“When for the first time, we talked about future names, I realized that Lucile had very original ideas. (Seriously: Ayla? Zephyr?) Me, I hated the idea of our children having to spell their first names. I suggested Mélina or Chloé, but Lucile found that too wise, too classic. It’s like suddenly I realize that our personalities are very different. For several days, we looked at each other almost suspiciously. In the end, we managed to get along, we have two children who have first names that are both classic and (a little) original. “
ALEXIS, father of two children, Blanche, 5 years old, and Aimé, 2 and a half years old.
“Being Franco-Australian, we looked with my wife for first names that work in both cultures. We chose Anouk, because we found it contemporary, strong, timeless. For the second, we really liked Swann. It is a French first name taken from a surname of a novel by Proust. There, I was more worried: how was this first name going to be received in English-speaking countries where it does not exist? In fact not at all: our Australian friends love it, they find it original, a bit hippie and they pronounce it (obviously) like the swan. “
THOMAS, father of Charlotte, 7, Anouk, 4, and Swann, 1.
“Before having children, I only had girls’ names on your mind. And then, with my partner, we knew we were expecting a little boy. Being a great traveler, I imagined giving it a name taken from a lost island, something exotic and original. I took a map of the world and searched. Afterwards, I also thought about the context (not easy to say: “East Timor to taaaable”). In the end, we quickly came to an agreement with my partner by reading the first names guide. We found a short, easy-to-understand name in Anglo-Saxon countries, and we both love it. “
JULIEN, father of Tim, 3 years old, author of “In Utero”, eds. from the Pocket Book.
The shrink’s opinion
“The first name is not chosen at random. Through his choice, father and mother begin to invest the child. We give a first name according to our past or according to the personality of the child we imagine or want. A study shows that most of the time, we look for beautiful sounds in girls and in boys references to honor and strength. It is probably a reflection of the roles of men and women in our society. The father is more often behind in the choice. Sometimes the mother has had a first name in mind since she was very young. This can be complicated for the father who may want to bring out a new “desire” in his wife: the parental sphere is linked to the conjugal sphere. Some parents choose together, others share the children: you name the first one, me the second. It is a way of “taking possession” of the child (and sometimes of being able to discard later if the first name does not please the child). What we find in the testimonies is this desire, so contemporary, for the child to have an original first name. Naming is a responsibility and it should not become an impossible legacy. Originality at all costs should not come at the expense of the child! ” Maximilien Bachelart, DOCTOR IN PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOTHERAPIST.