Francophile Naming Guide –– Non-Biblical Christian Names for Boys and Girls

Christian

Greek or English from Latin

"anointed one or follower of Christ"

The name Christian has fallen a bit from its 90's and 00's heights, but it's still quite popular. Once considered overly pious, Christian is now seen as making a bold statement of faith by some,…

Vincent

Latin

"conquering"

Vincent is a name with a complex image. After being quietly used for centuries, it is suddenly seeming stylish, along wih other V names. Even the nickname Vince has been given a reprieve via actor…

Xavier

Basque

"new house"

Xavier originated is use as a given name after Saint Francis Xavier, cofounder of the Jesuit order, who got his name from the Spanish-Basque village where he was born. His birthplace was Javier, the…

Nicolas

French and Spanish variation of Nicholas, Greek

"people of victory"

Nicolas is the French and Spanish form, or streamlined spelling, of Nicholas, popularized by actor Nicolas Cage. Nicolas has been consistently on the charts since Social Security began releasing…

Noel

French

"Christmas"

Noel is British, fey, and sophisticated, connoting wit and creativity, much like namesake Noel Coward. Noel has also been a character on Felicity and Pretty Little Liars . Thanks to their association…

Valentin

French, German, Russian, Czech, Scandinavian variation of Valentine

"strength, health"

Romantic name used throughout Europe, though sure to lead to pronunciation problems here. Though it's never been too widely used in the US, it's quite popular in Switzerland, France, Austria, and…

Blaise

French

"to lisp, stammer"

As modern as it sounds, Blaise is an ancient Christian martyr name. In Arthurian legend, Blaise is the name of Merlin the Magician's secretary. Its relation to the word and name Blaze gives it a…

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.

Dominique

French form of Dominic, Latin

"belonging to the lord"

Unisex option Dominique peaked for boys at Number 170 in 1991, perhaps due to the popularity of basketball player Dominique Wilkins. While it has now fallen out of the popularity charts in both the…

Augustin

Greek variation of August

This form and its German variant Augusten are moving up fast as the preferred long forms of the trendy Gus.

Croix

French

"cross"

Pronounced "crwa", this unusual name was chosen by Cedric the Entertainer for his son.

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…