270+ French Boy Names

Old saints' and popes' name that went to France in the 1920s with the Russian Ballets Russes; in its Russian form, Sergei, it retains an artistic, almost effete air.

Corentin is an intriguing saint's name fashionable in France but virtually unknown here-- which you may consider a big plus. St. Corentin possessed a magical fish that regenerated itself each night, feeding himself and his lucky visitors in perpetuity.

The list of occupational boys' names continues to expand, and this is one of the latest to ride onto the range. With a hint of cowboy and Western, a sprinkle of preppy surname, an outdoorsy, nature-connected vibe, and a soft-but-strong sound, Ranger has a lot going for it. More than doubling in use over the last decade, it was given to around 120 boys in 2023.

The family name of Shakespeare's Romeo has an effete, monocled image.

Since the first production of Camille this has been considered one of the world's most romantic names, though it's one of those French names for boys rarely heard in this country.

Raoul, with its unique three-vowel middle, rolls off the tongue in an appealing way. Raoul is one of the French names that sounds infinitely more romantic and attractive than the somewhat harsh English version Ralph.

In the nineties there was a "One Life to Live" soap opera character named Suede, but few fans picked up on it; might be more appealing to today's generation of parents.

Eternally tied to the surname Chase, via the old English battle and ballad, the DC suburb, and the goofy SNL pratfaller (who was born Cornelius). It entered the US Top 1000 in 2014.

Mime Marcel Marceau actually had two versions of the same name. Marcel, Marceau, Marcella, Marcus, Mark -- all are variation of the Roman mythological name Mars, the god of war.

Jasper is an internationally-popular name that takes many forms, among them Casper, Gaspar, and the French version Gaspard. Virtually unknown in the US, Gaspard is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France.

More appealing than the English version, Aubin might be seen as a fresher and more decidedly masculine twist on Aubrey. This handsome discovery is now ranked at Number 311 in its native France.

A cute and fresh way to get to Max, this was the name of a sixth century saint. Maxence is a Top 100 boys' name in France, but largely unknown in the US where it is given to only a handful of baby boys each year.

Simple, usable surname choice.

This name, which is a French variant of Leo, is pronounced with the distinct French nasally N at the end. It is sometimes used in French to refer to popes named Leo.

Pronounced TEE-bow, this version, which is also a very common surname in France, has a lot more charm than the name it derives from — Theobald. A variant spelling is Thibaut.

Popular President Franklin Delano Roosevelt inspired a brief fashion for this as a first name in the 1940s; almost never heard today.

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

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