Francophile Naming Guide -- Breton Names for Boys

  1. Renan
    • Origin:

      Portuguese, Spanish, French, Turkish, and Breton variation of Ronan, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little seal"
    • Description:

      An international variation of Ronan primarily found in Brazil.
  2. Rio
    • Origin:

      Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "river or place of the cherry blossoms"
    • Description:

      Rio is a reductive ranchero place-name with an attractive Tex-Mex lilt. No Doubt's Tom Dumont has a son named Rio Atticus.
  3. Ronan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little seal"
    • Description:

      Ronan is the compelling legendary name of twelve Irish and Scottish saints that is now drawing some deserved attention; this cousin of the ascending Roman and Rowan was chosen by actor Daniel Day-Lewis and his writer-director wife Rebecca Miller in 1998, and more recently by actress Catherine Bell.
  4. Reun
    • Riagad
      • Rieg
        • Riog
          • Riou
            • Rivelen
              • Rivod
                • Rivodius
                  • Riwal
                    • Riwalon
                      • Riwod
                        • Roparz
                          • Rudalt
                            • Salaun
                              • Samzun
                                • Stefan
                                  • Origin:

                                    German, Scandinavian, Polish, and Russian variation of Stephen
                                  • Description:

                                    An elegant, continental name for the post-Steve era. It debuted on the US Top 1000 in 1949 and has been on the list every year since except for a year off in 2008.
                                • Steven
                                  • Origin:

                                    English variation of Stephen
                                  • Meaning:

                                    "garland, crown"
                                  • Description:

                                    Steven, the phonetic and now predominant spelling of the classier Stephen, has finally dropped out of the Top 100 after seventy years. Steve has become one of the ultimate regular-guy names, right up there with Dave and Joe. and there have been innumerable pop-culture role models among its bearers--from Steven Spielberg to Steven Soderbergh to Steve Jobs.