French Word Names

A sweet way—literally—to honor a Melissa or a Pamela.

A name that looks intriguing and masculine on paper, but is, unfortunately, a homonym for a girl's name.

Traditionally used by the ultrareligious, the French boys' name Baptiste comes from the Greek word meaning "to dip". Baptiste is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France.

Innovative French word name, suggesting illumination and clarity.

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

The middle name of the Travoltas' Ella, this French color alternative hasn't caught on with many other parents.

This French word for star sounds like even more of a celebrity-worthy choice than Star or Esther or Estella or Stella. But count on English speakers who never took high school French to stumble over the pronunciation.

Adds French flair to Victoria, though many Americans would find pronunciation a challenge.

Originally used as a diminutive of Marguerite, this French term of endearment is super-rare as a given name in France, but could make for a sweet alternative to Mia in English-speaking countries. A variation is Mietta.

The kind of French name that seemed daring -- and darling -- in the sixties.

Mason with a French accent. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2012, and it will likely hang on for as long as its brother-in-spelling-variations, Mayson.

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.

Prune is a fruit name loved by the French, for whom it's a Plum equivalent. In the U.S., Plum works, but Prune is not a name we'd want to inflict on a child. Prunella is slightly more plausible.

Wildly popular name in France that could easily cross the Atlantic.

In the US Amber is stuck in the '80s, while Ambre is a fresh choice in France.

An intriguing but challenging choice, because of possible confusion with all the Terry-type names.