Unique French Girl Names

Five girls were given the name Perrine last year. More modern-sounding are Perrin, Perry, or even Petra.

Gemstone names have a long history of use, from Ruby to Pearl. Emeraude is the French word for emerald. If the Spanish Esmeralda is stylish, why not Emeraude?

Faustine has a positive meaning, although the association with the character who sold his soul to the devil may be off-putting. This name is among the Top 100 girls' names in France, but was given to fewer than five baby girls in the US last year.

This Danielle/Monique hybrid offers a new twist on an old favorite.

Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.

The Indre is a river in France. Spelled Indra, it's the name of a powerful deity worshipped by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains — roughly the South Asian equivalent of the Greek Zeus or Norse Odin. But either Indra or Indre might make a simple, captivating, attractive name for a modern little girl.

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

Attractive, underused name made famous by the heroine of The Color Purple. Still, if you're going to go to Celie, why not go all the way to Celia or Cecelia? You can always use Celie for short.

Instead of the usual French suspects -- Danielle, Isabelle, Gabrielle -- why not consider Fabienne, which is less common and just as pretty.

Veronica seems poised to rise again, along with many other V names, and with it may follow this more romantic French version.

The feminine version of the newly-stylish Roman -- and the longer form of the also-newly-stylish Romy -- would make a girls' choice that achieves that near-impossible balance of being both original and fashionable. This variation is far superior to Romaine, which is too lettuce-y.

A Gallic twist on a word or nature name, which has a nice lemony feel. 

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

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.

Used in France as a male name, this would make an appealing and unusual choice, as would two other Gallic month names, Avril and Mai.

Rare French option for girls, but feels familiar thanks to the popularity of Sebastian.

The sweet Czech form of Sylvia.