Francophile Naming Guide -- Curiousities of Medieval France for Boys

Gaston

French from German

"the foreigner, the guest"

Depending on your cultural references, you may think of Phantom of the Opera author Gaston Leroux, or the macho villain of Beauty and the Beast . While he's hardly a role model (unless you too use…

Hubert

German

"bright, shining intellect"

A name that sounds so old-fashioned some parents out there might conceivably find it quirky enough for a comeback, along with other one-time fuddie-duddies like Oscar and Homer. Along with other…

Auguste

French form of Latin Augustus

"great, magnificent"

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

Rudolph

German

"famous wolf"

Sure, he'd probably get a certain amount of red-nosed teasing around the holiday, but a boy named Rudolph could probably take it. Besides, he's got other, more distinguished namesakes -- the great…

Amaury

French form of Amalric

"work power"

Friendlier french form of ancient Germanic royal name Amalric or Emmerich.

Michel

French form and German short form of Michael, Hebrew

"who is like God"

While the (male) French form is pronounced in English like the girls' name Michelle and the German form had a hard k-like sound in the middle, this variation of Michael is distinguished by being used…

Mathieu

Mathieu is the French form of Matthew, a masculine name with biblical origins derived from the Hebrew name Mattityahu, meaning 'gift of God' or 'gift from Yahweh.' This elegant French spelling…

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.

Thierry

French variation of Theodoric

"ruler of the people"

A hugely popular choice in France back in the 60s and 70s, Thierry took the number one spot in 1964,though it has since dropped out of the French Top 500. Derived from the Germanic Theodoric (not a…

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…

Lambert

French and German

"land brilliant"

Ancient saint's name used for cowardly cartoon lion.

Anselm

German

"with divine protection"

A somewhat solemn appellation, Anselm is a saint's name, connected to the twelfth century archbishop of Canterbury, and in modern times tied to the German neo-expressionist painter Anselm Kiefer.

Thurston

Scandinavian

"Thor's stone"

Shades of Thurston Howell, the effete millionaire castaway on Gilligan's Island.