French girl names range from the so familiar we don’t notice them – think Nicole and Danielle – to current favorites, like Josephine or Claire.
Others, like Antoinette and Blanche, belong to another era. They’re French, but seem more like vintage choices than imports.
But overwhelmingly, French names for girls occupy a special spot for American parents. Many of them are accessible, but feel just a little different. They often read as sophisticated choices.
If you’ve followed names for years, chances are many of these French choices are on your radar already. Some might be new. And it’s worth noting that they don’t reflect the current Top Ten in France. A trip to Meilleurs Prénoms reveals that names like Emma and Alice occupy the most popular girl names in France … just like they do here.
Pronunciation will be seamless for all of the names in the first section. And while the less familiar French girl names might post some challenges, they all could work in American English, with a little bit of repetition.
Some of these might feel dated in France. Others might seem more French to Americans than they do to native speakers. But if you’re looking for something that says Paris, while you live in Pittsburgh? These names will satisfy.
FRENCH GIRL NAMES AMERICANS KNOW
AMÉLIE
The French form of Amelia, Amelie sounds a little closer to another American chart-topper, Emily. 2001 movie Amelie brought it to American parents’ attention, and it has ranked in the US Top 1000 since 2003.
ANGÉLIQUE
Discovered in the US in the 1960s, Angelique recently left the US Top 1000. It tracks with our adoption of the English form of the name: Angelica.
BERNADETTE
Bernadette is in the early stages of a comeback. While masculine form Bernard is all German, Bernadette is the French feminine form. The image is reinforced by Bernadette Soubirous, the young woman whose visions at Lourdes became famous.
BRIGITTE
Brigitte sounds French, and controversial screen legend Brigitte Bardot reinforces that image.
CAMILLE
It’s the name Alexandre Dumas, fils, gave to a courtesan with a heart of gold in his 1848 novel. Greta Garbo played the part in a 1936 movie adaptation, earning an Oscar nomination. Camila ranks in the Top 20, but Camille also appears in the Top 1000.
CÉCILE
Cecilia is popular in the US right now, but it’s far from the only form of the name. Trim and tailored Cecile is the French form.
CELESTE
Heavenly Celeste has always appeared in the Top 1000, but it’s never been especially popular.
CHARLOTTE
A Top Ten favorite, Charlotte is heard the world over thanks to a fictional spider in a classic American children’s story, and a British princess. Despite this, Charlotte clearly evolved from the French pronunciation of Charles.
CLAIRE
Claire comes from the Latin clarus – clear and bright. Chaira Offreduccio became an early follower of St. Francis, and she’s a saint in her own right, too. The Italian Chiara became Clara in Latin, Clare in English, and Claire in French – though Clara, Clare, and Claire all appear in the current US Top 1000.
COLETTE
Add an -ette to Nicole, and it becomes Nicolette. Drop the first syllable, and you’ll arrive at Colette. Impeccably French, but easily spelled and pronounced in English, Colette feels familiar, but not too common.
GABRIELLE
A favorite in the 1990s, Gabrielle is the French feminine form of the Hebrew Gabriel – God is my strength.
GENEVIÈVE
The patron saint of Paris, Genevieve is pronounced very different in French than in English. But it’s broadly familiar in the US, and Saint Genevieve is famous for protecting the city of Paris from an invading army in the fifth century.
GISELLE
The ballet Giselle makes it more popular, as does supermodel Gisele Bündchen, and Amy Adams’ character in Disney live action princess pic Enchanted. In France, it’s more commonly spelled Gisèle.
LOUISE
We love a good Lou name, and Louise – the French feminine form of Louis – is among the most classic.
LUCILLE
Lucille feels thoroughly American, thanks to the comic genius of Lucille Ball. But Lucille is a French form of the enduring and Latin Lucia.
JOSEPHINE
Josephine combines the romance of the French Empire with a healthy dose of jazz age swing.
JULIETTE
The name brings to mind Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, but -ette is also a favorite in French.
MADELEINE and MADELINE
The most popular spelling of this name as of 2018 is Madelyn. But the more authentically French versions, Madeline and Madeleine, are heard in the US, too. The children’s storybook character spells it ending with -line.
MARGUERITE
Among the most classic of girl names, Margaret belongs to saints and queens. The same is true for the French form, Marguerite. While it’s familiar in the US, it’s seldom heard.
MARIE
Strange but true: name your daughter Mary today, and she may never meet another girl her age with the name. That’s even more true for the French form, Marie.
MARION and MARIANNE
Marion emerged as a Marie nickname in the Middle Ages, in France as well as England. Marianne also claims French roots. But Marianne makes this list especially because it’s the name given to the female figure serving as a symbol of the French Republic.
ROSALIE
A Rose name with French roots.
SIMONE
The French feminine form of Simon feels sleek and sophisticated. It’s also musical, thanks to Nina Simone.
SYLVIE
Sylvia peaked in the US In the 1930s, and while it’s still used, it’s faded quite a bit from those heights. French Sylvie feels fresher and more stylish today.
THÉRÈSE
The French form of Theresa, which comes from a Greek name meaning harvest. Saint Therese likely inspired some parents to choose the name.
VIVIENNE
Ever since the youngest Jolie-Pitt daughter arrived in 2008, parents have considered Vivienne. It’s still far less popular than the English Vivian, but a number of high profile birth announcements have kept it in the spotlight.
UNCOMMON FRENCH GIRL NAMES
AMANCE
A cousin to Aimee, Amance means loving. It’s unisex, and several early saints answered to the name. However, it’s quite rare in France today.
AMANDINE
Amanda topped US popularity charts in the 1980s. Amandine takes it in a different direction.
AMENAIDE
A rarity spotted in New Orleans, it’s possible Amenaide wouldn’t be heard in France itself. But it appears in a Rossini opera, and feels French in style.
ANAÏS
An Anna variant more widely known thanks to author Anaïs Nin, it’s pronounced ah nah EES. It’s returned to the US Top 1000.
AZÉLIE
Marie-Azélie was the mother of the future Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, and she’s now considered a saint in her own right. Azelie might come from the azalea plant, or it might be cousin to all those Adelaide names.
CAPUCINE
It sounds like coffee, but Capucine is a flower name.
CLEMENCE
Vintage, quirky Clementine is trending in the US. French form Clemence remains obscure, but sophisticated.
CLÉOPHÉE
If you’re looking for a formal name for Cleo less dramatic than Cleopatra, Cleophee might fit. It comes from the New Testament name Cleophas.
COCO
It’s not exactly a French given name for girls. But legendary designer Coco Chanel makes it feel decidedly French. Formal name options abound.
COSETTE
Another name that leans French thanks to pop culture, Cosette is the daughter in Les Misérables.
DELPHINE
Another floral name, Delphine might also refer to dolphins … or the city of Delphi, in ancient Greece.
ELODIE
Mellifluous Elodie is a saint’s name, the French form of Alodia.
EULALIE
Several Eu- names appear on any list of French girl names. Eulalie comes from a Greek name meaning well-spoken.
FAUSTINE
Faustine means lucky, and lately it’s been popular in France, peaking around 2010.
FLEUR
English-speaking readers will recognize Fleur, thanks to the Harry Potter heroine. But the French form of Flora – it’s literally the word for flower – isn’t often heard as a given name in the US.
FRANÇOISE
A French staple in the 1940s, Françoise is rarely heard for children today. The pronounciation frahn SWAHZ might prove challenging, but easy nicknames like Frannie make the name feel casual and cozy.
GHISLAINE
A cousin to Giselle, though perhaps a tougher to wear version.
HONORINE
Virtue name Honor is heard from time to time, along with elaborations. Honorine is one of the French possibilities for a vintage virtue name.
LÉOCADIE
A Late Latin name, Saint Leocadia lived in third century Spain. The name is also sometimes Locaie in French.
LILOU
Lilou relates to Lily, but it was Milla Jovovich’s character in the 1997 sci-fi flick The Fifth Element, Leeloo, that put this name on the charts.
LUCIENNE
We love Lou names. After all, Louise and Lucille are already on this list. For something more tailored and far more rare, there’s Lucy cousin Lucienne.
LUDIVINE
For an even rarer Lou name, there’s Ludivine. The feminine form of an obscure eighth-century saint’s name is rare in the US, and peaked in France back in the 1980s.
MAËLLE
Maelle looks like a smoosh of Mae and Elle, but the French pronunciation is closer to ma ehl. The feminine form of a fifth century saint’s name, Maël means chief. Maëlie and Maëlys are also options.
MANON
Manon started out as a Marie nickname. It’s pronounced mah NON. American parents might recognize it from 1987 movie Manon des Sources, a sequel to 1986’s Jean de Florette.
MIREILLE
If you learned French with Pierre Capretz’s famous French in Action series, you might know Mireille as the French college student who starred in the textbooks. It sounds something like MEE RAY and comes from a word meaning “to admire.”
NOÉMIE
The French form of Naomi makes for an appealing alternative to the Biblical original.
OCÉANE
It looks like Ocean-with-an-e, but it’s pronounced oh say AHN, the French word for the sea.
ODETTE and ODILE
Both feminine forms of Otto, Odette and Odile are characters from the ballet Swan Lake, made even more famous by the Oscar-winning movie Black Swan.
SEVERINE
Severine sounds elegant and upscale, though it comes from the same root as the English word severe.
SIDONIE
Sidonie comes from the ancient Phoenician city of Sidon. It sounds like another place name – Sydney, Australia. Or maybe English surname Sidney. But there’s an extra syllable in Sidonie that makes it a little different.
SOLANGE
A ninth century saint’s name, Solange comes from the Latin term for solemn, as in religious. Some interpret it as sol – sun – and ange – angel. Singer Solange Knowles raises the name’s profile.
VICTOIRE
The French form of Victoria, Victoire is another name boosted by Harry Potter.
ZAZIE
A French nickname for Isabelle, you might know it thanks to the 1960 Louis Malle film, based on a 1959 novel, Zazie dans le métro.
ZÉLIE
Short for Azelie, Zelie has trended in France and the US as well lately.
I can’t believe we left out the best nickname for Genevieve: Gigi! My sister loved the movie, and when looking for a name to keep with the francophile naming theme of her kids, Genevieve (Gigi) Lucille came up. It’s fun, not often come across, but still has the history and culture of the full name behind it.
Ditto Havoye — I’ve never heard Maëlle as anything except mah-el. I think the confusion with this one is that French pronunciation isn’t as “lazy” as English, i.e. the /l/s are pronounced almost “hard”, with the tongue ending up behind the top teeth — therefore it sounds [especially when the name is isolated] like there *might* be another syllable on the end when you let your tongue down, but there definitely isn’t. Also, the diaeresis is there to tell you that the two vowels are pronounced separately, *not* as one diphthong. So Anaïs is ah-nah-ees, Évaëlle is ay-vah-el, and Noémie is no-ay-mee, with the vowels separated — I’ve never heard these ‘blurred’ into less syllables.
That said, I do like and appreciate a loads of French names but not many are on my list for girls. Probably because of my own given name and the fact that I hear them constantly. 🙂
Is there a top 1000 of France? That’s a list I’d LOVE to see!
Love the list of sisters!
I have always loved Faustine as well! No one seems to know about it, but it is a beautiful name.
My mother was one of six daughters (and five brothers) in a Franco-American family. The girls were: Yolande, Ludovine, Clairisse, Lucille, Madeleine, and Alice.
Nicoline…great! Sylvie seems very popular already here in the SF bay area.
I obviously adore Josephine (mine’s 8 now!) and have loved Marguerite for a possible sister for years. I also adore Lilou, but think I use it as a nickname for Lucasta or Louisa.
I’d absolutely add Capucine to this list. I think monkey before coffee too, fwiw. And that would suit any of my kids to a ‘t’!
I love Sylvie too, but He went to part of Kindergarten with a French Sylvie and it kind of creeps me out he remembers her at all. Still, I think it’s really lovely and deserves a lot more use.
Maëlle is actually pronounced mah-ell – there is no “ah” or “uh” sound at the end. I think it might befuddle some English speakers, but not excessively so. Unfortunately, I think Anaïs would often be butchered by English speakers, but it really depends on their familiarity with the name. We considered the name Thaïs (pronounced tie-ees) for our little girl, who was born last month and is half French, but in the end decided it was going to be too unwieldy for English speakers to deal with. It’s definitely an up-and-coming name in France, however – the -is ending is definitely ‘hot’ there.
We ended up naming or daughter Marianne, although Viviane (the more common spelling in francophone areas) and Alix were also strong contenders. It’s a name that’s considered somewhat dated in France, having peaked midway through the 20th century, but we live in Montreal and it’s quite popular here at the moment. I don’t know if it has the potential to rise in popularity in the English-speaking world, at least not now, like some of the other names on your list like Genevieve and Josephine, given that it was also a mid-century name in the US, but maybe we’ll see the slightly frillier Mariana rising soon.
To your list, I would add Sylvie. French speakers tend to consider it horribly dated, but judging from the reactions I’ve seen on naming boards, English speakers are finding it fresh and perhaps slightly bubblier than the statelier-sounding Sylvia.
My favorite here is Ludivine, which I love as a middle name. And I’ve always had a soft spot for Faustine.
I also like the name Nicoline.
Garance and Capucine are both pretty popular in France – both are in their Top 200. Personally, I adore the name Capucine – despite the capuccino connection.
Other French name loves for me include Floriane, Solene (grave accent should be on the first e), Segolene (ditto Solene), Ghislaine, Raphaelle, Lénaig, Magalie, Manon, Amandine, Mélisande and Alizée.
Fun fact for ye: Fanny is in the French Top 100, which caused somewhat of an uproar amongst my English peers when we went on an exchange trip to a French school where there were plenty of girls with the name.
Great post! My husband is a bit more of a Francophile than I am, but many French names have been on my list at one time or another.
I recently became aware of Anais because of Anais Mitchell, whose album Hadestown I LOVE. I first pronounced it An-EYE-us in my head, and I still kind of like that more.
Claire was once one of my favored, then she morphed into Claribel, then Clarabelle, then down the list. Still lovely, but not as favored.
I like Coco as a short form for perhaps Coral or Coralena.
Elodie is pretty. And I dig Josephine. Lilou is intriguing. Lucienne is lovely. Ludivine is fascinating. Maëlle is very cute. Love Noemie! I prefer Celestine to Celeste.
My favorite from the list though is Azelie. French and floral, what’s not to love?
I also love the names Léonie, Joëlle, Simone, Sidonie, Thérèse, Yvonne, and Étiennette. Then there are the French word names Jolie and Alouette.
😀
I considered Leonie and Delphine for our baby girls but my husband thought they were too French. He, on the other hand, suggested Monique, which I thought was too 80s. Since then we have met a little Monique and it fits her great.
Excellent list!
My host family in Brazil had 3 daughters: Sonia, Simone, and Solange. Solange is a fantastic name. Love Josephine and Therese/Theresa. One of my nieces has Marguerite (after her great-granny) as a middle name. I have a coworker with a little Camille. Lilou is a guilty pleasure (love the movie, too). I might use Louise to get to Lilou.
I see Oceane as OH-she-ann or OH-she-ahn. I couldn’t use this IRL, but it would make a great character name.
My cousin has a baby Marguerite Louise. I have sisters Lisette (liss-ette no z sound) and Cozette. With the Les Mis movie coming out I can see Cosette/Cozette getting a boost.
I love Marguerite; I think it’s strong and feminine with a hint of the exotic to English speakers (though some think it’s a bit pretentious for a non-francophone). Camille and Claire are also among my favorites.
When I was about 10 I met a girl skiing called Anais, she pronounced it On-nyah which is how I always presumed it was pronounced until a Literature lesson about Nin a few years ago, when I realised it was An-nah-ees.
I’ve never heard of that pronounciation since? She was British like me, I don’t know whether it’s an English thing?
Maelle is more like Myla … but I think you might be better off to say MAE elle in English …
And I think my new favorite Lu name is Lucasta … there are so many good ones.
Therese – I love! Also Teresa (I know neither are ‘on’ the list but they were mentioned.) I like the ter-EES and ter-AY-zsa pronunciations because I feel it’s a more logical jump to Tess.
Camille – I like Camille, but I would have a hard time making up my mind how to say it. ca-MEEL? ca-MEE?
Celeste – Keep falling! I don’t want it to be super popular so that I can use it! This has been in my top 10 for a while, regardless of fh saying it sounds like molest.
Elodie – I prefer Alodia because it’s less likely to be confused with Melody.
Genevieve – Gorgeous! I like the nn option Ginny. My favorite in this Guinevere/Genevieve/Jennifer family is the Italian Ginevra, though. (After Ginny Weasley!)
Josephine – I like this one too! Josie is such a cute name.
Ludivine/Lucienne – I like Lucia (loo-CHEE-a) better.
Maelle – I like this look! Is Maelie pronounced MY-lee?
Marguerite – My mom goes by this in some circles, but it’s not her given name. I’m always on the lookout for Mar- Mag- names.
Vivienne – I rather like Vivian, but again fh doesn’t. I think he’d want to name our kid Jane Doe and move along.