Baby names — French
French names join the Latin base of Gaul with the Germanic heritage of the Franks, the people who gave the country its name and names like Louis. The result is an elegant repertoire, with final-syllable stress and soft consonants, that France exported to the world.
Full Trend
12Modern
23Rare / Elegant
25Unique / Exotic
4From an official list to free choice
Between 1803 and 1993, France only registered names from the saints' calendar and historical figures, under a Napoleonic law. That kept the classic repertoire in use for nearly two centuries.
Since 1993 the choice is free, and France has become retro-name territory: Louise, Gabriel and Jeanne have returned to the top of the country's birth records.
How they sound
French stresses the last syllable and loves the silent final e: Claire and Camille end on a spoken consonant despite the spelling. Nasal vowels and the guttural r carry the accent, but much of the French repertoire has been international for centuries, from Louis to Margot.
Frequently asked questions
Are French names hard to pronounce outside France?
Some need adapting, because the French u and the nasal vowels do not exist in every language. But much of the repertoire has been international for centuries: Camille, Louis and Céline travel well, and the classics have direct equivalents in English.
What are the hyphenated compound names?
A French signature: Jean-Pierre, Marie-Claire, Anne-Sophie. The hyphen joins two names into one used daily, a tradition that comes from Catholic parish records of the 17th century.
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