Boy names from French Literature

Gil

Hebrew

"happiness"

Pronounced zheel, it's a dashing conquistador; as gill, it's the nice and slightly boring guy down the street.

Jacques

French variation of James and Jacob

"supplanter"

Regal and ancient feeling, Jacques has been declining in popularity in its native France, but in the UK, it saw a surprising revival in 2022. Jumping from somewhere around the #2500 mark straight to…

Jehan

Jehan is a masculine name with medieval origins, representing an Old French variant of 'Jean,' which itself derives from the Hebrew name 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' Popular during the…

Marius

Latin, from a Roman family name related to Mars, the god of war

Marius, frequently heard in Germany and France, is a slightly fusty yet accessible name that has (Les Mis) to Anne Rice. With the rise in interest in such Latin names as Maximus and Atticus, Marius…

Octave

French form of Octavius, Latin, or English word name

"eighth; musical and poetry term"

Octave shortens Octavius to a more manageable length, keeping the "eighth" meaning. In English speaking countries, however, people could easily confuse this with the musical and poetrry term octave .…

Phileas

Phileas is a distinctive masculine name with Greek origins. It derives from the Greek elements 'philos' meaning 'friend' or 'lover.' The name gained literary fame through Jules Verne's character…

Phoebus

Greek

"shining, brilliant"

One of the names of the sun god Apollo, this is better known in its feminine form, Phoebe. Rarely used as a given name, perhaps owing to the clunky end sound, it might work as a unique alternative to…

Gaspard

French variation of Jasper, Persian

"bringer of treasure"

Jasper is an internationally-popular name that takes many forms, among them Casper, Gaspar, and the French version Gaspard. Virtually unknown in the US, Gaspard is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in…