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116 French names with meanings to consider for your new bebe

These are the most popular French-inspired baby names.
Happy toddler girl in purple lavender fields in the summer
Look to the language of love for baby names for your little love.Getty Images/Westend61

Looking for a sophistiqué baby name? France, the country of love, should be your first stop.

French baby names from Charlotte to Louis and Sophia are established favorites in the U.S., but nomenclature influenced by French culture is having a resurgence, after shows like “The New Look” about fashion designers Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, “Emily In Paris" and “Julia” (inspired by “The French Chef” cooking show).

According to Jennifer Moss, the founder of BabyNames.com, many French names were sourced from English or Latin ones and adapted to the language of love.

"For girls, it is common to use the suffix -ette that means 'little' or 'young,'" she says. "Many girl names often were based on boy names and denoted feminine by adding an -e at the end like Justin (to) Justine."

French Names And Meanings

Check out these French-style names — and their meanings — to spruce up your bebe list (non, accents are not included).

French Names For Boys

  • Bernard — Bold as a bear
  • Nicolas — The people’s victory
  • Timothee — Person who honors God
  • Georges — Farmer 
  • Alexandre — Warrior or defender 
  • Marc — War-like
  • Henri — Ruler of the home
  • Francois — Free man 
  • Beau — Handsome
  • Bastien — Respected 
  • Etienne — Crown 
  • Jules — Youthful 
  • Yves — Yew tree 
  • Gerard — Strong 
  • Roland — Famous land 
  • Gilles — Baby goat 
  • Léandre — Lion man 
  • Leon — Lion-like
  • Marcel — Young warrior
  • Chevalier — Knight
  • Armand — Army man
  • Lionel — Little lion
  • Dax — Leader
  • Baptiste — Baptist
  • Benoit — Blessed
  • Andre — Manly
  • Thoreau — Strength of a bull
  • Pierre — Rock, or stone
  • Pascal — Easter
  • Louis — Well-known warrior 
  • Andre — Strong and masculine 
  • Olivier — Olive tree 
  • Jean — Gracious gift from god 
  • Antoine — Worthy of praise 
  • Henri — Ruler of the home
  • Luc — Light  
  • Thomas — Twin
  • Marcel — Little warrior or hammer
  • Paul — Small
  • Alessio — Man who defends 
  • Charles — Free man 
  • Guillaume — One who protects
  • Laurence — A person from the ancient Roman city Laurentum.
  • Xavier — New home or bright.
  • Calvin — Bald person 
  • Gaston — A guest 
  • Frederic — Kind ruler 
  • Jacques — A person that takes the place of another.
  • Auguste — Noble 
  • Felix — Lucky 
  • Emmanuel — God is present 
  • Jonathan — Gift from God 
  • Gregoire — One who watches
  • Christophe — Christ 
  • Gustave — God’s staff

French Names For Girls

  • Charlotte — Free
  • Dominique — The lord 
  • Colette — Victorious
  • Belle — Beauty
  • Eloise — Healthy
  • Nicole — Victorious person 
  • Angelique — Angel or God’s messenger 
  • Vivienne — Alive 
  • Fleur — Flower 
  • Céline — Heavenly 
  • Elodie — Wealthy 
  • Marceline — Young warrior
  • Adelle — Noble
  • Corinne  — Maiden
  • Nathalie — Born on Christmas Day
  • Anais — Gracious, merciful
  • Juliette — Youthful
  • Sylvie  — Forest
  • Simone — To be heard
  •  Agathe — Pure woman
  • Celeste — Heavenly
  • Amelie — Hardworking
  • Capucine — Nasturtium, a plant species
  • Camille — Young attendant of a religious ceremony 
  • Delphine — Dolphin
  • Laure — Laurel tree 
  • Emma — Universal 
  • Jade — Jade stone 
  • Valerie — Healthy and strong 
  • Rose — The rose flower
  • Marie — Wished for child or beloved 
  • Ella — Fairy 
  • Manon — Queen
  • Claire — Clear 
  • Monique — Wise advisor 
  • Marguerite — Pearl 
  • Lourdes — The town of Lourdes in France 
  • Odette — Rich
  • Pauline — Small 
  • Valentine — Good health 
  • Sophia — Wise 
  • Aurelie — Golden 
  • Chloe — Fertile and blooming 
  • Violette — Violet or purple 
  • Mathilde — Strong to battle 

Gender-Neutral French Names

  • Blaise — To stutter
  • Dior — Present
  • Clemence — Merciful
  • Landry — Ruler
  • Aimon — Home
  • Bellamy — Good friend
  • Remi or Remy — Oarsman or remedy
  • Maxime — Greatest
  • Michelle — God-like
  • Rene — Transformation or rebirth 
  • Alexis — Defender
  • Sidney or Sydney — Follower of Saint Denis of Paris, a third-century Christian saint.
  • Croix — Cross
  • Noe — Peace