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Renee
I don't think I've seen this discussed on there, at least lately, so I was curious what people think of Renee. I really like the sound of it and I don't think its too popular anymore, but I'm never sure about the spelling... Renee or Renae? Or does it need an accent mark? Or should it not be used on a non-French child at all? :-) Thanks for your thoughts.
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Personally, I really dislike Renee. I think it sounds whiney and dated and it's one of a very few names that I actually get put off of the person when I hear it in real life (names like Whitney, Abigail, Sadie and Sebastian are amongst the others...) That doesn't mean it's a bad name, I just very much dislike it. Renée is the classiest of all possible options, although I don't find it a very classy name in the slighest. Renae is kind of bad, Renee is middle-ground. Sorry! I don't mean to be mean.
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I don't think you're being mean. Thanks for sharing your opinion. I'm actually didn't expect so many people to like the name.
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When I was first exposed to Renee as a teenager, I LOVED it ... that is, until I kept encountering different spellings and was then turned off somewhat. (Renata, otoh, is still a shimmering jewel, sigh.) Anyway, between Renee and Renae, I definitely prefer the former and don't feel it needs an accent mark. It's also common enough that it doesn't seem quintessentially French.
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Renee is the spelling most used here in the US, and it doesn't need an accent mark because it's very familiar and there should be no issues with pronunciation. It's not used much as a first name anymore but was quite popular a generation or so back. It was and still is very popular as a middle name.
I think it's attractive though I wouldn't want to use it for a first name myself.
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I don't think it needs an accent unless you're French. Here in South Africa, many people choose French names but only as a link to their heritage, not because they know the language. So Renee happens for girls and Rene for boys, and not an accent mark in sight. Renae is new to me and looks like a small child's first attempt at writing down a name that she'd heard but never seen. I was at school with a lovely Renee. Beautiful, cheerful, talented graphic artist, party animal in the nicest way. She died in a car accident on honeymoon. I'd never use the name myself, but I do like it.
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I've always like this name. It's clean (if you can call a name clean) and sweet and understated. I'd go for the classic spelling Renee as I think Renae looks made up.
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I had a some kind of elderly relative called Renee and it was pronounced Ree-nee - not the French way. I always assumed it was short for Irene, pronounced the traditional old British way with three syllables.
However, putting that connection to one side, I do rather like Renee said the American way (French style), as in the Motown hit "Walk Away Renee". I think it's sufficiently well-known to make the pronunciation clear without plumping for Renae (though I like that too).
An accent is likely to get lost very quickly - or thought pretentious.
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I like it, and I prefer Renee. I don't think it needs an accent mark in the US, if a person doesn't want to use one.I don't think it's SO FRENCH that it shouldn't be used; people have heard it before. It's not like Gilberte or Leonide.
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