150+ French Last Names

Intriguing spin on Margaret or Maggie, for admirers of French surrealist Rene Magritte.

Combine the charm of Beau with the strength of Ford and you’ll get Beauford, an attractive French surname waiting to be discovered. The most notable bearer is Beauford Delaney, a modernist painter who participated in the Harlem Renaissance.

Possible musical tribute name to the waiflike, husky-voiced midcentury French singer who was given this last name because of her birdlike quality.

Not all names that end in -er were originally occupational. This one, for instance, is a surname name that derives from the Old French for "help" or "mercy."

Likely to be pronounced AW-bert in English, short forms Aubie and Bertie give this rare French name quirky modern appeal.

Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget was one of the most influential names in his field, known for his theories on cognitive development in children. His surname has potential as a given name, perhaps for the child of a child psychologist.

And this sounds like the synthetic fabric washed with Fabrice.

A common French surname, typically for someone who was from one of the numerous places called Beaufort in France. A refined route to laid-back nickname Beau.

Étienne de Silhouette (1709–67), French author and politician, gave his name to this portraiture technique – although, strangely, no one knows why.

The surname of Jean Valjean, the protagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel Les Misérables. The character was portrayed in the 2012 film adaptation by Hugh Jackman. A notable real-life bearer of the name is American pianist Valjean Johns.

Creative surname choice, associated with the great French postimpressionist Edouard Villard.

An undiscovered last-name-first option.

An old French surname derived from baille, meaning "fortification" – the same root as the English word bailey. The surname was borne by an aristocratic English family descended from French nobility.

A fresh take on Jessica, Jessel is currently borne in the public eye by Jessel Taank, a Real Housewife of New York City.

An unusual French surname which may have been given to someone with a rosy complexion, or a combination of the floral name Rose with the popular La- prefix. British TV personality Lauren Goodger named her daughter Larose in 2021.

Two completely different images come from its national pronunciations -- BOY-err or boy-AY -- the latter giving it an effete French accent.

An intriguing surname option with ties to the natural world and to cool names like Hollis and Holland. But beware: another origin of the surname is from Old French horier meaning "pimp, brothel keeper".

So tied to being Jacqueline Kennedy's maiden name that it's best saved for a girl.