BaptistemFrench Means "baptist" in French, originally deriving from Greek βάπτω (bapto) meaning "to dip". This name is usually given in honour of Saint John the Baptist, and as such it is often paired with the name Jean.
Beaum & fEnglish, Dutch (Modern) Means "beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.... [more]
BellefEnglish Short form of Isabella or names ending in belle. It is also associated with the French word belle meaning "beautiful". A famous bearer was Belle Starr (1848-1889), an outlaw of the American west, whose real given name was Maybelle.
Bijouf & mFrench (African) Means "jewel" in French. It is mostly used in French-speaking Africa.
BlanchefFrench, English From a medieval French nickname meaning "white, fair-coloured". This word and its cognates in other languages are ultimately derived from the Germanic word *blankaz. An early bearer was the 12th-century Blanca of Navarre, the wife of Sancho III of Castile. Her granddaughter of the same name married Louis VIII of France, with the result that the name became more common in France.
Candidem & fFrench (Rare), Literature French form of Candidus or Candida. The French philosopher and author Voltaire used this name for the main character (a male) in his satire Candide (1759). In French candide also means "naive", which is descriptive of the book's protagonist.
CapricefEnglish From the English word meaning "impulse", ultimately (via French) from Italian capriccio.
CapucinefFrench Means "nasturtium" in French. This was the stage name of the French actress and model Capucine (1928-1990).
ClairefFrench, English French form of Clara. This was a common name in France throughout the 20th century, though it has since been eclipsed there by Clara. It was also very popular in the United Kingdom, especially in the 1970s.
Claudem & fFrench, English French masculine and feminine form of Claudius. In France the masculine name has been common since the Middle Ages due to the 7th-century Saint Claude of Besançon. It was imported to Britain in the 16th century by the aristocratic Hamilton family, who had French connections. A famous bearer of this name was the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
ConstancefEnglish, French Medieval form of Constantia. The Normans introduced this name to England (it was the name of a daughter of William the Conqueror).
DejafAfrican American (Modern) Means "already" from the French phrase déjà vu meaning "already seen". It received a popularity boost in 1995 when a character named Deja appeared in the movie Higher Learning.
DieudonnémFrench Means "given by God" in French, used as a French form of Deusdedit. It is currently much more common in French-speaking Africa than it is in France.
EllefEnglish (Modern) Diminutive of Eleanor and other names beginning with El. This name can also be given in reference to the French pronoun elle meaning "she".... [more]
FemmemFrisian Originally a Frisian short form of Fridumar or Friduman (and other names starting with the Old German element fridu "peace" and a second element beginning with m).
FerrermVarious From a surname that meant "blacksmith" in Catalan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Vicente Ferrer, a 14th-century missionary who is the patron saint of builders.
FigaromLiterature Created by playwright Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais for the central character in his plays The Barber of Seville (1775), The Marriage of Figaro (1784) and The Guilty Mother (1792). Beaumarchais may have based the character's name on the French phrase fils Caron meaning "son of Caron", which was his own nickname and would have been pronounced in a similar way. In modern French the word figaro has acquired the meaning "barber", reflecting the character's profession.
FleurfFrench, Dutch, English (British) Means "flower" in French. Saint Fleur of Issendolus (Flor in Gascon) was a 14th-century nun from Maurs, France. This was also the name of a character in John Galsworthy's novels The Forsyte Saga (1922).
Fortunem & fFrench, English (Rare) Simply from the word fortune, ultimately from Latin fortuna, a derivative of fors "luck".
GarancefFrench From the French name for a variety of flowering plant (genus Rubia; called madder in English), which is used to make red dye. This name was borne by the central character in the French film Les Enfants du Paradis (1945).
GranitmAlbanian Means "granite" in Albanian, from Italian granito, ultimately derived from Latin granum meaning "grain".
Jadef & mEnglish, French From the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish (piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.
JanviermFrench French form of Januarius. Though now rare in France, it is more common in French-speaking parts of Africa.
JeunessefVarious Means "youth" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
JoliefEnglish Means "pretty" in French. This name was popularized by American actress Angelina Jolie (1975-), whose surname was originally her middle name. It is not used as a given name in France.
LoupmFrench French form of the Roman name Lupus meaning "wolf". Lupus was the name of several early saints, including a 5th-century bishop of Troyes who apparently convinced Attila to spare the city.
LysfFrisian Frisian diminutive of Elisabeth. It also coincides with the French word for "lily".
MargueritefFrench French form of Margaret. This is also the French word for the daisy flower (species Leucanthemum vulgare).
MarjolainefFrench Means "marjoram" in French, from Latin maiorana. Marjoram is a minty herb.
MarquismAfrican American From a noble title that derives from the Old French word marche meaning "march, borderland". The title originally referred to someone who ruled on the borderlands of a realm.
Merlem & fEnglish, Estonian From the English word merle or the French surname Merle, which both mean "blackbird" (from Latin merula). It was borne by the devious character Madame Merle (in fact her surname) in Henry James' novel The Portrait of a Lady (1880).... [more]
MignonfLiterature Means "cute, darling" in French. This is the name of a character in Ambroise Thomas's opera Mignon (1866), which was based on Goethe's novel Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (1796).
Narcissem & fFrench French masculine and feminine form of Narcissus. This is also the French word for the narcissus flower.
NoëlmFrench Means "Christmas" in French. In the Middle Ages it was used for children born on the holiday. A famous bearer was the English playwright and composer Noël Coward (1899-1973).
RégismFrench From a French surname meaning "ruler" in Occitan. This name is often given in honour of Saint Jean-François Régis (1597-1640), a French Jesuit priest.
ReinefFrench Means "queen" in French, ultimately from Latin regina.
RenardmFrench (Rare) French form of Reynard. Because of the medieval character Reynard the Fox, renard became a French word meaning "fox".