By Pamela Redmond · Updated September 2026
Across 61 pages
of 61
French variation of Joy
Pronounced as the English word joy, rather than as the French phrase joie de vivre, Joie might produce more complications than joy.
French or Breton
"chief or prince"
This feminine form of Mael has the distinctive "aelle" ending found in Brittany. In the French spelling Maëlle, it is a Top 100 girls' name in France.
French diminutive
Joining the likes of Coco and Fifi, Gigi has a style but some may feel it lacks substance. Model and TV personality Gigi Hadid (born Jelena) has likely drawn attention to this name, while designer…
French, variation of Alan
Alain gives the midcentury Alan a bit of gallic dash.
French variation of Brighid
"strength or exalted one"
Brigitte is the French version of the ancient Irish Brighid long associated with 1950s sex symbol Brigitte Bardot. If you want to pronounce Brigitte the French way, it's brih-ZHEET.
German, French
"prosperous in battle"
Ottilie is trending in the UK, where the pronounced T helps the name sound pretty and delicate, rather like Amelie and Elodie. Ottilie is less popular in the US, where many Americans pronounce it as…
Hebrew
"dew"
Friendly and relaxed choice used by singer Annie Lennox for her daughter; Tal is a unisex Hebrew version.
French variation of Annabelle
This version of the name with only one n does not have nearly the popularity of its sister. Unless you have a particular aversion to the fourteenth letter of the alphabet, it may be best to stick…
French from Latin
"coral"
Coralie is a French name not often heard here, though she's gaining some recognition via Neil Gaiman's similar sounding spooky and lovely children's book, Coraline . Other literary appearances:…
French, feminine variation of Paul
"small"
Pauline had its moment of glory a century ago, when movie audiences were thrilling to the silent serial The Perils of Pauline , released in 1914. A Top 50 name in the US between 1908 and 1930, it…
French from Hebrew
"burning ones"
Seraphine is the Gallic version of the angelic name Seraphina. But while Seraphina has been rising rapidly since Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck chose it for their second daughter, Seraphine has been…
French feminine diminutive form of Antoine
"priceless one"
This feminization of Anthony, like other early French forms, such as Babette and Nanette, is not heard as often as it once was, but it could be time for a reappraisal of this delicate Gallic choice.…
Japanese, French, Welsh, Vietnamese, Navajo
"dance; May; cherry blossom; coyote"
Cross-cultural winner.
"lame; enclosure"
Claude is a soft-spoken French name that conjures up the pastel colors of Monet and harmonies of Debussy. In France, it is used for girls as well, in fact in the Tracy Chevalier novel Lady and the…
French, Spanish, Italian, and German variation of Fabia
"bean grower"
Fabiola was the romantically elaborate name of a saint who organized the first hospice. Neither Fabiola nor Fabia appear on the most recent US extended list of names given to five or more babies,…
The French variation of Giselle was made famous by the spectacular Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen.
Spanish and Catalan from Latin
"life, vital"
A zippy, lively name that has never been popular, but has never completely disappeared. It is best known for writer and wit Gore Vidal, and hairdresser Vidal Sassoon and his many products.
French, feminine variation of Dominic, Latin
"belonging to a lord"
Had a surge of popularity in the Dynasty days, now has subsided in the wake of fresher French choices like Destry and Delphine, though it retains its sense of sophistication. It's one of the most…
English from French
"short nose; courteous, from the court"
This courtly old Southern name has several cool male bearers: NFL player Courtney Brown, British jazz musician Courtney Pine, and Barbados-born economist Courtney Blackman, to name but a few.
Feminine variation of Darrell, French
"dear one, beloved"
Dariela may have a not-quite-authentic provenance, but it's a pretty name and an unusual choice in the girly Isabella-Gabriella group.
