France is famous for its fine food, its beautiful architecture and art, its sophisticated culture, its high fashion, and its rich history. The French language is very old, and is often considered one of the most romantic in the entire world, with a melodious sound. This unique musical quality is typical of French names.
French female names often have long histories, with traditional associations to Catholic saints. They can be both cute and classic at the same time. French women’s names sound sophisticated to even non-French speakers, which is probably why they’re so popular!
RELATED: Cute Girl Names That Everyone Will Love
10 Best French Girl Names
1. Louise
Pronunciation: loo-EEZ
Origin: Germanic, Hluodowig
Meaning: Famous warrior
Famous Namesakes: Louise Fletcher, actress; Louise Bogan, poet
Overview: The most popular girl’s name in France in 2015, and the most popular French girl’s name starting with L, Louise is the feminine form of Louis, which was the name of many famous French kings, such as Louis XIV, the glorious Sun King, and Louis XVI, the not-so-glorious king who lost his head during the French Revolution.
2. Alice
Pronunciation: a-LISS
Origin: French, Alis
Meaning: Noble
Famous Namesakes: Alice, Lady Todd; Alice Cooper, musician
Overview: The most popular girls’ name in France starting with A, Alice is popular all around the world. The name is a big hit in England, the home of the classic children’s story Alice in Wonderland, and in Sweden, where it is has been among the top 10 girls’ names in recent years. Here in Australia, Alice is most famous for well… Alice Springs.
3. Chloe
Pronunciation: KLO-ee
Origin: Greek, Chloe
Meaning: Blooming or fertility
Famous Namesakes: Chloe Sevigny and Chloe Grace Moretz, actresses
Overview: The most popular girls’ name in France starting with C, Chloe was a popular Ancient Greek girls’ name as well. The name is also popular in the UK and Australia. Coincidentally, Chloe is also the name of Australia’s most famous nude painting, hanging on the wall of Chloe’s Bar in the Young and Jackson Hotel in Melbourne since 1909.
4. Adele
Pronunciation: a-DEL
Origin: German, Adelaide
Meaning: Noble
Famous Namesakes: Adele, singer-songwriter
Overview: A very popular French name starting with A, this was the noble name of William the Conqueror’s youngest daughter. Nowadays the singer Adele practically owns this name. Adele is the short form of either Adeline or Adelaide, which we know as the capital of South Australia.
5. Francoise
Pronunciation: frahn-SWAZ
Origin: Italian, Francesca
Meaning: Frenchwoman
Famous Namesakes: Francoise Hardy, singer and actress; Francoise Draschler, reality show contestant
Overview: There aren’t many French girls names starting with F, the most common one is simply the French form of the Italian name Francesca, which means ‘frenchwoman’. Francoise Hardy was a fashion icon of the 60s, and Francoise was also the name of Leo DiCaprio’s love interest in the movie The Beach.
6. Bernadette
Pronunciation: ber-na-DEHT
Origin: German: Bernarde, feminine form of Bernard
Meaning: Brave as a bear
Famous Namesakes: St. Bernadette of Lourdes; Bernadette Robinson, actress and singer
Overview: One of the most popular French girls names starting with B, Saint Bernadette was a French peasant girl who had visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto near the town of Lourdes. Today, Lourdes is a major pilgrimage destination. Nowadays, the most famous personality who bears this 3-syllable name is probably Dr. Bernadette Maryann Rostenkowski, the pretty microbiologist on the comedy The Big Bang Theory.
7. Madeline
Pronunciation: MA-de-lin
Origin: Hebrew, Magdala, a town on the coast of the Sea of Galilee
Meaning: High tower
Famous Namesakes: Madeline L’Engle, writer of the children’s book A Wrinkle In Time; Madeline Zima, actress
General Overview: Among the most popular French names starting with M, Madeline is best known as the protagonist of the series of cute children’s books and cartoons about a mischievous girl living in a Catholic boarding school in Paris. Madeline is a variant of Magdalene, a town by the Sea of Galilee, where the follower of Jesus Christ known as Mary Magdalene may have come from.
8. Aimee
Pronunciation: ay-MAY
Origin: French, amee
Meaning: Beloved
Famous Namesakes: Aimee Mann, singer; Aimee Semple McPherson, evangelist
Overview: This name is derived from the old French name Amee, which in turn comes from the Latin word amatus, which means loved. It’s the French variant of the English name Amy.
9. Ninon
Pronunciation: ni-NON
Origin: Hebrew, Hannah
Meaning: Full of grace, flower, blossom
Famous Namesakes: Ninon de l’Enclos, author, courtesan, and patron of the arts; Ninon Romarin, athlete
General Overview: A name which means blossom, flower, or the grace of God, the name Ninon was most famously borne by Ninon de l’Enclos, a figure famed in France for her wit and beauty.
10. Audrey
Pronunciation: AW-dree
Origin: Old English, Athelthryth
Meaning: Noble strength
Famous Namesakes: Audrey Hepburn, Hollywood actress; Audrey Tatou, French actress
Overview: Let’s round out our list of French girl names with Audrey, sometimes spelled Audree in French. Derived from an Old English warrior’s name, the most famous recent Audrey is French actress Audrey Tatou, star of Amelie and The Da Vinci Code.
RELATED: 50 Unusual Girl Names For Your Next Baby
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