French Word Names

  1. Boheme
    • Origin:

      French word name
    • Description:

      "Girls Gone Child" blogger Rebecca Woolf made Boheme a first name when she gave it to one of her twin daughters (the other one's name is Reverie). La Boheme -- "The Bohemian" -- is a Puccini opera that was transmogrified into the modern play Rent. Boheme means a literary or artistic person who lives outside conventional society.
  2. Reine
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "queen"
    • Description:

      This regal French name is a descendant of the Latin Regina, as is the Spanish Reina. Reine is also a male name in Scandinavia.
  3. Basile
    • Origin:

      French variation of Basil
    • Meaning:

      "regal"
    • Description:

      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.
  4. Bleu
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "blue"
    • Description:

      The middle name of the Travoltas' Ella, this French color alternative hasn't caught on with many other parents.
  5. Victoire
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "victory"
    • Description:

      Adds French flair to Victoria, though many Americans would find pronunciation a challenge.
  6. Avril
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "April"
    • Description:

      The French Canadian pop star Avril Lavigne put the spotlight on this name when she made the charts with "Sk8er Boi". It is simply the French form of April, the fourth month of the year, whose name might derive from the Latin aperire meaning "to open" in reference to the start of spring in the Northern hemisphere. Other sources suggest it comes from the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite.
  7. Solaire
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "solar"
    • Description:

      An intriguing French word and surname, Solaire has a hint of aristocratic ruggedness and plenty of flair. Translating to "solar", it is unlikely to be used within France itself, however, it has seen usage with the Francophone Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the US where it was given to 12 boys and 5 girls in 2023. It was also used for a character in the video game Dark Souls.
  8. Miel
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "honey"
    • Description:

      A sweet way—literally—to honor a Melissa or a Pamela.
  9. Lune
    • Cherie
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "darling"
      • Description:

        The kind of French name that seemed daring -- and darling -- in the sixties.
    • Ambre
      • Origin:

        French variation of Amber, English word name
      • Description:

        In the US Amber is stuck in the '80s, while Ambre is a fresh choice in France.
    • Bluette
      • Origin:

        French, English, Italian
      • Meaning:

        "little spark; a short, witty play, book, or piece of music; shade of blue"
      • Description:

        A word name in several languages, Bluette is an arty sounding and colorful name. In French, it comes from beluette, translating to "little spark". It can then refer to a brief flash, a trace of something, an unimportant thing, or a short, straight forward novel. In Italian, it is a shade of blue, somewhere between electric and sky blue, while in English, it is occasionally used to refer to a book, a play, or a piece of music that is short, but witty and brilliant.
    • Miette
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "crumb"
      • Description:

        Originally used as a diminutive of Marguerite, this French term of endearment is super-rare as a given name in France, but could make for a sweet alternative to Mia in English-speaking countries. A variation is Mietta.
    • Pomme
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "apple"
      • Description:

        Une amie for Gwyneth's little girl.
    • Lumière
      • Origin:

        French
      • Meaning:

        "light"
      • Description:

        Innovative French word name, suggesting illumination and clarity.
    • Terre
      • Origin:

        French word name
      • Meaning:

        "earth"
      • Description:

        An intriguing but challenging choice, because of possible confusion with all the Terry-type names.
    • Aurore
      • Solitaire
        • Origin:

          French, English
        • Meaning:

          "solitary, alone; a single jewel in a piece of jewelry"
        • Description:

          Derived from the French word for "alone", Solitaire could have potential as a bold word name, thanks to its use on a character in the James Bond franchise and its similarity to the names Sol, Blair, and Adair. While some may be put off by the potential loneliness in the meaning, others might associate it with independence instead.
      • Etoile
        • Origin:

          French
        • Meaning:

          "star"
        • Description:

          This French word for star sounds like even more of a celebrity-worthy choice than Star or Esther or Estella or Stella. But count on English speakers who never took high school French to stumble over the pronunciation.
      • Baptiste
        • Origin:

          French
        • Meaning:

          "baptist"
        • Description:

          Traditionally used by the ultrareligious, the French boys' name Baptiste comes from the Greek word meaning "to dip". Baptiste is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France.