it doesn't really come very close, it is a sound I can't explain. mah-naw, mah-no (don't open your mouth wide when you say the O) or mah-nawn would be as close as I can get).

This message was edited 5/12/2012, 11:00 PM