Francophile Naming Guide -- Le Monde de Molière

Lucas

Latin form of Luke

"man from Lucania"

Lucas is a Top 10 boys' name with a slightly-less-popular almost-identical twin brother, Luke. Like Elijah and Elias, Lucas and Luke come from the same root and have the same meaning and so feel even…

Thomas

Aramaic

"twin"

A solid classic with plenty of history, Thomas strikes the balance between strength and gentleness. A favorite in the UK, a staple in France, and Australia, and never absent from the US Top 100,…

Robert

English from German

"bright fame"

Robert was the Number 1 boys' name in the US in both 1925 and 1950, and in fact was in the Top 25 for more than a century, giving it true classic status. Strong if not quite stylish, Robert remains…

George

Greek

"farmer"

Iconoclasts though we may be, we like Fred, we like Frank, and we like George, which was among the Top 10 from 1830 to 1950, when the number of little Georges started to decline. Solid, strong, royal…

Carlos

Spanish variation of Charles

"free man"

Carlos is the Spanish and Portuguese variation of Charles, which has been used in solid numbers in the US for as long as data has been kept. Carlos has never fallen out of the Top 600, but peaked…

Juan

Spanish and Manx variation of John

"the Lord is gracious"

Juan, the Spanish version of John, is ubiquitous in the Spanish-speaking world, and is familiar internationally via such references as Don Juan and San Juan. Juan has countless high-achieving…

Simon

Hebrew, Greek

"he has heard; flat-nosed"

Simon is pure and simple (not in the nursery rhyme sense), and an appealingly genuine Old and New Testament name that's not overused. These factors make Simon a stylish yet classic choice. In the…

Louis

French, German

"renowned warrior"

Kate and William shocked the world when they announced that they'd named their third child Louis, or Prince Louis Arthur Charles, to be more precise. But we've been predicting a comeback for this…

Colin

Diminutive of Nicholas or Irish and Scottish

"people of victory; pup"

Thanks to its dashing Anglo-Irish image — due partly to Colins Firth and Farrell — and its C-initialed two-syllable sound, Colin and its cousin Collin have enjoyed a long run of popularity, reaching…

Enrique

Spanish variation of Henry

This is an appealing name that could cross cultural borders, but it has lost ground in recent years.

Albert

German

"noble, bright"

Albert has acquired a new gloss as one of the top royal baby boy names , a considerable upgrade from its serious, studious image (think Einstein, Schweitzer). Albert became popular in Britain…

Julien

French from Latin

"youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father"

Julien is the handsome French form of Julian, which derives from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis , meaning "youthfu"; Greek…

Loyal

English

"faithful, loyal"

Loyal is one of the few virtue names suitable for boys, an honorable and principled Boy Scout-esque appellation with a surprisingly long and distinguished history. Loyal was a mid-list name at the…

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…