The French have a reputation for being chic and stylish, and it is no less the case when it comes to names.
When you get down to the nitty gritty there is an abundant number of names that Britain and France share. You are just as likely to meet a French David as a British, albeit with slightly different pronunciation. The same can be said for Albert, Anne, Benjamin, Charlotte, and many more. Similarly, there are plenty of French names that have been adopted on these shores for centuries. Claire, Marie and Sophie have been in use for so long that it's easy to forget that they are, in fact, French variations (Clara, Mary and Sophy being original Anglican equivalents).
Indeed, looking at the top 100 most popular names in France there is a great deal of cross-over with British names. On the other hand, there are several gems on the list that are rarely heard of, or even unknown, on this fair isle.
This, therefore, is a list that attempts to capture names distinctly and stylishly French in their origin or usage, that could easily and fashionably be used outside of their native setting.
| Alphonse Amaury Ambroise Andre Antoine Antonin Armand Arnaud Arsène Aubert Aubin Auguste Aurélien Baudouin Baptiste Bastien Benoit Bertrand Calixte Constant Corin Cornielle Deodat Didier Diodore Donat Donatien Émeric Enzo Évrard Fabrice Fernand |
Firmin Florent François Fulbert Gabin Gaétan Gaspard Gaston Gaubert Gautier / Guatier Géraud Germain Gervais Ghislain Gratien Guillaume Gustave Hercule Hervé Hugues Jacques Josse Juste Landry Laurent Léonce Loïc Loup Ludovic Maël Marcel Mathis |
Matthieu Maxence Maxime Naël Nazaire Nicodème Odilon Olivier Pascal Patrice Paulin Pierre Rainier Raoul Régis Rémy Renaud René Rodrigue Romain Serge Séverin Sylvain Thibault Thierry Timeo Titouan Toussaint Ulysse Urbain Yvan Yves |
Amandine Amarante Anaëlle Anaïs Angélique Apolline Athène Aurélie Aurore Axelle Babette Bénédicte Bertille Bethsabée Bibiane Blanchefleur Blandine Capucine Claudette Claudie Claudine Clémence Clotilde Coralie Cosette Cyprienne Cyrielle Dominique Edmeé Éliane Emilienne Eugénie |
Euphémie Euphrasie Fabienne Fanette Fantine Faustine Félicie Félicienne Fidèle Fleurette Floriane Gaëlle Gaétane Galatée Ghislaine Henriette Honorine Hortense Iphigenie Irénée Jacinthe Jacquette Josette Josiane Laurence Laurentine Léontine Lilou Lisette Lucienne Lydie Maëlle |
Maëlys Magali Marceline Marjolaine Mariette Marilène Marilou Meline Mélisande Mireille Modeste Morgane Nadége Nicolette Noémie Océane Odette Odile Ophélie Philomène Reine Romane Sabine Sidonie Solange Solène Sylviane Veronique Victoire Zelie Zénaïde Zéphyrine |
