French Last Names

Transferred from the surname Vianney, in reference to French saint Jean-Marie Vianney, this name is a diminutive form of Vivian and Vivien, sharing the same spirited meaning. Associated with the patron saint of all priests within the Catholic Church, it is generally used as a masculine name in France, Belgium, Canada, and French-speaking Africa, but in Latin America, it is mainly feminine. 
 
Also appearing as a place name in Quebec, the traditional French pronunciation is VYA-neh, but bya-NAY and vya-NAY may alternatively be heard in Spanish speaker areas. Notable bearers of the name include the philosopher Vianney Décarie, the singer Vianney (Bureau), footballer Vianney Mabidé, and watchmaker Vianney Halter.

Vianney

This portion of the name of the famous eighteenth century French painter Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LeBrun could make a cute and perky girl's name.

Vigee

Creative surname choice, associated with the great French postimpressionist Edouard Villard. 

Villard

Villiers

Associated with the Baudelaire siblings from Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and with the poet Charles Baudelaire, this French surname is a bold literary choice, with a touch of Gothic flair. 
 
Derived from the name of a large dagger or short sword with a curved edge, the surname has yet to catch on as a given name.

Baudelaire

Also spelled Osanne, Ozanne is a French form of Hosanna, the exclamation given by those around Jesus when he first entered Jerusalem in the New Testament. It was notably born by Ozanne-Anne Achon, one of the first settlers in Nouvelle-France, the area colonized by the French in North America.
 Now more familiarly used a s a surname, it may also be associated with Jayne Ozanne, an evangelical Anglican who campaigns to safeguard LGBTQ+ people from abuse and religious discrimination; Michael Ozanne, a wheelchair rugby player; and with French linguist, Françoise Ozanne-Rivierre.
 
Ozanne is also the name of a river in France, making this a place name too.

Ozanne

While this may sound like an alternative spelling of the unisex Sawyer, it is in fact a multicultural choice of French and Turkish origin, more familiar as a last name than a given name. From its French roots, Soyer is adapted from sieur, giving it the meaning "master, lord, sir". From its Turkish origin, it derives from the elements soylu meaning "noble" and er meaning "man" or "soldier", giving it the meanings "nobleman" or more figuratively, "brave and noble hero". Other sources suggest it could have emerged from the Welsh Sayer meaning "carpenter", in turn linking it back to sound alike Sawyer, meaning "woodcutter". One notable bearer is Victorian chef, philanthropist, and inventor Alexis Benoît Soyer, who invented the Soyer stove for army usage during the Crimean War of the 1850s. Given to a handful of boys in the US since the 2000s, this name may be too close to Soya to compete with Sawyer.

Soyer

An interesting and as yet undiscovered place name, Orleans feels similar to the likes of Harlem, Memphis, and Oslo. The English form of the French Orléans, it ultimately derives from the Latin Aurelianum, meaning "gold".
 
Also used as a surname, lending it a similar feel to Devereux or Olsen, Orleans appears on the map a number of times. The French city gives its name to The Île d'Orléans in Quebec, Orléans in Ontario, Orleans in Massachusetts, and New Orleans in Louisiana.

Orleans

Likely derived from the French surname Valadier or from the phrase de la vallée, Valadie is a melodic and nature inspired choice, similar in sound and style to Valerie and Amelie. Used as a surname, it may also be spelled as Valadié, as in the case of actress Dominique Valadié and artist Jean-Baptiste Valadié.

Valadie

A bright and elegant unisex possibility, akin to Mirabelle and Bellamy, Mirabeau was the name of a French revolutionary: Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, comte de Mirabeau. While it may traditionally be considered masculine, in an era of surnames-as-first-names, boy-names-on-girls, Mirabeau feels like a fresh and rare option for any gender. 
 
Ultimately derived from the Latin mirabilis, meaning "miraculous", the name has yet to appear in the US stats, though one notable bearer was Mirabeau Lamar Looney, the first female member of the Oklahoma Senate, elected in 1920. She was named after the second president of the (short-lived) sovereign Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar, who was himself named for the aforementioned French Revolutionary.

Mirabeau

Allaire, a last name in France. could make a first, with its light and airy feel.

Allaire

Allard

Arnaud

Likely to be pronounced AW-bert in English, short forms Aubie and Bertie give this rare French name quirky modern appeal.

Aubert

Aubin might be seen as a fresher and more decidedly masculine twist on Aubrey, though the two are not related. This stylish French choice derives from the Roman Albinus or Albus, meaning "white, bright" or sometimes "blonde". Pronounced with a strong O sound and with a barely there 'n', the name ranked just outside the Top 200 in its native France in a recent year. 

 

Aubin

A fresh take on the fashionable Audrey and Aubrey, or another novel surname name which seems fitting for either sex.

Autry

An old French surname derived from baille, meaning "fortification" – the same root as the English word bailey. The surname was borne by an aristocratic English family descended from French nobility. 

 A college of Oxford university is named Balliol in honor of John de Balliol, who founded it in the 13th century. Alumni include Bible translator John Wycliffe, author Aldous Huxley, and several British prime ministers.

Balliol

Dashing middle name choice for admirers of the French author. 

Balzac

Traditionally used by the ultrareligious, the French boys' name Baptiste comes from the Greek word meaning "to dip". Baptiste is one of the <a href="https://nameberry.com/popular-names/france">Top 100 Boy Names in France</a>.

Baptiste

How to spruce up Fisher or Beau? This French surname-name might be an option for a parent unafraid of the unusual. The name derives from Barbel, a type of fish, which is how it became a surname for some fishermen.

Barbeau

. The pool of surname names is dominated by those with English origins, but French surnames including Dashiell, Laramie, and Thayer are breaking through.

 is Martin, which ultimately is Latin rather than French. Durand is the most common surname with French origins in France. The

is Lambert, which is not that common at all — sitting outside of the Top 300 most popular 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.

French last names as first names including popular French surnames in the US and France, with origins, meanings, and popularity (Page 6)