French names (for people and organizations)

[Ironworker]

I need a name for a French Paranormal and or Occult government department.  Something like "The Department of Paranormal and Occult Inventigation" but in French or something cooler sounding that basically covers the same thing.  It needs to be apropriate for the setting of 1919 so nothing too modern sounding.  

Also I was wondering where I might find a list of common french names both given and surnames.

[Stéphane]

"Le département des affaires occultes et paranormales."
Or "le bureau des affaires occultes et paranomales".
Or "le cabinet des affaires occultes et paranomales".

Stéphane

[Ironworker]

"Le département des affaires occultes et paranormales."
Or "le bureau des affaires occultes et paranomales".
Or "le cabinet des affaires occultes et paranomales".

Stéphane

Ah thank you.

[Le matou rouge]

The Stephane's translation are perfect litterally : the 2 firsts sound a little bit too much "BPRD" to me, though the expression "cabinet des affaires" is typical of this time.

As option, may I suggest :

La Brigade mobile speciale (BMS)

The BMS is the idea of a Chtulu RPG fan :

http://www.brigademobile.org/

It's very accurate historicallly, cause he was inspired by the real "Brigades mobiles" created in 1907 by Georges Clemenceau, aka le Tigre, so they were nicknamed "Les brigades du Tigre" (Tigre's brigades).
They were the first french unit of real Police (the Gendarmes belong to military corps) as answer to the violent expansion of Apaches and anarchists, and the first to use cars (hence "mobile")

The addition of "special"  give it his pulpish feeling, but you could make your own as :

La Brigade mobile des affaires occultes (BMAO)
La Brigade mobile des affaires paranormales (BMAP)

or for better acronyms :

Le Cabinet des affaires occultes (CAO as CIA !!!  :mrgreen: )

Sorry for all this F words, the subject over-enjoyed me  :roll: and for the names list, I'm going to look for.

meow,
Matt

[Ironworker]

Thanks Le Matou Rouge.  Lots of great options there to consider.

[Le matou rouge]

A few links :

always useful   :wink: :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_common_surnames

a bit stupid but a lot of links if you scroll down :

http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/frenchnames2.htm

Canadian page (so francophone  :roll: )

http://cafe.rapidus.net/jhuriaux/francophonie.html

and for inspiration, the BMS agents list :

http://www.brigademobile.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=1

hope that help...
or googlize "name" "surname" "french" & "list"  :mrgreen:

Meow,
matt