French Names that Start With V

Vivienne is an elaborated Gallic version of the name Vivian, chosen first by Rosie O'Donnell for her daughter and then catapulted to superstardom when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie used it for their twin daughter. An adult namesake is the British designer Vivienne Westwood. Rosie O'Donnell also has a daughter named Vivienne, known as Vivi.

The name of a martyred medieval saint, Valerie has been on the popularity list since its earliest publication in 1880. Though it peaked in the 1960s, remaining in the Top 100 until 1988, it still doesn't sound terminally dated; the association with the word valor gives it a sense of boldness and makes it one of the special group of girl names that mean strong.

Romantic name used throughout Europe, though sure to lead to pronunciation problems here. Though it's never been too widely used in the US, it's quite popular in Switzerland, France, Austria, and Romania.

While Vanilla might be too bland, the French version is more flavorful.

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.

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

As a surname, Viel is a French and English variation of Vial, ultimately from the Latin word for "life". The German variation is derived from the word vil, meaning "swamp" or "bog".

For a girl, we'd say Val-en-teen, though many would insist on pronouncing it like the holiday.

Embroidered lace hankie of a name, used in a Thomas Hardy novel. That literary cred lends some gravitas.

No-no appelation of a child saint and martyr whose name is a term for the nervous condition known as Saint Vitus' Dance. Its one recommending feature is that it's among the elite group Boy names that mean life.

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

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

A zippy, lively name that has never been popular, but has never completely disappeared. It is best known for writer and wit Gore Vidal, and hairdresser Vidal Sassoon and his many products.

Place-name waiting to be discovered.

Intriguing way to signal Welsh ancestry; more unusual than Wallace.

A happy combination of several desirable genres: it's a word name, it has a foreign accent, and it has a highly virtuous meaning. And few other parents will be bold enough to choose it.

Pleasant-sounding French surname.