French Girl Names (with Meanings & Popularity)

  1. Seraphine
    • Origin:

      French from Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "burning ones"
    • Description:

      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 largely ignored, though we believe the French vowel-sound ending will soon be more stylish than the a-endings that have predominated in girls' names for years.
  2. Henrietta
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Henry, German
    • Meaning:

      "estate ruler"
    • Description:

      Despite a return to such feminizations of male names as Josephine, Clementine, and Theodora, starchy Henrietta has not made it into that group. Still, if you look hard enough, you'll see that Henrietta has the same vintage charm.
  3. Fleur
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "flower"
    • Description:

      Fleur is a generic, delicate flower name that emigrated into the English-speaking world when John Galsworthy bestowed it on one of the Forsytes in his celebrated saga. More recently, there was Fleur Delacour, a French witch and the Beauxbatons champion for the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter.
  4. Kiki
    • Origin:

      French nickname and Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "double happiness"
    • Description:

      Kiki is one of the Coco-Gigi-Fifi-Lulu bohemian-type French nickname names from the turn of the last century, which have endless energy and sparkle. Artist Kiki Smith is its most well-known contemporary representative, and Kiki was the inspiring heroine of Zadie Smith's On Beauty. Kiki can be a nickname for any name beginning with the K sound, from Katherine to Christina to Kayla.
  5. Gabrielle
    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Gabriel, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "God is my Strength"
    • Description:

      The quintessentially elegant and worldly Gabrielle -- designer Coco Chanel's real name -- is on its descent after years on the rise.
  6. Gigi
    • Origin:

      French diminutive
    • Description:

      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 Cynthia Rowley may have inspired parents to use it as a given name by choosing it for her daughter.
  7. Coralie
    • Origin:

      French from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "coral"
    • Description:

      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: Coralie is the stage name of an actress in Balzac's Lost Illusions, and a French girl in an 1850 Thackeray novel.

      Coralie is currently very popular in French-speaking Quebec, and there is a contemporary French singer named Coralie Clement.

  8. Lou
    • Origin:

      Short form of Louise
    • Meaning:

      "renowned warrior"
    • Description:

      Lou is usually a short form of Louise, Louisa, or Lucy in English-speaking countries, when Lou is used for girls at all. But in France and Germany, it's a fashionable choice all on its own, sure to gain even more widespread style credibility since Heidi Klum and Seal chose it for their daughter.
  9. Mimi
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Mary, Miriam, and others
    • Description:

      Sweet, nicknamey name belonging to the tragic heroines of both La Bohème and Rent. Mimi might feel too slight for many parents to use on the birth certificate, but as a short form, it's one of the cutest of the cute baby names.
  10. Marguerite
    • Origin:

      French variation of Margaret; also a flower name
    • Meaning:

      "pearl; daisy"
    • Description:

      Marguerite is a classic French name with a remnant of old-fashioned Gallic charm; and is also a variety of daisy. Chic again in Paris, it's definitely ripe for revival here.
  11. Denise
    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Denis
    • Meaning:

      "god of Nysa"
    • Description:

      Denise was a French favorite of the fifties and sixties but is less chic now. In 2020 it broke back into the Top 1000 after a five-year hiatus, catapulted into style by reality TV star Denisse Novoa — but it dropped out again the following year.
  12. Suzanne
    • Origin:

      French variation of Susan
    • Meaning:

      "lily"
    • Description:

      Suzanne became popular along with Susan but has just dropped out of the Top 1,000. Wait a generation (or two) in the US, though in France Suzanne is once again tres chic.
  13. Esmé
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "esteemed, beloved"
    • Description:

      Esme is a sophisticated, distinctive, and charming J. D. Salinger name, from his classic 1950 story 'For Esme, With Love and Squalor'.Related to the French Aimee, which means beloved, and to the concept of esteem, it was originally a male name exported from France to Scotland via a member of the royal family.

      A current favorite among celebs, including Samantha Morton, Michael J. Fox and Katey Sagal. Esme got a lot of publicity via the character Esme Cullen, the vampire matriarch of the Olympic Coven in the Twilight Saga.

  14. Justine
    • Origin:

      French feminine variation of Justin
    • Meaning:

      "fair, righteous"
    • Description:

      Justine is a French name that's never reached the popularity we think it deserves. Like its far-more-common brother Justin, Justine is sleek, and sophisticated, but still user-friendly.
  15. Brittany
    • Origin:

      English name of the French region Bretagne, meaning 'from Briton'
    • Description:

      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 girls’ name in the country by 1989.
  16. Carolina
    • Origin:

      Variation of Caroline; also place-name
    • Meaning:

      "free man"
    • Description:

      Romantic, and classy, this variation heats up Caroline and modernizes Carol, adding a southern accent. A popular choice in Portugal, Spain, Mexico, and Italy, it recently entered the US Top 500.
  17. Marianne
    • Origin:

      French combination of Marie and Anne
    • Meaning:

      "drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + grace"
    • Description:

      A midcentury Catholic classic that's not chosen by many parents today. Leonard Cohen fans might think of the beautiful song So Long, Marianne, named for his lover and muse Marianne Ihlen.
  18. Solange
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "solemn"
    • Description:

      This is a soft, soignée French girls' namethat has become familiar here via singer Solange Knowles, younger sister of Beyonce.
  19. Lisette
    • Origin:

      French, diminutive of Elizabeth or Lise
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Lisette, also spelled Lizette, is a dainty,, if somewhat dated, Gallic offshoot of Elizabeth. It reached its U.S. peak of popularity in 1999, then fell off the list in 2001.
  20. Pauline
    • Origin:

      French, feminine variation of Paul
    • Meaning:

      "small"
    • Description:

      Pauline had its moment of glory almost a century ago, when movie audiences were thrilling to the silent serial The Perils of Pauline; it's a sweet and gentle name that just might be due for reconsideration. Off the list since the late 1990s, Pauline was a Top 50 name from around 1908 to 1930.

Introducing the Nameberry App

Nameberry App
Find your perfect baby name together with our new mobile app.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Sign up to be notified when the app launches and to receive a discount on full access.
Nameberry App Logo