150+ French Last Names

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

And this sounds like the synthetic fabric washed with Fabrice.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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."

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

An undiscovered last-name-first option.

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.

Name with aristrocratic overtones.

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.

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

Associated with the "Star Trek" commander of the USS Enterprise.

Transferred use of the surname Vianney, in reference to French saint Jean-Marie Vianney. It is generally masculine in France, Belgium and French-speaking Africa, but in Latin America it is mainly feminine and sometimes spelt Vianey.