1200+ French Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

The sort of oh-so-French name that's falling out of favor now.

Marietta would make for a classy and uncommon long form for cool nickname Etta.

Soft, amber-hued herbal and autumnal name that's used most often to describe the color of a horse. The proper spelling: Sorrel.

Though it's used far more often for boys, Lyle has a lot in common with today's trending girl names that share the double L sound: Lila, Layla, and Lola.

The French spelling of Lucy feels particularly light and shimmery.

Although the accent in Linnet is on the first syllable, it could be confused with the dated Lynette.

Truly original yet not strange name ripe for the plucking by the adventurous baby namer. Aurelius works too.

Yet another creative character name from Toni Morrison, Denver was a daughter of Sethe's in the novel Beloved. Today Denver is most familiar as the name of the largest city in Colorado, used almost equally for girls and boys.

In the Top 25 in the unisex seventies, these days Tracy would more likely be Gracie.

Creative choice, evoking the high-kicking can-can girls and other colorful figures in the works of Toulouse-Lautrec.

Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents are starting to explore same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first syllable and three syllables -- vee-oh-let -- as well as the Spanish Violeta — both of which were among the fastest-rising girl names of 2023.

Sophisticated French choice. Or toxic petrochemical.

A sleek, smooth, understated name off the grid in the US but among the Top 100 girl names in Germany. In the US, it is a unisex name, while in Germany and the Netherlands, it is predominantly feminine.

A smooth and velvety Gallic choice first heard here as the heroine of the movie "Chocolat."

French version of August, for both sexes. And for those who feel the spelling of August is too plain.

Marine is an extremely popular and fashionable name in France that's virtually unknown here — and is ready to set sail. Marine feels more contemporary than Marina and less hippie-esque than Oceane, another popular name for girls in France.

The rise of the the various Isabel names may give a boost to this variation, which has a sunny, springtime feel.

This is an energetic dance of an Irish surname, great for both genders. Could also be spelled Delancy.

Talented Jamaican-American actor Dule (born Karim Dule) Hill introduced this name, suggested by an aunt who'd heard it in France. Pronounced doo-lay.