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I like Arden as a man's name. It sounds passionate, fiery and, well, ardent. I would be very disappointed if a male Arden wasn't romance novel material. For a girl, it sounds too mannish and makes me imagine a Rita Skeeter type.

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Fran sounds dated and reminds me of "The Nanny" TV show. Recently, I met a man named Fran. It may have been short for Francis, but it could have been short for something else.

I always liked Arden for a boy, but lately I’ve been digging it on a girl. My great-grandma always went by the nickname Fran. I like it.

Arden - generally prefer it for a girl, because my main associations with it are Elizabeth Arden (cosmetics), Eden, and Arwen.

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Arden Isidore
Arden Isidora

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I prefer Fran as a NN for a guy (I used to live next door to an old gentleman called Fran). It's ok for a girl, but if I had to use a NN for Frances, it'd be Francie.