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HelpRe: French Names and Surnames
in reply to a message by LMS
The only names I would take issue with are:
Amelie - It's too associated with the movie.
Celeste - Just sounds ugly and tacky to me.
Cosette - No way. This can pretty much only ever be Cosette from Les Miserables.
Esme - Esmée! The incorrectly gendered version bothers me enough on a modern American, but on a French character from a while ago, it makes no sense.
Oceane - I believe it's only recently gotten popular in France.
Vienne - I just personally think it's ugly.
Also, check them all for appropriate accents. I'm not sure whether you left off the accents so the links would work, but if you're unsure, make sure you're using the right ones. Helene and Hélène are different names.
As for the surnames, is your character upperclass? Are you hoping for her to sound pretentious? That might be a good reason to use de* and le* surnames. Otherwise, cut them. They sound more like a parody of French names than real French names. (Oh, and de Émile should be d'Émile.)
Amelie - It's too associated with the movie.
Celeste - Just sounds ugly and tacky to me.
Cosette - No way. This can pretty much only ever be Cosette from Les Miserables.
Esme - Esmée! The incorrectly gendered version bothers me enough on a modern American, but on a French character from a while ago, it makes no sense.
Oceane - I believe it's only recently gotten popular in France.
Vienne - I just personally think it's ugly.
Also, check them all for appropriate accents. I'm not sure whether you left off the accents so the links would work, but if you're unsure, make sure you're using the right ones. Helene and Hélène are different names.
As for the surnames, is your character upperclass? Are you hoping for her to sound pretentious? That might be a good reason to use de* and le* surnames. Otherwise, cut them. They sound more like a parody of French names than real French names. (Oh, and de Émile should be d'Émile.)
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Yes, I was meaning to have them with the accents and I am not sure but I believe I wrote something stating that I just left them off but that they were in fact all supposed to be the French versions of the names. I do in fact understand that French names are different from Americanized versions or English versions.
I am trying to make the names sound very upperclass, but not cheesy.
I am trying to make the names sound very upperclass, but not cheesy.
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