Hi Duana!
I love love love all of your name nerd columns! And while I am not currently preggers, I have to ask you to back off the name Wolfgang. I totally want to use it for a little dude (if there ever is one) and don't want a ton of Wolfgang's running around at the same time :)
Onto the "real" problem - my friend is due in October, and she is having issues with her sister. Her man is from a French-speaking country, but they live in the United States. They are having a boy, and want to give him a name that works in both French and English. Her sister thinks they should give the baby an "American" name and won't let up about it. Their last name begins and ends with the letter "S", and for European reasons, a first name beginning with "S" is a no go. Oliver and Olivier are out as a nephew has claimed that name! Middle name will be a family name that is one syllable that begins with the letter "B". Very preppy. Any suggestions???
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OMG. Seriously? Sister needs to step off a bit. I mean, at the risk of trotting out an old chestnut, what is she pushing for? Daniel? Scott? …. (straining against the obvious joke but unable to contain myself) Cayden?
Sorry. I am. That was below us. But there are so many great names that are French but still totally wearable here that I don’t get what her problem is. Especially if the middle name is, in your words, “very preppy”.
Okay so Simon is out, but what about August? Blaise? Geoffrey, if sister wants something authentically 1985? There are so many. Marcel? Phillip(pe)? Victor?
Honestly. Almost any name that you can think of works in English and French. Gabriel. Thomas. Jonathan. Just because they can’t call the baby, like, Hank, doesn’t mean the name isn’t American.
Ahem. Apparently I wanted to get that off my chest.
