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.

Full Names for Essie

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Most people haven't thought about using Essie as a nickname for their daughter. Let's face it--she's more synonymous with the nail polish brand than as a name. Essie works as a nickname for so many names, it's seems silly not to consider her. I have a list of some possible full forms. Take a look.

Expected:
Elisabeth- You can't go wrong with Elisabeth, and Essie would be an unexpected nickname.
Esther- This Biblical girl name is rising up the charts. Essie is one of her few nicknames.
Genesis- She's the most popular name on this list at #55. Skip the dated nickname Gen, and use Essie.
Jessica- Essie updates the '80s name Jessica.
Vanessa- Worried that Vanessa would be too much name for your child to handle? Calling her Essie is the perfect solution.

Unique:
Alessandra- This gorgeous Italian name doesn't need a nickname, but if I had to use one, I'd pick Essie.
Esmeralda- Chances are you'll want to call her Esme, but Essie is a nice option too.
Estelle- Estelle means star, which is perfect for a holiday baby!
Frances- I am partial to Francie as a nickname, but Essie is works just as well.
Francesca- I didn't include Essie on this list, but she's definitely usable.

Unheard of:
Alessia- She's the softer version of Alexia, and comes with better nicknames (in my opinion).
Essence- I don't see how you could not call an Essence Essie.
Jenessa- This invented name is a rarity, but she's more common in Canada than America.
Jessamine- Jessamine is one of those names I beg people to use. She's so pretty and unique, how could you go wrong?
Odessa- I talked about Odessa in last week's post about O names. More people should consider her as an option.

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.

10 F Names You Never Thought of Using: Girls

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If I had to choose one letter to name all my kids with, it would be F. Frances is my number two name for girls, and I adore Frieda, Flora, Freya, and the like. However, none of those names made the list today, because I want to show you some more unusual appellations.

Faine- Short, sweet, and not too girly. That's a perfect name in my book.

Faustine- I first came across this name in my first name book. It intrigued me at the time, and I think it would be a lovely name. Unfortunately, some of my friends remarked it sounds a little like frosting. That doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Fenella- A beautiful name, and a great way to get to my number one, Nell.

Fia- Utterly gorgeous, yet super simple. You don't find names like that often. If she's too short for you, try her as a nickname for Sofia.

Flair- Is Blair too boring? Spice it up with Flair.

Flanna- (FLAH-nah)(rhymes with Lana) An exotic name with familiar sounds. Guaranteed to be the only one in her class, that is, if you don't call her Annie.

Fleur- More unexpected than Flora. Just don't use her as a sister for Flair.

Florida- Another Flora alternative, but this time a place name. Perfect choice if you want an unusual name that honors your childhood.

Franca- The German form of Frances. A more intuitive way to get the nickname Frankie.

France- Like short names? Slim down Frances to get France. Plus, she still gets the cutest nickname, Francie.

Freesia- A pretty pink flower that would make an ethereal choice for a baby daughter.

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