International Baby Names · Middle Names, Surnames, and Nicknames
150+ French Last Names
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About this list
French last names are underrepresented among last names as first names. The pool of surname names is dominated by those with English origins, but French surnames including Dashiell, Laramie, and Thayer are breaking through.
The most popular last name in France is Martin, which ultimately is Latin rather than French. Durand is the most common surname with French origins in France. The most common French last name in the US is Lambert, which is not that common at all — sitting outside of the Top 300 most popular surnames.
Many French surnames come from given names, such as Clement, Blaise, and Adrien. You may recognize some famous French last names on this list, including Balzac, Dior, Matisse, and Thoreau.
Search our comprehensive list of French last names below.
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The names
Martin
Latin
"warlike"
Martin is one of those names like Arthur and Vincent and George that is in the process of throwing off its balding middle-aged image to start sounding possible again, used in full without the dated…
Mallory
French
"unfortunate"
Early 1980s sitcom ( Family Ties ) name that has been well used ever since, with an upbeat three-syllable sound and a slightly tomboyish edge.
Travis
French occupational name
"tollgate-keeper"
Has a laid-back rural feel some would associate with country singer Travis Tritt; Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon chose it for their son. Travis Scott, born Jacques Webster Jr., a popular rap artist,…
Corbin
English and French surname
"crow, raven"
Corbin, the name of the castle where the Holy Grail was said to be hidden, came to the fore in the 1980s via actor Corbin Bernsen when he was the high profile star of LA Law , but its use is only now…
Bellamy
English and Irish from French
"fine friend"
Bellamy is a surname name with an admirable meaning and upbeat rhythm, similar to jovial choices like Rafferty, Barnaby and Willoughby. Bellamy is rising simultaneously for boys and girls at the…
Bellamy
English and Irish from French
"fine friend"
Bellamy is emerging as an up-and-coming girls' name , an Irish surname-y riff on the super-popular Bella series of names. While the Bella connection makes Bellamy sound a little trendier and more…
Dior
French surname
"golden"
Dior was among the fastest-rising names for both girls and boys in the US in the early 2020s, but was the fastest- falling name for boys in the 2023 statistics. Its connection to French luxury…
Clair
French and English from Latin
"bright, clear"
This simplified spelling of Claire does not improve on the more popular version.
Faron
English
"handsome servant"
Faron, a soft and gentle name, has a diverse group of references. There was the medieval Saint Faron, Bishop of Meaux (who has given his name to a cheese); Faron Young, a colorful midcentury country…
Foch
French surname, meaning unknown
Foch made the Top 1000 in 1918, the year the Allied Powers declare victory in WWI. Ferdinand Foch was the Supreme Allied Commander, whose efforts led to triumph in 1918. That year, 58 sets of parents…
Armand
French variation of Herman, German
"soldier"
Since the first production of Camille this has been considered one of the world's most romantic names, though it's one of those French names for boys rarely heard in this country. Actor Armie…
Leroy
French
"the king"
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…
Michel
French form and German short form of Michael, Hebrew
"who is like God"
While the (male) French form is pronounced in English like the girls' name Michelle and the German form had a hard k-like sound in the middle, this variation of Michael is distinguished by being used…
Bertrand
French from German
"magnificent crow"
This name of famed philosopher, mathematician and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell becomes slightly more plausible with the French pronunciation, bare-TRAHN. Another noted bearer is French director…
Blanchard
French surname
"white deer"
This name is usually seen as a surname, but could be used as a first in the tradition of Cooper, Sawyer etc.
Coty
French surname
Cosmetic reinvention of Cody.
Germaine
French from Latin
"from Germany"
This French feminine version of Germain is a unisex choice in the U.S., also spelled Jermaine, Jemaine, and Germain. Rooted in the ancient Latin Germanus, which may mean sprout or brother, it's no…
Percy
French surname from place name Perci-en-Auge
Percy is an adorable old name that is finally shedding its pampered Little Lord Fauntleroy image in this new era of boys with soft yet traditionally male names like Jasper and Elijah. Originating as…
Augustin
Greek variation of August
This form and its German variant Augusten are moving up fast as the preferred long forms of the trendy Gus.
Landry
French and English
"ruler of the land"
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…
