100+ Most Beautiful French Girl Names And Their Meanings
- Written byAdrien Renault
- Read time18 mins
- Comments1
The subtleties and depth of meaning of French names for girls are profound.
Their etymology goes back generations.
Class. Elegance. Sophistication.
The French language carries some beautiful nuances with a rich history, making it a truly unique language.
This is what makes French names for girls so special.
Choosing a French name for a girl can be a challenge, and that’s why I created this post.
Keep reading to see my list of the best French names for girls.
Facts about female names in French
Before I get started with my list, there are a few things to note about popular French names for girls.
First, the etymology of many French girl names has religious origins (Catholicism).
This is due to the tradition of giving children names from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints and laws that remained until recently. After 1966 (when these laws were changed), parents were given more freedom to be flexible with their children’s names.
From 1993 onward, all restrictions were lifted and to this day, French parents can give their children a name of their choice.
Also, keep in mind that French names for girls are also based on adjectives and other descriptive meanings.
The name Claire, for example, has connotations of the word ‘clear’ in English, and there are many other examples of names that are derived from descriptive meanings.
I’ve included these in my list below.
Finally, one interesting, fun fact about some French girl names is that they have been absorbed into the English language and their English forms sometimes have shortened versions.
Jaqueline, for example, can be shortened to ‘Jackie’ in English.
With that, let’s take a look at the top 100+ trendy French names for girls below.
French names for girls listed alphabetically
I’ve listed the French names for girls alphabetically from A to Z below.
There’s a good mix of popular/trending, uncommon, cute and meaningful names here.
I also have provided the etymology/meaning of the name and how it should be pronounced.
French names starting with A
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Annette | a-net | This French girl’s name means ‘gracious’ in English. It also means ‘compassionate’ or ‘merciful’. Annette has many variations, such as Anette (with one ‘n’). |
Aurelie | o-re-li | Aurelie derives from the Latin name ‘Aurelia’. It means ‘golden’ or ‘the golden one’ and has connotations of purity and strength. |
Audrey | o-dre | Meaning ‘noble strength’, Audrey is an Anglo-Norman name that was very popular in the 2000s. |
Aurore | o-Roh-re | The etymology of Aurore goes back to the Roman gods but is used frequently in France. It means ‘goddess of the dawn’ and translates to English from the French language as ‘dawn’. |
Antoinette | an-twa-net | Antoinette means ‘deserving of praise’. It can also mean ‘the priceless one’ and refers to being valuable. It is a name made famous by the French queen, Marie Antoinette. |
Alize | al-iz | The French girl’s name Alize means ‘noble’, ‘honourable’ or ‘the noble one’. This is also a variation of the name Alizé and its English equivalent is Alice. |
Amélie | a-me’-li | Amélie means ‘tenacious’ ‘determined’ or ‘hardworking’. The English version of this name is ‘Amelia’. |
Amalie | a-ma-li | A similar French variation of Amélie, Amalie also means ‘hardworking’. It can mean ‘inquisitive’ or ‘curious’ as well. |
Anaëlle | a-na-el | In a similar way to Annette, this French name also means ‘gracious’ or ‘she who is merciful’. |
Angeline | an-juh-leen | With connotations of the French word ange, meaning ‘angel’, Angeline means ‘messenger’. ‘Angelina’ is a variation of this name — a name well-recognised due to the famous actress Angelina Jolie. |
Annabelle | ann-uh-bell | This French girl’s name means ‘adorable’ or ‘lovable’. It combines the Hebrew name ‘Anna’ (meaning grace), with the French word belle, which means ‘beautiful’. |
Avril | av-rill | There are a few variations of this French girl’s name, including Avriel. It translates to ‘April’ from French and has connotations of spring or new life. |
Aelis | ai-lish | Is Aelis the right name for your baby girl? Meaning ‘noble’, Aelis also has connotations of goodness and graciousness. |
Axelle | ack-selh | Axelle is a French girl’s name meaning ‘peace’ or ‘tranquility’. |
French names starting with B
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Béatrice | be-a-tris | The French girl’s name Beatrice means ‘joyful one’. There is a variation of this name, which is Béatrix. |
Brigitte | bree-zheet | Brigitte is a French girl’s name meaning ‘strength’. It has connotation of power or authority. The name was made famous with the 2001 film Bridget Jones’s Diary. |
Blanche | blanzch | Blanche translates to English as ‘white’. It connotes purity or virtue. |
Bernadette | ber-nuh-dEHt | The French girl’s name Bernadette means ‘courageous’. It also means ‘brave’ or ‘valiant, in a similar way to the name Léonie. (See Léonie for more details). |
Belle | bel | Featured in the name Annabelle the name Belle also means ‘beautiful’ or ‘pretty one’. |
French names starting with C
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Chloé | cuh-low-é | Chloé is a popular French female name. It means ‘blossoming’, or ‘growing’ and has a few alternative spellings such as ‘Cloe’. The fact that it’s the name of a French perfume shows how popular this name is. |
Charlotte | sharl-ot | Charlotte is a French girl’s name that means ‘strong’, or ‘bold’. It is the female version of the name Charles and is popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom too. |
Clarisse | kla-ris | Clarisse is a variation of the French girl’s name Claire. It means ‘shining’ or ‘clear’. The variation Clarissa is also popular. |
Celeste | suh-lest | The French girl’s name Celeste is derived from the Latin — ‘Caelestis’. It means heavenly and is used as a popular name in France. |
Céline | see-leeyn | Similar to the name Celeste, Céline also means ‘from the heavens’ or ‘from the sky’. |
Camille | cah-mee | Camille is a French female name meaning ‘perfect’, or ‘immaculate’. |
Clémence | klé-mans | ‘Full of mercy’ is the meaning of this French girl’s name. It is derived from the Latin — ‘Clemens’ and is used as a popular French girl’s name. |
Coraline | co-ruh-leen | This French girl’s name means ‘pearl’, or ‘coral’ as it’s derived from the Latin word ‘corallium’. |
Cezanne | say-zan | In a similar way to Fleur, this French name means ‘flower’. It has connotations of femininity, grace, and natural beauty. |
Chantal | shaun-tal | Chantal is derived from the word chanter. It means ‘to sing’, and can also mean ‘she who sings’. |
French names starting with D
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Delphine | del-fin | The etymology of this name stems from the word Delphi which, in Greek mythology, refers to the sanctuary of Apollo. The name Delphine also means ‘dolphin’ in French. |
Danielle | dan-yel | This French girl’s name has a religious meaning. It means ‘God is my judge’. It might remind you of the male name Daniel, but this female name has the stress on the second half of the name. |
Dominique | dom-in-ik | Dominique is a French name that also has religious connotations. It means ‘from/of the Lord’. |
French names starting with E
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Élodie | él-od-i | The French name Élodie means ‘wealth’ or ‘riches’. |
Esmée | es-mé-e | Esmée is a French girl’s name that means ‘loved, or ‘beloved’. It can mean ‘cherished one’ or ‘she who is beloved’, and is derived from the French verb esmer. |
Emeline | e-mil-in | Is your baby an Emeline? This French name means ‘hardworking’ or ‘determined’. |
Ève | èv | The French name Ève means ‘source of life’. |
Estelle | est-el | The name Estelle has its origins in the Latin word ‘stella’ It was used in Old French and means ‘star’. |
Élise | él-iz | Élise is the shortened version of the name Elizabeth. It means ‘God is my pledge’ or ‘God is my promise’. |
Elaine | el-jan | Meaning ‘shining light’ Elaine is a French girl’s name that is used a lot in English speaking countries. A French variation of this name is Hélène, which is slightly more traditional. |
Edwige | ed-wizj | The meaning of the French name Edwige is ‘battler’, ‘fighter’ or ‘warrior’. It has connotations of courage and fearlessness. |
Éleonore | e-lo-nohr | Similar to Elaine, Éléonore means ‘shining light’ or ‘bright light’. |
French names starting with F
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Francine | frã-sin | This French girl’s name is particularly French! It means ‘from France’ and is a female equivalent to the male name François. |
Fleur | floer | Fleur is a French girl’s name that means ‘flower’ in English. It has connotations of blossoming or blooming and suggests natural beauty. |
Fleurine | floer-in | Just like the name Fleur, Fleurine also means ‘flower’ or ‘flourishing’. |
Florentine | flo-ran-tin | With its origins in the Latin word ‘florens’, Florentine means ‘prosperous’ or ‘blossoming’. This name is also similar to Fleur and Fleurine, as it can mean ‘flower’ — which is what these names also mean. |
Felicity | fi-lis-i-ti | The word ‘felicitations’ shows what this French girl’s name means. It has connotations of happiness and luck. It can also mean ‘great fortune’. |
Françoise | frhan-swaz | Françoise is the female French equivalent to the male name François. It means ‘free’ or ‘from France’. |
Faustine | fo-stine | Just like Felicity, Faustine means ‘fortunate one’. |
French names starting with G
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Gabrielle | gab-ri-jel | Gabrielle, which is the female equivalent of Gabriel means ‘my strength is God’, or ‘man of God’. |
Géraldine | gé-rhal-din | The French girl’s name Géraldine means ‘ruler with a spear’. |
French names starting with H
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Harriett | a-ree-yet | Harriett means ‘keeper of the home’ or ‘ruler of the household’. |
Hélène | eh-len | Hélène is a French girls name that means ‘light’. It is derived from the ancient Greek, meaning ‘torch’, and is popular in France. |
French names starting with I
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Inés | in-es | Inés is a French female name with religious connotations meaning ‘pure’ or ‘holy’. It is popular in France and other countries like Spain. |
Ingrid | in-ghrid | This girl’s name used in France means ‘beauty’ or ‘she who is beautiful’. |
Imène | im-en | Is Imène the perfect French girl’s name for your baby? This name has religious origins — it means ‘she who has faith’ or ‘believer’. |
Isabelle | iz-a-bel | Isabelle is a French name that means ‘promised to God’, or ‘loyal to God’. |
French names starting with J
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Jacqueline | ja-ki-lin | The French girl’s name Jacqueline means ‘one who succeeds or supersedes’. |
Joséphine | jo-ze-fin | Joséphine has an English equivalent with the same spelling (without the accent mark). This French female name has religious connotations and means ‘God will multiply’. |
Juliette | ju-lee-et | Juliette is a name for French girls meaning ‘young’, or ‘full of youth’. It’s the diminutive of the French name Julie. |
Janelle | ja-nel | This name has religious connotations. It is a French girl’s name that means ‘gift of God’. It can mean ‘God is amiable’ or ‘God is kind’ as well. |
Jeanne | jan | Jeanne has several English equivalents such as ‘Jean’ and ‘Jane’. It has a similar meaning to Janelle and means ‘God is gracious’. |
Jolene | jo-leen | This French girl’s name is often used in its shorter form Jolie. In French, this means ‘beautiful’. |
French names starting with L
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Lourdes | loord | Lourdes as a name was taken from the French town, also named Lourdes. It was a popular name from the 50s until the year 2000. |
Laetitia | lae-tis-ya | Could this be the name for your beautiful baby girl? Laetitia is a French girl’s name that means ‘happiness’ or ‘joy’. |
Léonie | lE-on-ee | This bold French name, Léonie has its origins in the word lionne. It means ‘lion’ and has connotations of bravery, or courage. |
Louise | lweez | Louise is a French girl’s name — the female equivalent of the name Louis. It means ‘warrior’ and connotes bravery. |
Laure | loor | The English equivalent of this French girl’s name is Laura. Laure was derived from the Latin word ‘laurel’, which — in Greek mythology — was considered holy by Apollo. |
Liliane | li-lyun | The French name Liliane originates from a flower. The flower it is derived from is the iris flower (the king’s flower), which is considered a royal flower, though some claim the royal flower is a lily. |
Lune | luun | Lune is a name that translates to ‘moon’ in English from the French la lune. It was taken from the Roman goddess of the moon, who was also named Luna. |
Lilou | li-lu | The name Lilou was taken from the flower — the lily. It also is a shortened version of the name Liliane. |
Lorraine | loh-rAIn | The French girl’s name Lorraine was derived from the former French region in the north east of the country, which is now a part of the Grand Est location. |
French names starting with M
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Marianne | mahri-an | This French name brings together two individual French names — Marie (a variation of the Latin name ‘Mary’) and Anne which means ‘grace’. It was popular in the 18th century and has religious connotations. |
Merveille | mehr-vey | This French name has its origins in the Old French language dating back to before the 9th century. It means ‘miracles’ in French, but also comes from the Latin word ‘mirabilia’. It connotes something ‘miraculous’, or ‘full of wonder’. |
Mélanie | me-la-ni | In 2004 this was one of the most popular French names for girls. Its etymology lies in the Greek word ‘melaina’ which means ‘dark’, or ‘black’. |
Michelle | mi-shell | The female equivalent to the French name Michel, Michelle means ‘who follows God’, or ‘who is a gift from God’. It is a popular name due to its religious connotations. |
Madeleine | mae-duh-lihn | Madeleine is a French female name that is a version of the word ‘Magdalene’. It means ‘from Magdala’, and is drawn from the Biblical character Mary Magdalene. This name was made popular by Ludwig Bemelmans’ children’s books — the renowned Madeline series, which was made into a television series too. |
Monique | mo-neek | The name Monique is a French name that means ‘wise’. It is now a very popular name in English countries. |
French names starting with N
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Nathalie | na-ta-li | This girl’s name has its origins in the French word natalé, which means ‘born’. It also comes from the Latin word ‘natalia’ and means ‘born on Christmas’. |
Nicolette | ni-ko-let | This diminutive of Nicole is a French girl’s name that means ‘the people’s victory’. |
Ninon | nI-non | The etymology of the French name Ninon is from Hebrew. This name means ‘grace’, or ‘gracious’. |
Noémie | no-E-mi | There is a variation of this French girl’s name that comes from Hebrew — that variation is Naomi. The name Noémie means ‘pleasant’, ‘she who pleases’ or ‘affable’. |
Naëlle | na’-elle | Naëlle has a religious meaning. The name means ‘God has provided’ and connotes blessings. A variation of this name includes Anaëlle, which means ‘gracious’, or ‘grace’. |
Ninette | ni-net | Ninette is another name with religious meaning. This French name means ‘favoured by God’. |
French names starting with O
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Odile | oh-deel | Odile is a French girl’s name meaning ‘prosperous’. It also means ‘fortunate one’ or ‘she who is wealthy’. |
Océane | oh-see-en | This French name means ‘of the ocean’, and translates to English from French as ‘ocean’. |
Odette | oh-det | Odette has two meanings. It is the diminutive form of the name Oda. It also means ‘wealthy’ or ‘prosperous’, which is similar to the French name Odile. |
French names starting with P
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Pauline | paw-leen | There are a few other variations of the French name Pauline, incliding Paulette and Paula. The name means ‘modest’, or ‘humble’. The English equivalent of Pauline is ‘Paulina’, and the name is a female equivalent to the name Paul. |
Philomène | fil-oh-men | Philomène is a French female name that has two meanings. It can mean ‘beloved’ or ‘friend’ — which comes from the Greek word ‘filos’. It can also mean ‘strong’, ‘she who has strength’ or ‘force’. |
Perle | pehrl | This French girl’s name translates from French to English as ‘pearl’. |
French names starting with R
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Rochelle | rho-shell | Containing the French noun roche, which means ‘rock’ in English, Rochelle means ‘solid’, ‘strong’ or ‘like a rock’. |
Raphaëlle | raf-a-el | Raphaëlle has a religious definition. It means ‘God heals’ or ‘God will rectify’. It is the female version of the name Raphael and the English version of this French name is Raphaela. |
Roxane | rhok-san | This French girl’s name means ‘dawn’. It is derived from the name Roxana, a frequently used ancient Greek name. |
Régine | rhe-zheen | This regal French name means ‘queen’. The English and Latin versions of this name is Regina — and the latter language (latin) is the origin of its definition. |
Rosalee | rho-sa-lee | The French girl’s name Rosalee means ‘beautiful rose’ or ‘rose garden’. It connotes beauty and is a popular French name derived from the Latin for ‘rose’ — which is ‘rosa’. |
French names starting with S
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Sophie | so-fi | This popular French girl’s name means ‘wise’, ‘wisdom’ or ‘skilled. There are a few main variations of this name, including SofÃa and Sophia. The former is a popular Spanish name, the latter is popular in English-speaking countries. |
Solange | sol-ange | The French name Solange was given to a French saint in the 9th century. It has a religious connotation and means ‘pious’, ‘spiritual’, or ‘religious’. |
Simone | si-MOn | Simone is a French name that means ‘hark’ or ‘God has listened’. |
French names starting with V
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Violette | vj-oh-let | Violette has its origins in Old French and Greek. Its meaning isn’t complex — as it means ‘purple flower’. Some variations of the name Violet, which is popular in France, include the English name Violet. |
Vivienne | viv-yehn | The name Vivienne, which is derived from the French verb vivre, means ‘alive’ or ‘vivacious’ |
Véronique | vehr-o-nic | Véronique is a French female name meaning ‘victorious one’, or ‘she who is victorious’. |
French names starting with Z
French Name | Pronunciation | Meaning And Etymology |
---|---|---|
Zoë | zo-eh | Zoë has its origins in the Greek language. It means ‘spirited’ or ‘energetic’. |
That’s the end of my list!
Which female French name will you choose?
I know that naming a new-born is a challenging task. But I also realize that the name you choose will be special, because there are so many unique, beautiful French names for girls to choose from.
Don’t forget, there are even many unique and uncommon variations of these popular French girl’s names.
I hope these names have given you some inspiring ideas.
You might also like to check out this list of Arabic girl names as well.
If I’ve missed a unique, cute or popular French girl’s name, let me know.
Add it in the comments below!
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Jeannette Theresa Dumas
For a Female French name you forgot JEANNETTE (with 2 N’s). And you did not include THERESE (the French version of Theresa)