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ArchivesMarcheline.
We all know that this first name was borne by Marcheline Bertrand, an American actress of French descent (and mother of actress Angelina Jolie). It doesn't seem to be a common French first name, however, which makes me wonder about its meaning. At first glance, one might think that it is a form of Marcelline. But to me, it seems closer to the French surname Marchal, which means 'marshal' (see also Marshall).
Can anyone provide some more conclusive information about this first name? Is it even an established French feminine name, or could it have been a made-up feminisation of Marshall (in case her parents had a male relative named Marshall and wanted to name her after him)?
Thank you for your input! :)
"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on... when in your heart you begin to understand... there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend... some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold." ~ Frodo Baggins
Can anyone provide some more conclusive information about this first name? Is it even an established French feminine name, or could it have been a made-up feminisation of Marshall (in case her parents had a male relative named Marshall and wanted to name her after him)?
Thank you for your input! :)
"How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on... when in your heart you begin to understand... there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend... some hurts that go too deep... that have taken hold." ~ Frodo Baggins
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Well....
..according to this web page about Angelina Jolie's ancestry, her mother's name at birth was Marcia Lynne, so Marcheline must actually have been a stage name she adopted herself after she became an actress. So whether she found it as a rare but real French name somewhere, or whether she just invented it to sound French to American ears but it really isn't a French name, remains to be discovered. :)
http://www.wargs.com/other/voight.html
(If you look further down the geneology you will discover Marceline as a first name in Ms. Bertrand's ancestry, but I suspect the "h" was her addition to link her stage name with the usual American pronunciation of Marcia.)
..according to this web page about Angelina Jolie's ancestry, her mother's name at birth was Marcia Lynne, so Marcheline must actually have been a stage name she adopted herself after she became an actress. So whether she found it as a rare but real French name somewhere, or whether she just invented it to sound French to American ears but it really isn't a French name, remains to be discovered. :)
http://www.wargs.com/other/voight.html
(If you look further down the geneology you will discover Marceline as a first name in Ms. Bertrand's ancestry, but I suspect the "h" was her addition to link her stage name with the usual American pronunciation of Marcia.)
This message was edited 7/13/2008, 5:31 PM
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