10 French Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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You guessed it, the next leg of this series is going to be by culture. Today we are going to look at French names, a perrenial favorite among American parents. If you're looking for something beyond Gabrielle or Vivienne, consider one of the following.

Anais- Anais is the lovely French version of Anne, and most people are familiar with her as the name of author Anais Nin. She's got a quirky cute feel, perfect for the daughter of creative parents.

Axelle- French names aren't known for being rebellious, but Axelle is just that. She has legitimate French roots, though most people will think you just made an addition to Axel. Nevertheless, she is an interesting pick. I'm putting Axelle on my list of future celebrity baby names.

Celestine- If you've read this blog for a while, you will know how much I love Celestine. She's been meantioned in six previous blog posts, which is a lot more than most other names can say. Celestine is absolutely gorgeous. For those of you too afraid to put her in the first name position, make her a middle for a short first name.

Delphine- Delphine means exactly what she sounds like, "dolphin." She's a name I often hear meantioned among the baby name crowd, but I've never encountered one in real life. Though most likely the average Joe on the street has never heard of her.

Francoise- Frances and Francis are on the rise. Francesca and Francisco have hit plauteus. The impeccibly French Francoise has never even broken the top 1000, making her a truely unique pick. Adorable nicknames Frannie and Francie are a bonus.

Leonor- Eleanor is just getting more and more popular, but her exotic variant Leonor is practically unheard of. She lends herself to the nicknames Leo and Leonie, which Eleanor doesn't offer.

Lilou- Lilou is a catch-all nickname for all L names in France, and even non-L names as well (I know a French Amelie called Lilou). She's a whimsical option, and a charming alternative to Lily.

Maelys- Maelys has all the right sounds. She's pronounced (may-LEES)--her long vowels and soft consonants make her a great contendor for parents who love liquidy names. There is normally an umlaut over the e, which makes her kind of tricky for American use. However, that should never be a deal breaker.

Magalie- Part Margaret, part Amelie, Magalie is the best French name you've never heard of. She'd make a great import.

Pomeline- Pomeline wins for my all time favorite guilty pleasure name. I would never use her on my own child, but man is she gorgeous. Pomme (the French word for apple) is a sweet nickname.

Fran- Names for Girls

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Hey guys! Today is the first day of my senior year (hooray!) and to honor that, I thought we'd take a look at one of my favorite name prefixes. Frances is my number two girls name (after Nell, course), but there are so many great options beyond that. Tell me your favorite in the comments!

Expected:
Frances- Classic, but coming back into style. You can't go wrong with Frances.
Francesca- Gorgeous and romantic. A lovely choice.
Frankie- Will Drew Barrymore make this one mainstream? Time will tell, but until then, Frankie makes a spunky pick.
Frannie- Super sweet and semi-Southern. Frannie is a winner.

Unique:
Francie- I know I'm normally adverse to nicknames, but even I can't resist Francie's charm. She's also the main character in my favorite book, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Francine- I find that many people older than me think this one is useable. I have hesitations, maybe because I grew up watching Arthur.
Francisca- Take Francesca to the next level.
Francoise- Very French, yet completely useable in the United States.

Unheard of:
France- Short and sweet, plus and ultra-cool place name.
Franca/Franka- This German name sounds harsher than the others, but is the most straightforward way to honor a Frank.
Francille- Francille is very pretty, and fits in with today's popular names.
Fransabelle- Frances or Isabelle? No need to choose, go with the extravagant Fransabelle!
Franzetta- She may seem slightly outlandish, but she gets bonus points for the nickname Etta.


P.S. Pictured above is my favorite magazine, Frankie.

Song Names: The Rolling Stones

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Happy Friday! I'm back with another installment of Song Names, this time from The Rolling Stones. These names don't have the same cutesy feel as The Beatles, but many of them are very useable. Take a look.

Girls:
Angie- She's not used much in her own right these days, but Angie would make a sweet nickname for all those Angelinas and Evangelines.
Claudine- You're more likely to meet a Claudia, but the -dine names are beginning to sound retro. Save this one for a few years.
Fanny- We're seeing a rise in Fran- names, but Fanny probably won't make a comeback. Lookout for Frannie though.
Jane- Sweet, loveable Jane. What's not to like?
Melody- Great choice for music lovers.
Mercy- One parent loves the Rolling Stones, the other loves Kanye? Name the baby Mercy, problem solved.
Ruby- Ruby is such a happy name. I expect her to break the top 100 this year.
Virginia- She's slightly dated, but call her Vivi, Gigi, or Ginger to spice her up.
Winter- This season name is newly up for consideration.

Boys:
Jack- Always a classic. You can't go wrong with Jack.

Nicknames for Francesca

Francesca is a lovely name, but she can be kind of a mouthful. If your Francesca needs a spunky nickname, the master list is right here.

Anne
Annie
Cesca or Chesca
Cessie
Chessie
Fanny
Fran
France
Frances
Francie
Frank
Frankie
Frannie