Everything You Wanted to Know About French Names But Were Too Afraid to Ask

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How to pronounce 100 common, popular, and unusual French names and their meanings. Read about French naming culture here.

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I. French Name BasicsII. Common French names, their pronunciation and hidden meaningsIII. Unusual French namesIV. Famous French people and how to say their namesConclusion

Different cultures have different naming traditions, and in France, French first names reflect its language and culture. Whether you’re looking for a French name for your baby, learning how to pronounce them or simply just satisfying your curiosity about French names, this article will help you.

Most of us, especially those with not-so-common names, have sat through one situation or another where a person we’re talking to is murdering our names by pronouncing them the wrong way.

Now imagine what it’s like for French people with classic French names. French words are notoriously difficult to pronounce for non-French speakers, and names are no different. To give you an idea, check out this short Buzzfeed video where Americans try to say French names.

If you found yourself fumbling through the names just like the people in the video, don’t worry, this article will tell you everything you’ve always been wondering about French names. We’ll address those questions one by one, and after reading this article, you’ll be one step closer to speaking to French people with confidence.

Ready to explore French names further? Let’s go!

First things first…

I. French Name Basics

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, keep these things in mind:

Counterparts in other languages

Most French names have versions in other languages, especially English. For example, Éléonore is Eleanor while Guillaume is William. There are few, however, which are uniquely French. The most unusual names will be listed later, too. So watch out for that.

Most traditional French names are gender-specific

Masculine names can be made feminine and vice versa, by adding or omitting a few letters. Often you can change a masculine name to feminine when you add –e, -ine, or –ette. Jean, for instance, becomes Jeanne, Jeannine, and Jeannette with the addition of the mentioned suffixes.

In some cases, the spelling changes to accommodate the feminine counterpart, just like Frédéric (M) which becomes Frédérique (F). A few names are gender-neutral or unisex like Dominique, Camille or Maxime. But just like in other languages, names are increasingly becoming modern and unconventional.

Hyphenated names are very popular

This is why you’ll see a lot of Jean-Claude, Jean-Baptiste, Pierre-Louis, Marie-Éloïse and many others. The names are usually combined from two names of the same gender, like Jean-Marc, but sometimes, you’ll come across hyphenated French names composed of one male name and the other a female name, like Jean-Marie.

The first part of a hyphenated name usually indicates its traditional gender: Pierre-Marie is typically masculine and Marie-Pierre feminine. Exceptions exist, especially in some older religious compound names.

Another important detail about hyphenated names is that both names are considered a single unit: not two separate names but a single first name. This is why you don’t take the liberty of calling Jean-Luc just Jean or Pierre-Louis simply Pierre. Address them by their names Jean-Luc and Pierre-Louis. Because that’s just how it is.

Saint names

Traditionally, French names were based on saints from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints. This explains the prevalence of names like Pierre (Peter), Jacques (James), and Marie (Mary). On top of that, did you know that from 1803, French names were restricted by law to names in use in French calendars and those of known figures of ancient history?

A ministerial circular in 1966 emphasized a liberal interpretation of the older rules, allowing names established by foreign, national, local or family usage. Since the 1993 law, parents have had much greater freedom to choose first names, but officials can still challenge a choice that is contrary to the child’s interests or another person’s right to protect their surname. (Historical source: French Ministry of Justice response)

Capitalization of surnames

You might also have noticed that it’s common in France to see surnames written in capital letters. In case you’re wondering why, many people in France have last names which are also first names. So to avoid a potentially awkward situation, the capitalization distinguishes first names from last names.

Take a look at these 50 familiar French surnames. Several, such as Martin, Bernard and Thomas, are also first names. Writing the surname in capitals can help distinguish the two.

II. Common French names, their pronunciation and hidden meanings

Now for the list of the usual French names. You might have read these names already in books, history, movies, or pop culture, but what you might not know is how exactly to pronounce them as well as the meanings behind it.

We have divided the names into fifty each for female and male. The pronunciation spellings are rough English-based guides, not exact phonetic transcriptions. French vowels, nasal sounds and the French “r” do not have exact English equivalents. In the corrected guides below, “ü” means the French u sound /y/ (say “ee” with rounded lips), not English “oo”. “(n)” marks a nasal vowel; do not pronounce a separate “n”. Capitals highlight a syllable for reading; French names do not have fixed English-style word stress. Meanings refer to traditional name origins, not personality traits or everyday French translations.

Common Female French Names

Common Male French names

III. Unusual French names

If you happen to be on the lookout for the coolest-sounding unique French names for your baby, or simply just interested to see a list of the most unusual French names, well, look no further. Here’s a small list of rarely used French names that you probably never heard of before, including their pronunciations.

Unusual French Boys’ names

• Calixtecah-LEEXT
• CoriolanCO-ryo-la(n)
• Jessimezhess-EEM
• Josquinzhos-KEH(n) (French /ʒɔs.kɛ̃/)
• Maixentmekk-sa(n)
• MajoricMAH-jo-rick
• NévenoéNAY-ven-NO-ay
• NominoëNO-mee-NO-ay
• Thibaldtee-BALD
• TitouanTEE-twa(n)
• Zachaëlzack-ah-EL
• ZénonZAY-no(n)

Unusual French Girls’ names

• AglaéAH-GLah-ey
• AnoukAH-nook
• AmaranteAH-mah-raw(n)t
• AudraA-druh
• BijouxBee-ZHOO
• BrielBRI-YAHL
• Cantrellekan-TRELL
• DesneigeDeh-NEHZH
• ÉtoileEh-TWAL
• Isabeauee-sah-BOH
• Naevaney-VAH
• NanonNa-NON

IV. Famous French people and how to say their names

There are quite a number of important figures associated with France and the French-speaking world in art, music and public life. Often, their names come up in small talk or business chit-chat. How do you say their names without committing a social faux pas?

Here is a list of popular French names and a basic pronunciation guide, plus a quick reminder of who the person is.

Popular French Names in Music

Popular French Names in Politics

Popular French Names in Art

Conclusion

There you have it. Everything you need to know about French names that we could possibly fit in one article.

Looking for French nicknames to call your loved ones? Here’s a good list of French terms of endearment!

Until the next article! Merci beaucoup!