Once you get past the pronunciation hurdle, a smooth and elegant choice. In French, it's spelt with a circumflex: Benoît.

Although often connected to the men's magazine title, Maxim is a chic and powerful name for a little boy. It's proving moderately popular too, having been in the Top 1000 in the US since the year 2000.

Pronounced "crwa", this unusual name was chosen by Cedric the Entertainer for his son.

Oceane (oh-see-EN) has been one of the chicest names in France for several years, ranking in the French Top 50. This is a sophisticated name that could easily cross the ocean, and is much more stylish than the English Ocean or Oceana.

Mauve is an offbeat color name whose soft and sentimental Victorian spirit is conveyed by the name. One of the newer color names like Blue, Gray and Plum that are increasingly being used as novel middle names, Mauve has the added benefit of being similar to stylish Maeve and classic Maude.

French version of August, for both sexes. And for those who feel the spelling of August is too plain.

More commonly spelled as Sylvester in English speaking countries, Silvester is closer to its Latin origins silva . Sharing a root with Silas, Sylvia, and Sylvie, this form saw occasional use in the US in the early 20th century, and may be used in Slavic countries, such as Czechia and Slovakia

Marine was trending for a long time in France, but the far right politician Marine (born Marion) LePen has dampened the mood.

Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning that may well put parents off. While it was given to just 10 girls in a recent year, the name did have a moment back in the late 60s and then again in the 90s. In England and Wales, it even made the Top 400 in 1997.

One of the oldest and most widely used compound names, now a bit dated but not as much so as its opposite Mary-Ann. The hyphen is optional.

A spunky nickname name for parents with showbiz aspirations for their daughter.

Sasha in all its forms -- which include Sacha and Sascha -- is rising in popularity for both boys and girls, especially with the Sasha spelling attached to one of the First Daughters. Sacha with this spelling is a Top 20 name for baby boys in France.

While Vanilla might be too bland, the French version is more flavorful.

No-no appelation of a child saint and martyr whose name is a term for the nervous condition known as Saint Vitus' Dance. Its one recommending feature is that it's among the elite group Boy names that mean life.

A name that looks intriguing and masculine on paper, but is, unfortunately, a homonym for a girl's name.

The y makes it seem more like a name and less like an animal, but it's still not as appealing as several Leo choices.

Antoine is a venerable French name that is still stylish in its native habitat, where it is in the Top 30. In the US, it was most popular in the 1970s and '80s, reaching Number 262 in 1985.

Though associated with a French saint noted for her holiness and strength of character, this name is somewhat dated and it might be better to look to one of the more modern names popular for little girls in France today: Oceane, Lea, Manon.

Peppy cheerleader name of the 1960s and 70s that's sure to evoke the Four Seasons song of that name.

Putting the emphasis on the "elle" softens a name that seems at once futuristic and medieval.