1200+ French Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

Strong, solid surname name. For many this name will be inextricably linked with former Vice President Dick Cheney - a hinderance or a virtue, depending on your political leanings.

An English surname derived from the French place name Beauvais, which in turn comes from the name of an ancient Gaulish tribe, the Bellovaci.

Unusual saint's name rarely heard outside Roman Catholic rectories until it made an appearance on a reality-TV show; has an attractive French feel.

Common surname rarely used as a first.

Ermentrude was the name of two medieval queens of France. Despite these distinguished beginnings, this antique name is unlikely to catch on with contemporary parents, perhaps because the first syllable may sound unattractive to the modern ear and the last two syllables are the equivalent of intrude. Then there's that rude final syllable. English variant Ermintrude is equally unlikely to find favor.

Philippine would be taken as an ethnic identification rather than a name in the U.S. Better try Philippa, though if you don't mind eternally correcting people, Philippine can make an interesting alternative. Pippa can be a short form of Philippine as well as Philippa.

The name of the great French novelist, author of the timeless The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers, would make a surprising middle name choice.

A happy combination of several desirable genres: it's a word name, it has a foreign accent, and it has a highly virtuous meaning. And few other parents will be bold enough to choose it.

And this sounds like the synthetic fabric washed with Fabrice.

Ron Burgundy was Will Ferrell's fictional helmet-haired newsman, but this color name is much more suited to a girl.

It's a place. It's a wine. It's a color. -- no wonder trend-heavy Burgundy's been discovered as a name.

Old-timey surname that's been very rarely used.

New twist to the Maur- names, a bit cosmetic sounding.

You could just spell it epiphany, but that's so much more pedestrian. It's also a holiday name, à la Christmas and Easter: the Epiphany marked the visitation of the Three Wise Men to Baby Jesus.