Updated October 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
French variation of Benedict
"blessed"
Once you get past the pronunciation hurdle, a smooth and elegant choice. In French, it's spelt with a circumflex: Benoît.
French
"white"
Blanche, which originated as a nickname for a pale blonde and then became associated with the notion of purity, was in style a century ago, ranking in the double digits until 1920. She then had to…
Variation of Beau, French
"handsome, beautiful, beauties"
An alternative spelling to short and punchy Beau, this form coincides with the French plural form of the word. It recently entered the US Top 1000 for boys in 2025, having steadily risen up the…
Spelling variation of Breton, French
"from Brittany"
Veering toward Brittany.
French variation of Basil
"regal"
Herby and aristocratic Basil remains a tough sell, but we’d like to introduce you to Basile, the delightful French version. It retains all of Basil’s charm, but sheds some of the pesto linkage.…
"jewel"
Bijou is a name that lives up to its definition -- a real jewel. Warning: not unheard of on poodles' dog collars. Actress Bijou Phillips is its best known bearer. It can also be spelled Bijoux.
Breton is the term for the people and language of Brittany, a region of northern France with a distinct culture. Breton also might be thought of as a trendy modern invention, taking the midcentury…
French diminutive of Barbara, Greek
"stranger"
A less common relic of the Claudette-Paulette-Annette era. Babette's Feast is a 1987 Danish film based on a Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) story about a cook who wins the lottery and prepares an…
German
"brave as a bear"
Bernardine is really driving home its Bernard connection, for better or worse. Bernadine is the usual form of this name. Saint Bernardine of Siena was, surprise!, a man, also called Bernardino, a…
Béatrice is the French form of Beatrice, a feminine name with Latin origins meaning 'she who brings happiness' or 'blessed.' The accent over the 'e' emphasizes the French pronunciation…
French variation of Latin
"good"
The strong and unusual name of a medieval (male) saint and a contemporary (female) novelist, Benilde Little.
"little doe"
Charming Gallic possibility but with some obvious playground problems.
Bibiane is a feminine name of French origin, derived from the Latin name Viviana, meaning 'alive' or 'full of life.' The name has roots in early Christianity through Saint Bibiana (or Viviana), a…
Bénédicte is a feminine French name derived from the Latin name Benedicta, the female form of Benedictus, meaning 'blessed.' The name carries the same linguistic roots as Benedict and Benedetta, all…
Baie is a rare feminine name with possible origins in Old French, where it could be derived from 'baie' meaning 'bay' or 'berry.' It might also have Celtic roots or be a variant of Bay or Baye. The…
"heroine, bright maiden"
The name of medieval French saint, similar to Sally Field's name, Bertrille, on the old The Flying Nun sitcom, leading some to expect the word "Sister" in front of it.
"goddess"
This French name meaning goddess is a possible Gallic import in the Celine mode.
French form of Bertha, German
"bright, glorious"
Berthe was quite popular among European nobility during the Middle Ages, notably carried by Berthe of Burgundy, queen of France in the 10th century. The name saw modest popularity in France and other…
Baltasaru is an uncommon masculine name with multicultural origins, appearing to be a variant of Balthasar or Balthazar. These names trace back to Babylonian origins and gained prominence as one of…
Berenicia is a rare feminine name with ancient roots, believed to be derived from the ancient Macedonian city of Berenice, which was named after Berenice I, queen of Egypt. The name ultimately comes…