French Submitted Names

French names are used in France and other French-speaking regions. See also about French names.
gender
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Muguet f French (Modern, Rare)
Derived from French muguet "lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)".
Mutien m French (Belgian, Rare), History (Ecclesiastical)
Mutien-Marie Wiaux was a Belgian member of the Brothers of Christian Schools who spent his life as a teacher and is honored as a saint by the Catholic Church. He took his religious name from the roman martyr Mucianus.
Myléna f French
Variant of Mylène.
Myrtil m French (Rare)
Masculine form of Myrtille. This may also be a French form of Myrtilos (via Latin Myrtilus)... [more]
Myrtille f French, French (Belgian, Rare)
Derived from French myrtille meaning "bilberry", referring to a type of blueberry from the cowberry family. This is taken from the French Republican Calendar (also known as the Revolutionary Calendar).
Nadeige f French (African), French (Rare)
Variant of Nadège predominantly found in French-speaking African countries.
Naïs f Provençal, Occitan, French (Modern), French (Belgian, Modern, Rare), Literature, Popular Culture
Short form of Anaïs. It is also the name of a 1945 Raymond Leboursier film based on Émile Zola's Naïs Micoulin.
Naïse f Norman
Norman short form of Athenais.
Nânette f Norman
Norman form of Nanette.
Nanon f French (Rare), Flemish (Rare), Dutch (Rare), Guernésiais
French and Guernésiais diminutive of Anne 1 (compare Nana).
Nâonoun f Norman
Diminutive of Anne 1.
Napoléioun m Norman
Cotentinais Norman form of Napoleon.
Napoléone f French (Archaic)
French form of Napoleona. A known bearer of this name was Charlotte Bonaparte (1802-1839), a niece of the French emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821)... [more]
Napolin m French (Quebec, Archaic)
Diminutive of Napoléon. In other words, you could say that this name is the French cognate of Napolino.
Napoline f French (Quebec, Archaic)
Diminutive of Napoléone. In other words, you could say that this name is the feminine form of Napolin.
Nastasie f French (Archaic), Louisiana Creole (Archaic), Literature
Vernacular truncated form of Anastasie (compare Nastasia) found in the Poitou-Charentes region of France, this name also made its way to Louisiana... [more]
Nathalée f Norman
Norman form of Natalie.
Nativité f French (African, Rare)
Means "nativity" in French. It is mostly used in French-speaking countries in Africa and apparently predominantly so in Cote d'Ivoire.
Natole m Walloon, Picard
Walloon and Picard form of Anatole.
Néandre m French
French form of Neandros via Neander.
Néanne f French (Quebec, Rare)
Transferred use of the surname Néanne.
Néel m Norman, Anglo-Norman
Norman and Anglo-Norman form of Njáll.
Néhémie m & f Biblical French, French (Modern), French (Belgian, Modern, Rare)
French form of Nehemiah. While this is originally a masculine name, it has also been used as a feminine name in recent years.
Neige f French (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare), French (Quebec)
Derived from French neige "snow". The name is ultimately derived from the title of the Virgin Mary Notre-Dame des Neiges "Our Lady of the Snows" (compare Nieves).
Néo m French (Modern)
French form of Neo 2.
Néomaye f French (Rare, Archaic), History (Ecclesiastical)
From Latin Neomadia, the meaning of which is uncertain. This was the name of a French saint who is mainly venerated in the Poitou region. She is the patron saint of shepherds.... [more]
Néphélie f French (Modern, Rare)
French coinage based on Néphélé as well as a Gallicized form of Nefeli.
Nephtalie f French (Modern, Rare), French (Belgian, Modern, Rare)
Modern coinage, intended as a feminine form of Nephtali.
Népomucène m French
French form of Nepomuk via its latinized form Nepomucenus.... [more]
Nicaise m & f French, French (Belgian, Rare), History (Ecclesiastical)
French masculine and feminine form of Nicasius. This name was borne by a 4th century AD saint from Rheims (France).
Nicasie f French (Archaic)
Archaic French form of Nicasia.
Niclos m Picard
Picard form of Nicholas.
Nicolâs m Norman
Cotentinais Norman form of Nicholas.
Nicomède m French (Rare)
French form of Nikomedes via Nicomedes.
Njèr m Picard
Picard form of Léger.
Noéla f French
Variant of Noèle.
Noélia f Hungarian, French
Hungarian and French form of Noelia.
Noëllie f French, French (Belgian, Rare)
Variant of Noélie via the form Noëlie.
Noétte f French (Rare, Archaic)
Feminine diminutive of Noé recorded in the 1600s. In some cases, however, it may also have been a feminine form of Noët.
Nolhan m French (Modern)
French form of Nolan.
Nonce m French (Rare)
French cognate of Nunzio.
Noré m Picard
Diminutive of Honoré.
Norène f Norman
Diminutive of Aliénor.
Obéline f French (Rare), French (Quebec, Rare), English (Canadian, Rare, Archaic)
Means "spit, nail, rod, pointed pillar, horizontal line". From the Greek obelos (ὀβελός) with the French diminutive ending of -ine, -ie, or -ia.
Océan m French (Rare)
French form of Okeanos via its latinized form Oceanus. Also compare the French noun océan meaning "ocean".
Oculi m French (Rare)
Derived from Latin oculi, the plural form of oculus "eye". This name used to be given to children born on Oculi, known in English as Oculi Sunday, the third Sunday in Lent... [more]
Oculie f French (Rare)
Feminine form of Oculi.
Odalie f French (Rare)
French form of Odalia. Also compare Odélie and Odilie.
Ode f French (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare), Flemish (Rare), History (Ecclesiastical)
French form of Oda. This name was borne by several minor French saints.
Odélia f French (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian)
French variant of Odélie and Portuguese form of Odelia. Also compare Odília.
Odélie f French (Quebec, Rare), French (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare)
French form of Odelia 1, which is a variant of Odilia. Also compare Odalie and Odilie.
Odéric m French (Rare)
French form of Auderic via its variant form Odoric.
Odet m French (Archaic)
French diminutive of Odo (see Otto), as -et is a French masculine diminutive suffix. In other words: this name is the masculine equivalent of Odette.... [more]
Odia f American (South), French (Acadian, Archaic), French (Quebec, Archaic), Louisiana Creole
Variant of Odéa and cognate of Odea. This name was borne by singer Odia Coates (1941–1991).
Odilien m French (Rare), French (African, Rare), French (Caribbean, Rare)
Probably a combination of Odile or Odilon with a given name that ends in -ien, such as Lucien and Sébastien.
Odoun m Norman
Norman form of Odon.
Odylon m Polish (Rare), French (Rare), Portuguese (Brazilian, Rare)
Polish form of Odilon as well as a French and Brazilian Portuguese variant spelling of Odilon.
Ogier m French (Rare), Dutch (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare), Flemish (Rare)
French and Dutch form of Odger, a Germanic cognate of the Old English name Eadgar (see Edgar). In medieval legend Ogier the Dane (known as Holger in Danish) was a knight in the army of Charlemagne... [more]
Olivine f English (Rare), French (Rare), Jamaican Patois, Central African
Diminutive or elaborated form of Olive, or directly from the English and French word olivine that denotes a type of gemstone, whose name ultimately goes back to Latin oliva "olive" (so named in the late 18th century for its olive green color).
Ombline f French (Rare), French Creole
Variant of Ombeline. A notable bearer was Ombline Desbassayns (1755-1846), a Reunionese planter and slave trader, and after her death immortalized as a sinister character in Reunionese folklore.
Omère f & m French (Rare), Louisiana Creole
French feminine form and Louisiana Creole masculine variant of Omer.
Onorine f Picard
Picard form of Honorine.
Onuphre m French
French form of Onouphrios via Onuphrius.
Ophélia f French
Variant of Ophélie.
Optat m Bulgarian, Catalan, French, Polish, Russian, German (Bessarabian)
Bulgarian, Catalan, French, Polish and Russian form of Optatus.
Oranne f German (Rare), French (Rare)
Variant form of Oranna, also the standard French form of the same name.... [more]
Orbat m French (Archaic)
Archaic French name found in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté up until the late 1600s.
Orchidée f French (Modern, Rare)
Derived from French orchidée "orchid".
Orens m French (Rare), Gascon
French form of Orientius via its variant form Orentius.
Orlana f French (Modern, Rare), Spanish (Latin American), English
French variant of Orlane and Spanish variant of Orlanda.
Orphée m & f Greek Mythology (Gallicized), French (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare)
French form of Orpheus. Although the mythological character is masculine, this name is now more frequently borne by women than by men.
Orphélie f French (Modern, Rare), French (Belgian, Modern, Rare)
Of debated origin and meaning. Theories include a contraction of Orphée and Ophélie.
Orsine f French (Archaic)
Local form of Ursine found in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region up until the 1600s.
Ortance f Picard
Picard form of Hortense.
Ory m French (Swiss, Archaic)
Of uncertain origin and meaning, although current theories include a derivation from Ulrich via the form Oulry. This name has been found in French-speaking Switzerland up until the late 1600s.
Osilda f French (Quebec, Archaic), English (American, Rare, Archaic)
A dithematic Germanic name formed from the name elments os "god" and hild "battle".
Osmanne f French (Archaic)
French form of Osmanna, common in the area around Féricy in the region of Île-de-France in the 1600s and 1700s thanks to saint Osmanne who is the patron saint of Féricy.
Osval m Picard
Picard form of Oswald.
Oudatte f French (Archaic)
Diminutive of Ode (see also Houdée) found in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region up until the 1600s.
Oulry m French (Swiss, Archaic)
Gallicized form of Ulrich used in the Montreux area of Switzerland up until the late 1600s.
Ours m French (Rare)
French form of Ursus. Also note that ours is an ordinary word in the French language, where it means "bear" (which is ultimately derived from Latin ursus "bear", so the root is either way the same).
Oury m & f French (African)
French form of Ulrich.
Ovila m English, Spanish, French (Quebec)
Meaning unknown, possibly from Latin ovile, meaning "sheepfold."
Ozanne f French (Archaic)
Variant of Osanne. Ozanne-Anne Achon was the wife of Pierre Tremblay, one of the first settlers of Nouvelle-France ("New France" in English), the area colonized by France in North America.
Ozille f French (Acadian)
Certainly related to Ozile and possibly to Ozella.
Pacifique m French (Archaic), French (African), French (Belgian, Rare)
French form of Pacificus. The name coincides with French pacifique "pacific, calm, peaceful".
Palmire f French, French (Belgian), Walloon
French variant and Walloon form of Palmyre.
Palmyre f French, Norman
French form of Palmira. This also coincides with the French name of the ancient oasis city of Syria, known in English as Palmyra.
Pancrace m French (Archaic), Walloon
French and Walloon form of Pancratius.
Pancrache m Norman
Norman form of Pancrace.
Pâolène f Norman
Norman form of Pauline.
Paoul m Norman
Norman form of Paul.
Pâquerette f French (Rare)
Derived from French pâquerette "daisy".
Paquette f Literature, Theatre, French (Rare)
Feminine form of Pasquet or Paquet, medieval French pet forms of Pascal. Folk etymology links the name with modern French paquet (Middle French pacquet) "parcel, package"... [more]
Parfaite f French (Rare), French (Quebec, Rare), French (African)
French form of Perfecta. Also compare Parfait, which is the masculine equivalent of this name.
Pathé m French (African), Western African
Transferred use of the surname Pathé.
Patient m French (African), History (Ecclesiastical, Gallicized), English (Puritan)
From the Late Latin name Patiens. It was also used by the Puritans as a vocabulary name, from the English word patient.
Patriche m Picard
Picard form of Patricius.
Paulet m French
Diminutive of Paul.
Paulin m German, Polish, French, Lengadocian, Provençal, Gascon, Romansh, Romanian, Moldovan, History (Ecclesiastical)
Romanian, Polish, French, Languedocian, Provençal, Gascon, Romansh and obsolescent German male form of Paulinus.
Pélage m French (Archaic)
French form of Pelagios via Pelagius.
Pensée f French (Rare)
Derived from French pensée "pansy (the flower); thought, idea".
Perenelle f French, English, Literature, Medieval French
Old French form of Petronilla borne by Perenelle Flamel (1320-1402), wife and fellow alchemist of Nicolas Flamel. They are known for their quest to discover the philosopher's stone, a legendary substance said to turn any metal into gold and to make its owner immortal.... [more]
Périne f French
Variant of Perrine.
Perlette f French (Rare)
Diminutive of Perle. In other words: you could say that this name is the French cognate of Perlita.
Perline f French (Rare)
Diminutive of Perle.
Permal m French (African)
Not available.
Pernatte f French (Archaic)
Archaic feminine diminutive of Pierre.
Pernette f French (Rare)
Feminine form of Pernet.
Péroline f French
A form of Pétronille (cf. Peronel, Perenelle). The virgin martyr Saint Petronilla is also known as Péroline in French.
Peronne f French (Archaic)
Archaic feminine diminutive of Pierre.
Pérotène f Norman
Feminine diminutive of Pièrre.
Pervenche f French (Rare), French (Belgian, Rare)
Derived from French pervenche "periwinkle".
Pétremand m French (Archaic)
Gallicized form of Petermann, a German diminutive of Peter. This name was found in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region up until the late 1600s.
Petronette f French, Dutch
Diminutive form of Petrona or Petronia, in a similar way as names like Antoinette and Nicolette... [more]
Pexine f French (Rare, Archaic), History (Ecclesiastical)
Variant of Pazanne. The name of an obscure French saint whose life and work are somewhat of a mystery. Nonetheless, she left her name in several place names throughout France.
Phélie f French (Rare)
Truncated form of Ophélie.
Phelippe m Norman
Rouenneis and Cotentinais Norman form of Philippe.
Philaé f & m French (Rare)
Possibly taken from Philae, the Latinized form of Φιλαί (Philai), the Greek name of an ancient island of the Nile which was the center of the worship of Isis and the site of temples dedicated to her... [more]
Philanise f French (Quebec)
Possible vairant of Philonice
Philias m French (Quebec)
Possible variant of Phileas
Philiberthe f Norman
Norman feminine form of Philibert.
Philidore m English, French, Literature
Philidore likely meaning "gift of love", from the Greek philos (φιλος) meaning "friend, lover" and doron (δωρον) meaning "gift".... [more]
Philogène m French
French form of Philogenes. Known bearers of this name include the French foreign minister Louis Philogène Brûlart de Sillery (1702-1770), the Belgian painter Charles-Philogène Tschaggeny (1815-1894) and the Belgian ornithologist Philogène Wytsman (1866-1925).
Philothée m & f French (Rare)
French form of Philotheus (via its Latinized form Philotheos) and Philothea. While the masculine name has fallen out of use, the feminine name was revived in the late 2000s.
Philou m & f French, Dutch (Modern)
French diminutive of Philippe. In France, the name is strictly masculine and primarily used informally, i.e. it is not typically used on birth certificates.... [more]
Phiona f English, English (African), French (African)
Variant of Fiona. It is used mainly in Uganda (regarding (African) English usage) and Burundi (regarding African French usage).... [more]
Pholien m French (Belgian)
Variant of Feuillen via Pholian, itself an older Gallicization of Foillan. This name is borne by Pholien Systermans, a Belgian swimmer who gained the Belgian 100m freestyle record in 2009.
Phrosine f French (Archaic), French (Quebec, Archaic), Theatre
Truncated form of Euphrosine. Mélidore et Phrosine (1794) is an opera by the French composer Étienne Méhul. It is considered an important example of early Romantic opera.
Pie m & f French (Rare)
French form of Pius and Pia.
Pière m Picard
Picard form of Pierre.
Piérine f French (Rare)
Feminine form of Pierre.
Piérotin m Norman
Diminutive of Pierrot.
Pierrat m French (Archaic)
Local diminutive of Pierre found in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region up until the late 1600s.
Placite f Norman
Norman feminine form of Placidus.
Plamedie f French (African)
Contraction of the French phrase plan merveilleux de Dieu meaning "God's wonderful plan", mainly used in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Pllacide m Norman
Norman form of Placidus.