French Girl Names by ViVi

Brielle

Short form of Gabrielle, French, Cajun, Hebrew, Celtic

"god is my strength; hunting grounds"

Though it sounds modern, Brielle is, among other things, a traditional Cajun contraction of Gabrielle, and the name of a historic seaport in the Western Netherlands, also known as Brill. Today, it is…

Noelle

French

"Christmas"

Noelle is the feminine variation of Noël, a masculine given name derived from the French word for "Christmas." As a word, Noël originated as a variant of nael , which evolved from the Latin natalis ,…

Amy

French

"beloved"

Amy is the English variation of the Old French name Amée—Aimée in modern French. Amée was a translation of the Latin name Amata, which derived from amatus , meaning "beloved." Other spelling…

Colette

French, short form of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek

"people of victory"

Like the French author with whom the name is most closely associated, Colette is a chic and charming name, sharp, stylish, and feminine but without the frills of Nicolette. After disappearing from…

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.

Liana

Short form of -liana names, Portuguese, Italian, Georgian, French

"to climb like a vine"

Liana is a pretty, graceful and simple name that doesn't fall flat. The name of a flowering tropical vine that grows in forests, it's an international gem that works well in multiple languages. As a…

Elle

French

"she"

Combine the charming heroine of the movie Legally Blonde with supermodel Elle Macpherson and the trend toward all names beginning with "el"—Ellie, Ella, Eleanor—and you have one hit name. Elle Driver…

Mavis

French

"songbird"

Mavis, another word for the song thrush, is also a relative of the Welsh word for strawberries, mefus . Mavis has something of a British World War II feel, a friend of Beryl and Doris, but it was…

Estelle

French

"star"

Maybe it's because she shares that winning -elle sound with Isabel and Bella, but Estelle is no longer seen as a muumuu-wearing canasta player of a certain age (think George Costanza's mother on…

Ila

Scottish, Hindi, Hungarian, Finnish

"from the island; earth, sacred speech; shining light; joy"

A simple name that's rising fast in the US, likely inspired by the popularity of Isla and Ayla. This streamlined form might appeal to those who like Ana, Ivy, and Ada, and it brings a multicultural…

Soleil

French

"sun"

An attractive French word name known here via former child TV star Soleil Moon Frye, aka Punky Brewster. It started to be lightly used in the U.S. in the 1920s and is now attracting some attention as…

Abella

French, meaning 'breath'

A pretty name heard in the Louisiana Cajun community, Abella would fit right in with all the other, more familiar, bella names.

Abrial

French

"open, secure, protected"

This unique baby name is stronger, more distinctive than April or Avril.

Alienor

French, meaning unknown

Also seen as Alyenor and Eleonore, this is an old French name dating back to the Arthurian romances and still heard today.

Allura

French

"to entice, attract"

Sounds like a princess -- or an enticingly evil witch -- in a fairy tale.

Alouette

French

"lark"

Alouette is a sweet Gallic twist in the stylish bird name genre made familiar via the charming French children's song, Alouette, gentile alouette .

Ambrette

French, word name

Ambrette is the name of a French dessert pear, and also a West Indian hibiscus seed.

Aquitaine

French place name

If you're looking for a really untouristed place name, Aquitaine could be it. Aquitaine is a region of France that includes both Bordeaux and Biarritz and is famous for such food and drink as its…

Baize

French

"dark brown"

This fabric word name would be a one-of-a-kind.

Bechette

French

"little spade"

Pronounced Beshette, this unfamiliar French appellation sounds fresh and feminine.