Looking for a sophistiqué baby name? France, the country of love, should be your first stop.
French names from Charlotte to Louis and Sophia are traditional favorites in the U.S. but thanks to hit streaming shows like “Emily In Paris,” “Julia” (inspired by "The French Chef” cooking show) and the ever-present bow to The City of Light in “And Just Like That," monikers influenced by French culture are having a resurgence.
The names below represent those with French origins that ranked as most popular over the last five years, according to Jennifer Moss, the founder of BabyNames.com.
As the website explains, 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.' Many girl names often were based on boy names and denoted feminine by adding an -e at the end like Justin (or) Justine."
Check out these French-style names — and their meanings — to jazz up your bebe list (non, accents are not included).
Popular French-inspired boy names
Bernard — Bold as a bear
Andre — Manly
Marc — War-like
Beau- Handsome
Leon — Lion-like
Marcel — Young warrior
Armand — Army man
Lionel — Little lion
Dax — Leader
Popular French-inspired boy names
Charlotte — Free
Belle — Beauty
Marceline — Young warrior
Corinne — Maiden
Nathalie — Born on Christmas Day
Anais — Gracious, merciful
Sylvie — Forest
Simone– To be heard
Denise — Devotee of Dionysos, the Greek god of theater and ecstasy
Amelie — Hardworking
Popular French-inspired gender-neutral names
Blaise — To stutter
Dior — Present
Bellamy — Good friend
Remi or Remy — Oarsman or remedy
Sidney or Sydney — Follower of Saint Denis of Paris, a third-century Christian saint.
