1200+ French Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

Pronounced TEE-bow, this version, which is also a very common surname in France, has a lot more charm than the name it derives from — Theobald. A variant spelling is Thibaut.

Herby and aristocratic Basil remains a tough sell, but we’d like to introduce you to Basile, the delightful French version. It retains all of Basil’s charm, but sheds some of the pesto linkage.

Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents are starting to explore same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first syllable and three syllables -- vee-oh-let -- as well as the Spanish Violeta — both of which were among the fastest-rising girl names of 2023.

With Angelina becoming so popular thanks to Ms. Jolie, this could be a new twist—but everyone will always misunderstand it as Angelina. While it currently ranks at Number 951 in the US, it's Number 352 in France.

This regal French name is a descendant of the Latin Regina, as is the Spanish Reina. Reine is also a male name in Scandinavia.

More appealing than the English version, Aubin might be seen as a fresher and more decidedly masculine twist on Aubrey. This handsome discovery is now ranked at Number 311 in its native France.

There are much chicer versions of this name today, such as Claudie, Claudia, or Claude itself. Claudine is a name wobbling on the edge of extinction.

Historically, the French and English name Florence was used for both sexes. And Florent is a steady classic in France, booming there in the 1980s. Maybe it's time to import it, and show that boys can be floral too.

Place-name and homonym of Bree, less popular than its enlargement, Brielle.

Fabiola was the romantically elaborate name of a saint who organized the first hospice.

What's the difference between Alexander, the usual English spelling of this deeply classical name, and Alexandre, the French version? English speakers might find the proper French pronunciation challenging: a-lehk-SAHN-dreh, but that last syllable is barely pronounced. Americans might an an a or an ee on the end of the name, or simply pronounce it as Alexander, for better or worse.

Although the accent in Linnet is on the first syllable, it could be confused with the dated Lynette.

Seems destined to be the preferred short form of this old French name, with its brief, modern, word name feel.

French form of Chloé. A popular choice with French-speaking parents, though people elsewhere may associate it most with luxury handbags.

A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany.

Also seen as Alyenor and Eleonore, this is an old French name dating back to the Arthurian romances and still heard today.

While Vanilla might be too bland, the French version is more flavorful.

Popular President Franklin Delano Roosevelt inspired a brief fashion for this as a first name in the 1940s; almost never heard today.

Thierry, which is very popular in France, would make an interesting import; it's somewhat familiar through designer Thierry Mugler and international soccer star Thierry Henry. It almost sounds like Terry, but not quite.

For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.