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Help[Opinions] French family - need help!
I'm thinking about starting a novel this summer. The plot details are all still a bit hazy, but the characters have definite personalities in my mind. The family is a French family living in northeastern America. Both parents are French. The two older girls were born in France, but moved to the US when they were still young. I might tentatively add an older brother.
DH: I'm thinking of Georges for him. He's a business man - most likely a banker, I think - in the upper-middle class. He's a dedicated, hard worker. At first, he comes off as a bit stern and standoffish, but he's a wonderful father and a sweet man once you get to know him.
DW: A woman in her early forties. Very pretty (she used to be a model when she was younger) but is now a typical housewife. She's warm and friendly and very maternal. I was considering Catherine, Christine, Michele, Christiane, and Corrine, but I'm open to suggestions.
DS: I'm not completely sure if I'm including this character, but he's buzzing around in my head. He's mid-twenties, strikingly good-looking, and feels protective of his younger sisters. He's funny, easy-going, and athletic. I'm liking Nicolas for him right now, but Olivier might also work. Which one do you prefer, or would you suggest a different name?
DD1: In the 19 - 22 age. I want her to be a high school graduate, but not any older than twenty-two. She's the oldest of the girls, and has a bit of a maternal side to her as a result. She's a perfectionist - very smart, stylish, a neat freak. She definitely takes pride in her French heritage. I'm considering Adrienne, Adeline, Amandine and Angeline. Amandine and Angeline are both made the Top 50 in 1990 (she would be born in 1986 - 1989), but neither Angeline nor Adrienne made the Top 100 in that same year. What do you suggest?
DD2: I see her between 15 - 17. She's a good student and a sweet girl; she's a bit innocent and naive, and definitely an optimist. She's easy to talk to and instantly likable. I picture her as tall with shoulder-length brown hair and big brown eyes. The top contenders are Genevieve and Charlotte. Charlotte is obviously a popular French name, but I've heard Genevieve is considered to be very dated (late 70's/early 80's.) Would this be a problem?
DD3: I have her character's age pinned down the most - 13 to 14. I imagine her to be a typical preteen/teen - dramatic, a tad self-absorbed, very girly. She's a little embarrassed of her heritage and is the least French of them all. She was born in the US and wishes her family had "normal" American names, rather than French names. For that reason, I'm looking for a very French name that has a common American NN or a name that's used in both cultures. Nothing seems to stick. Suggestions?
ETA: I've searched through a ton of French popularity lists and have decided on Amandine, Genevieve, and possibly Elodie (NN Ella?) for the youngest daughter. The father is still most likely Georges, and I haven't picked a name for the mother or the son. Thoughts on this?
Thanks for all your help! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. At this point, I'm not going to worry about LNs and MNs, but if you think of anything that might work, feel free to suggest it.
DH: I'm thinking of Georges for him. He's a business man - most likely a banker, I think - in the upper-middle class. He's a dedicated, hard worker. At first, he comes off as a bit stern and standoffish, but he's a wonderful father and a sweet man once you get to know him.
DW: A woman in her early forties. Very pretty (she used to be a model when she was younger) but is now a typical housewife. She's warm and friendly and very maternal. I was considering Catherine, Christine, Michele, Christiane, and Corrine, but I'm open to suggestions.
DS: I'm not completely sure if I'm including this character, but he's buzzing around in my head. He's mid-twenties, strikingly good-looking, and feels protective of his younger sisters. He's funny, easy-going, and athletic. I'm liking Nicolas for him right now, but Olivier might also work. Which one do you prefer, or would you suggest a different name?
DD1: In the 19 - 22 age. I want her to be a high school graduate, but not any older than twenty-two. She's the oldest of the girls, and has a bit of a maternal side to her as a result. She's a perfectionist - very smart, stylish, a neat freak. She definitely takes pride in her French heritage. I'm considering Adrienne, Adeline, Amandine and Angeline. Amandine and Angeline are both made the Top 50 in 1990 (she would be born in 1986 - 1989), but neither Angeline nor Adrienne made the Top 100 in that same year. What do you suggest?
DD2: I see her between 15 - 17. She's a good student and a sweet girl; she's a bit innocent and naive, and definitely an optimist. She's easy to talk to and instantly likable. I picture her as tall with shoulder-length brown hair and big brown eyes. The top contenders are Genevieve and Charlotte. Charlotte is obviously a popular French name, but I've heard Genevieve is considered to be very dated (late 70's/early 80's.) Would this be a problem?
DD3: I have her character's age pinned down the most - 13 to 14. I imagine her to be a typical preteen/teen - dramatic, a tad self-absorbed, very girly. She's a little embarrassed of her heritage and is the least French of them all. She was born in the US and wishes her family had "normal" American names, rather than French names. For that reason, I'm looking for a very French name that has a common American NN or a name that's used in both cultures. Nothing seems to stick. Suggestions?
ETA: I've searched through a ton of French popularity lists and have decided on Amandine, Genevieve, and possibly Elodie (NN Ella?) for the youngest daughter. The father is still most likely Georges, and I haven't picked a name for the mother or the son. Thoughts on this?
Thanks for all your help! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. At this point, I'm not going to worry about LNs and MNs, but if you think of anything that might work, feel free to suggest it.
This message was edited 6/18/2008, 11:49 AM
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Replies
I immediately thought Veronique for the mother.
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Michele is a french boys' name. Michelle is the feminine.
DD3 might be Jacqueline nn Jackie? Jacqueline is obv very french but to me Jackie is really american
I really want the first son to be named Jean-Etienne or something
Idk good luck working all of this out, it seems fun. The name of my French belle dame is constantly changing, but her kids are Jean-Paul-Marie-Etienne and Sarah Madeleine.
Madeleine is an option!
DD3 might be Jacqueline nn Jackie? Jacqueline is obv very french but to me Jackie is really american
I really want the first son to be named Jean-Etienne or something
Idk good luck working all of this out, it seems fun. The name of my French belle dame is constantly changing, but her kids are Jean-Paul-Marie-Etienne and Sarah Madeleine.
Madeleine is an option!
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