French Names

Yet another creative character name from Toni Morrison, Denver was a daughter of Sethe's in the novel Beloved. Today Denver is most familiar as the name of the largest city in Colorado, used almost equally for girls and boys.

Denver

A favorite in England and Wales, Darcy is a unisex option with delicacy, grace, and strength. Associated with classic literary and courtesy thanks to Jane Austen's hero, Mr. Darcy, and Bridget Jones's Mark Darcy, its image was partly transformed by English ballerina Darcey Bussell, who helped popularize it for girls.
 
A name with multiple meanings, Darcy can be considered an anglicization of either d'Arcy, a French name associated with the town of Arcy, or of O'Dorchaidhe, an Irish surname meaning "dark one". It can also be spelled as Darcey, Darcie, and Darci too, all of which have featured in the England and Wales Top 1000 at least once since the 90s.
 
Darcie is currently the most popular spelling in the UK, appearing in the Top 100, while Darcy ranks in the Top 150 and Darcey in the Top #400. There's also Darcie-Mae in the latter half of the charts, along with Darcie-Rae, Darcie-Leigh, Darcie-Anne, Darcie-Rose, and Darcia which are all given to a handful of girls each year. 
 
In Australia, Darcy leans masculine and frequently appears in the Top 100 for boys, while in the US, Darcy recently re-entered the popularity characts girls after a 30 year absence.
 
Notable Darcys include the character Darcy Olsson of the TV show and graphic novel series, Heartstopper, the actress Darcy Rose Byrnes, and young social media star, Darcy Jane Pentland.

Darcy

Wildly popular in the 1960s and '70s, Julie is no longer anywhere near as stylish as the name's longer forms. Try Juliet, Juliana, or even the more grownup Julia.

 Julia and Julie derive from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthfu"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".

Julie

Odette is the good swan in Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, a role for which Natalie Portman won an Oscar ---and it would make a particularly sophisticated yet upbeat choice. In fact, it charted in the US charts in 2025 for the first time since 1905!
 
Also popular in Belgium where it ranked in the Top 100 in a recent year, Odette is a diminutive of Odilia or Oda, which are in turn relatives of Otto, meaning "wealthy". With the stylish appeal of Ottilie and the renewed interest in Otto itself, perhaps it shouldn't be surprising that this one has made the charts. 
 The name first became publicized during World War II via the courageous French Resistance heroine Odette Brailly, who risked her life to supply information to the Allies. She was captured by the Germans, and wrote her story which was retold in an eponymous film.
 
Other Odettes include Odette de Crecy, the flamboyant wife of Charles Swann in Proust's A la Recherche du Temps Perdu, and the daughters of actor Mark Ruffalo and Sunrise Coigney, Nikki and Isaac Hanson, and Jared and Genevieve Padalecki.
 Variant Odetta is associated with the folksinger who was one of the first to go by a single name.
 
Pronounced as AW-DEHT in French, O-deht and OH-deht might be heard elsewhere. Nicknames could include Odie, Etta, Dodie, and Dot.

Odette

Leroy's heyday was in the early twentieth century, when it was in the US Top 100 until 1949. As a result, it's now more frequently seen as a father or grandfather name. Nevertheless, it remains in the latter end of the US Top 1000, perhaps passed down from father to son, or similar enough to popular Levi that it still appeals.
 
It comes from the French nickname le roi meaning "the king", which might also explain its continued use, considering the popularity of Kingsley, Rex, Saint, and similar.

Leroy

Actress and author Mariel Hemingway popularized this attractive and unusual variation of Mary, which first emerged in the 20th century. Also the name of a Cuban town — which provided the source of the actress's name — Mariel is popular in Mexico, and recently saw a spike in interest in the US, tripling in use since 2020. 
 
As an international form of Mary, the meaning is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew roots mar "drop" and yam "sea"); "bitter" (from Hebrew marah "bitterness"); and "beloved" (from the Egyptian root mr).
 
Give to 240 girls in recent stats, Mariel outranks the French Marielle and Spanish Mariela, but is slightly behind the Italian Mariella.

Mariel

Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents are starting to explore same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first syllable and three syllables -- vee-oh-let -- as well as the Spanish Violeta — both of which were among the fastest-rising girl names of 2023.

Violette

Sophisticated Gallic version of Lucian, Lucien may appeal to parents attracted to this meaning over that of Lucas and Luke, which have a different root, and also looking for a more unusual choice. Lucien joined the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2023, given to over 200 baby boys.

Lucien

Nael - or Naël as it is often spelled - originated as a French diminutive of names ending in -nael, though in recent years, it has risen up the charts as a standalone choice. A Top 100 name in France, it is also popular in Belgium and Switzerland, where it fits in beside Léo, Sacha, Lou, Noé, and Ben.
 
Traditionally deriving from Nathanael, meaning "gift of God", or Gwenael, meaning "blessed and generous", Nael could also be a variation of the Arabic and Turkish name Nail. Meaning "winner", "brave" or "attainer", Nail (as Naïl) is also familiar in France, and can be alternatively spelled as Nayel, Naail, and Nael. 
 
Rarely used in the US before the 2010s, Nael entered the US Top 1000 for the first time in 2025 when it was given to 263 boys. It has additionally charted in the Top 500 in the Netherlands, the Top 100 in Puerto Rico, and the Top 1000 in England and Wales, reflecting its more international appeal.

Nael

Emmeline is an Emma relative and Emily cousin that is destined for greater use in the wake of the megapopularity of those two names. A recommended Nameberry fave, Emmeline hopped onto the US Top 1000 in 2014 for the first time ever. While it is genuinely an old name, it was rarely used a century ago; only 17 baby girls were named Emmeline in 1915, the same number as were named Ernie!
 A popular medieval name, Emmeline was introduced to Britain by the Normans. It appeared as a character in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and is famous in Britain as the name of the illustrious suffragette, Emmeline Pankhurst. Way back in 1980, it was the name of young Brooke Shields's innocent character in The Blue Lagoon. More recently, Emmeline Vance was a witch in the Harry Potter series.
 Christian Bale has a daughter named Emmeline.

Emmeline

Brittany first arrived on the US popularity list in 1971, and rapidly zoomed up the charts, in the Top 100 a decade later. By 1986 it had entered the Top 10, becoming the third most popular <a href="https://nameberry.com/girls-names">girls’ name</a> in the country by 1989. 

After such immense popularity, there has been a steep decline, but it remains a name evocative of one of the most beautiful and culturally interesting areas of France -- and much preferable to the contracted Britney.

Brittany evolved as a modern coinage from the ancient French duchy Bretagne. Celtic Bretons emigrated from France to become the Bretons of English; later the name Britain came to signify the country.

Brittany

A rising surname, perhaps inspired by legendary Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry, this name is historically associated with St. Landry, a 7th-century bishop of Paris and founder of the city's first hospital. Derived from the Germanic Landric, giving it a strong and distinctive meaning, it was used as a masculine choice in France during the latter half of the 20th-century, while in the US, it is a gender neutral option. 
 
Landry first entered the Top 1000 for girls in 2014, four years after it had started appearing for boys, though it had been used sparingly since the 80s. It dropped out of the charts in 2022, but a more recent year saw it become one of the fastest rising gender neutral choices of the year, re-entering the Top 1000 for both sexes. 
 . 
Given to 229 boys and 279 girls, parents may now be less concerned with it being confused with laundry — though in an age of Denim, Corduroy, Suede, and Linen, maybe that isn't such a big deal.

Landry

With sweet, sparky Rosalie revived and ranking in the US Top 200, this variant is also catching on. While some may consider it a modern, creative spelling, it has long been used in the US. In fact, it was in the Top 1000 from 1902, right up until 1951, and had appeared sporadically in the popularity charts before that too.
 
With plenty of vintage charm, Rosalee makes a cosy alternative spelling option to Rosalie, with the additional bonus that it could be read as a compound of Rosa and Lee, giving it the alternative meaning of "rose meadow". As such, it may work as a more direct honor name for those wanting to honor a Lee, but also fit in with other vintage choices like Marilee and Carolee. 
 
The name also appeared in the TV show Grimm, borne by the character Rosalee Calvert, played by Bree Turner. The airing of the show coincided with a renewed interest in Rosalee, which doubled in usage between 2012 and 2017.
 
A recent re-entry to the US Top 1000, it was given to around 270 girls in the last count. Rosalie by contrast was given to nearly 1700 girls, making it six times more popular.

Rosalee

To some, Nancy is a sweet, sparkly, vintage choice with plenty of energy and style. For it strays too much into '"old-lady" territory to be cool again yet. It's out of fashion in France, New Zealand, and Canada; it lingers towards to bottom of the US charts. In the UK however, Nancy has been a Top 100 name for nearly a decade where it fits right in with Evie, Mabel, and Pippa.
 
Nancy originated as a contraction of "mine Ancy", with Ancy being a nickname for name Annis, a Medieval English variant of Agnes. Later, in the 18th century, it began to be used as a nickname for Ann too, but also as a name within its own right. This could give it the possibly meanings of "my pure and holy one" or "my grace". 
 It is also a French place name, though in this case, the name is likely derived from Nanciao, a Ghaulish personal name, which came from nanto, meaning "river or valley" in Proto-Celtic.
 
As a name in its own right, it has always been in the US Top 1000, peaking between 1931 and 1962 when it remained in the Top 20. In 1940 alone, Nancy was given to about 20,000 baby girls. In recent years, however it has been on a downward trend, and as of 2023, it was given to 280 girls, holding on to just a small fraction of the sway in held in the mid-century. 
 
Today, it might feel like a distinctly British choice then, nickname-y and old-fashioned, but pleasing to say and easy to spell. It also has a couple of interesting variations itself, such as Nan, Nance, Nanette, Nanny, Nansi, and Nanou.
 

Nancy is a major character in Oliver Twist and is fondly remembered by some as Nancy Drew, girl detective, while contemporary kids are enjoying the Fancy Nancy series. Frank Sinatra paid tribute to his daughter with the song "Nancy with the Laughing Face." Nancy also has political ties, via the mother of Abraham Lincoln, the wife of Ronald Reagan (born Anne), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Nancy

A fanciful way to spell the popular Beau, Beaux is also the plural form of the French adjective. Appealing to those who love Margaux or the letter X in general, it entered the US Top 1000 for boys in 2025, when it was given to 236 babies, having been on the rise since the 2010s. 
 
American footballer Beaux Collins is a notable bearer.

Beaux

Gage was part of the craze for one-syllable surnames, with associations to tasty green gage plums and the mathematical gauge. 
 Gage was first noticed as a character in Stephen King's Pet Semetary--though Gage Creed was far from an admirable role model. That book was published in 1983, and the movie came out in 1989, the very year that Gage hit the Top 1000. 
 Gage has spawned a couple of successful spelling variations, so don't be surprised to run into a Gaige or a Gauge.

Gage

Curtis is an attractive if somewhat dated surname name that has been borne by several significant musicians and athletes--think Curtis Mayfield, Curtis James Jackson III--aka 50 Cent, and also director Curtis Hanson. 
 In the USA, Curtis was in the Top 200 for most of the 20th century. We think Curtis, with is clean sound and nice meaning, will survive the all the trends that come and go, and remain in the Top 1000 for many years to come.

Curtis

Another spin on the mega-popular Adeline names, this form could stop any confusion about whether the ending is said lin, line, or leen, though with Adeline, Adaline, Adelyn, Adalyn, Adelina, and Adalynn all ranking above it, it may well be one of the last spellings people assume.
 
Ultimately from the Germanic element adal, via the French Adele and Adeline, Addilyn means "noble" or "nobility". It peaked in 2016 when it nearly made the US Top 300, however, recent years have seen it fall quite rapidly, and in a recent year, it was one of the least popular Adeline names in the Top 1000, only outranking Adalee and (the rising) Adele. 
 
Given to 364 girls, it is still substantially used however, and when combined with all its sister spellings, it is borne by a combined number of around 11760 babies, making it at least feel like a Top 10 choice

Addilyn

St. Landry was a seventh century bishop of Paris, founder of the city's first hospital, though in the US, it may be better connected with legendary Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, an association that makes this a sports hero name with a hint of ruggedness. Familiar in France between the 1970s and 2000s, it also featured at the latter end of the US Top 1000 during the 20210s.
 
Derived from the Germanic Landric, it has the bold meaning of "ruler of the land". Used as a masculine choice in France, in the US, 2025 saw it re-enter the Top 1000 as a gender neutral choice, given to 229 boys and 279 girls. It was a fast rising in general, meaning is has possibly been able to escape the concerns that it will be confused with laundry.

Simone, the elegant French feminization of Simon, strikes that all-important balance between unusual and familiar, and it's oozing with Gallic sophistication. A dated choice in its native France, gymnast Simone Biles brings new bounce and spark to name. 
 
Meaning "to listen, to hear, to hearken", it is a sophisticated choice, though depending on where you are, the pronunciation may vary. English speakers may say it with a long O sound in the second syllable, whereas in French, it is more like the sound in "bought". In Dutch and German, however, it is pronounced with three syllables. 
 Two French philosophers are notable bearers of the name: feminist icon Simone de Beauvoir, author of the influential The Second Sex, and Simone Weil. There are also two notable young athletes with the name: the aforementioned Simone Biles, who set a US record high of four medals in a single Olympics, and Simone Manuel, who became the first African-American female swimmer to bring home a gold.
 The actress who played the lead in the iconic French horror movie Cat People is Simone Simon, while Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has a daughter named Simone; Chris Rock used it in the middle place for his daughter, as did Kevin Kline and Phoebe Cates

Simone

French names include many classic names that have ranked highly in the US for its entire history. These

 include Anne and Louis, Charlotte and Charles, and Josephine and Curtis (though it may surprise you to learn that Curtis is not only French, but perennially popular!).



French names in the US Top 200 for girls include Annabelle, Charlotte, Claire, Josephine, and Sophie. For boys, 

 include Andre, Beau, Chase, Remy, and Russell. In France, popular names include Louise, Manon, Jules, and Bastien.

 attracting fresh attention in both France and beyond include, for girls, Capucine, Darcy, Delphine, Elodie, Maribel, Oceane, Ottilie, Quincy, Romilly, and Sylvie. For boys, Dion, Emilien, Florent, Julius, Lionel, Montague, Pom, and Quincy.

Here are all the French names for girls and boys on Nameberry, ordered by their current popularity with our visitors.

French names including meaning and popularity for girls and boys such as Beau, Elodie, Sylvie, including baby names popular in France and names of French origin for boys and girls.. (Page 6)

1200+ French Names (with Meanings and Popularity)