Rare and Unique French Baby Names

Eloi

French, Catalan and Spanish from the Latin Eligius

"the chosen"

From the saintly name Eligius, Eloi is popular in Catalonia but rarely used by English speakers. There's potential for confusion with Eli - and with the Aramaic word eloi, said to mean "my God",…

Emilien

French form of Emil

"friendly"

Might make a worthy masculine spin on either of the uber popular Emma or Emily.

Etienne

French variation of Stephen

"garland, crown"

It's the French Steve yet feels oh so much more debonair. Well-used and still a popular classic in French-speaking lands, but one of the many French names for boys unfamiliar to most English…

Gerard

English and Irish from German

"spear strength"

Gerard is currently in style limbo, after reaching peak popularity in the 1950s. With its strong meaning and gentle sound, it may be back in a generation or two. But for now, a boy called Gerard will…

Gervais

Spelling variation of Gervaise, French

"skilled with a spear"

Gervais is a masculine name of French origin, derived from the Germanic elements 'ger' meaning 'spear' and 'wis' meaning 'wise,' together translating to 'skilled with the spear.' The name was borne…

Guillaume

French variation of William, German

"resolute protection"

An everyday name in France, a charismatic possibility elsewhere, Guillaume is a French form of the classic Germanic William. It's heyday was back in the 1980s and 90s, when it ranked in the French…

Isidore

Greek

"gift of Isis"

Isabel, Theodore, and Isadora are back: could it now be time for a more widespread revival of Isidore? Yet to see any big moves up the charts, Isidore was given to more than 30 boys in a recent year:…

Jeannot

Jeannot is a charming masculine French diminutive of Jean (the French equivalent of John). The '-ot' suffix traditionally indicates affection or endearment in French naming customs. The name…

Luc

French

"man from Lucania"

Luc is the sleeker Gallic cousin of Luke, and if you want to know the difference between their pronunciations, just watch Kevin Kline's hilarious description in the film French Kiss. Peter Gabriel…

Marceau

French variation of Marcel

"little warrior"

Mime Marcel Marceau actually had two versions of the same name. Marcel, Marceau, Marcella, Marcus, Mark -- all are variation of the Roman mythological name Mars, the god of war.

Moise

Judeo-Italian variation of Mosè, Italian

"delivered from the water"

Version of Moses commonly used among Italian Jews in the Middle Ages.

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 .…

Pascal

French; English

"of the Passover; Easter"

The French-accented Pascal was historically used for sons born at Easter, and can make an interesting choice for a boy with Gallic roots arriving around that holiday. Pascal has a number of notable…

Pierre

French variation of Peter

"rock, stone"

One of the most familiar — if not stereotypical — Gallic names. Pierre was a Top 5 name in France from the 19th century through 1940 and is now on a steady decline in its native land. In the US,…

Rene

French

"reborn"

Though it's used for boys, most non-French people would hear it as a girls’ name . Most would be surprised to learn that Rene has always charted in the US Top 1000 for boys.

Theophile

Theophile is a masculine name of Greek origin, combining 'theos' (God) and 'philos' (friend or lover), thus meaning 'friend of God' or 'beloved by God.' This name has deep historical roots in Europe,…

Toussaint

French

"all saints"

Has been used in the past by parents wishing to invoke the blessing and protection of all the saints, also given to boys born on November 1, All Saints' Day.

Yves

French

"yew wood"

On paper, with its stylish ties to fashion legend Yves Saint-Laurent (born Henri), Yves looks great, but the pronunciation--EVE-- could lead to gender confusion. German variation Ivo might be cooler…