Top French Baby Names for 2024

If you’re looking for a French baby name, you’re bang on trend. You might have noticed that French culture is having a bit of a moment right now, with all eyes on Paris for the 2024 Olympics. TV wise, the fourth season of hit series Emily in Paris should be landing on Netflix soon.

Then there’s Hollywood’s Timothée Chalamet, whose parents are French. The dashing Wonka star’s oh-so-French first name has shone a light on the undoubtable appeal of chic French baby names for girls and boys.

So, whether you have bone fide French heritage or just really, really like baguettes and café au lait, it makes sense to want a piece of Parisian chic for your own petit bébé.

With that in mind, we’ve lined up the most beautiful baby names from France in this article. Your baby boy or baby girl is sure to say ‘merci’ in years to come if you bless them with a name with some of that world-renowned style français.

Pregnant? Get week-by-week updates to your inbox Subscribe now

How we chose the top French baby names

As we always do when compiling our Mumsnet baby name articles, we first headed to the latest ONS baby names lists for 2022 (released May 2024) to find out the most popular baby names in England and Wales. We were specifically looking for names with French origin such as Amélie, Élodie and Louis, which are all currently in the ONS top 100 lists for baby girls and boys.

We then scoured our own Mumsnet baby name guides, including our top baby boy names and top baby girl names articles to find more well-loved French baby names.

We cross-referenced our research by referring to official French baby name statistics, in order to discover the most popular baby names for girls and boys in France.

Through our thorough research, we found that some names popular here in the UK are also popular in France right now. These include Ava, Amelia, Eva, Olivia, Arthur, Noah, Gabriel and Lucas. However, as none of these names have their origins in the French language, they haven’t been included in our top French baby names list.

For your reference, before we start, here are the current top 10 baby names for girls and boys in France, from the official French stats for 2022.

Most popular baby girl names in France

Jade
Louise
Ambre
Alba
Emma
Rose
Alice
Romy
Anna
Lina

Most popular baby boy names in France

Gabriel
Léo
Raphaël
Maël
Louis
Noah
Jules
Arthur
Adam
Lucas

Naturellement, no Mumsnet baby name guide would be complete without input from our very own baby name experts, the Mumsnet users. So, in our lists, we’ve also included French names mentioned by parents on our Baby Names forum.

To avoid any confusion, here’s how we’ve organised our top French baby names lists:

In our popular French boy and girl name lists, you’ll find the most well-loved French baby names for boys and girls. All the names in these lists appear in the ONS top 100 lists or the French equivalent lists (or both) or are hugely popular with parents on our Mumsnet Talk Boards.
In our unique French baby names for boys and girls lists, you’ll find more unusual names of French origin, which aren’t ranked highly in the official Top 100 lists in the UK or France.
We’ve also compiled a list of popular unisex French baby names.

So, are you ready to read about the best French baby names for 2024? C'est très formidable… allons-y!

Popular French girl names

1. Adèle

Origin: French, German
Meaning: Noble or nobility

2. Agathe

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Good woman

3. Aïcha

Origin: French, African, Arabic, English, Swahili
Meaning: She who lives

4. Albane

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: White

5. Alicia

Origin: Spanish, Old French
Meaning: Noble

6. Alix

Origin: French, English
Meaning: Noble

7. Ambre

Origin: French, Arabic
Meaning: Amber

8. Amélia

Origin: French
Meaning: Hard-working

9. Amélie

Origin: French
Meaning: Hard-working

10. Anaïs

Origin: French
Meaning: Grace

11. Appoline

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Strength

12. Capucine

Origin: French
Meaning: Nasturtium

13. Céleste

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Sky or heaven

14. Célia

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Heavenly

15. Charlie

Origin: French (derived from Charlotte)
Meaning: Free woman

16. Charlotte

Origin: French
Meaning: Free woman

17. Chloé

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Green shoot or new growth

18. Clémence

French, Latin
Meaning: Mild or mercy

19. Darcie (or Darcey)

Origin: French
Meaning: Dark or dark-haired

20. Diane

Origin: Latin, French (derived from Diana)
Meaning: Divine

21. Élise

Origin: French
Meaning: Consecrated to God

22. Élodie

Origin: French
Meaning: Foreign riches

23. Emy

Origin: French, German
Meaning: Whole or universal

24. Esmée

Origin: French
Meaning: Beloved

25. Gabriella

Origin: French, Hebrew
God is my strength

26. Héloïse

Origin: French, German
Meaning: Famous warrior

27. Inès

Origin: French, Portuguese
Meaning: Pure, virginal

28. Janine

Origin: French
Meaning: God is gracious

29. Jeanne

Origin: French
Meaning: God is gracious

30. Joséphine

Origin: French, Hebrew
Meaning: God will increase

31. Juliette

Origin: French, Latin (derived from Julia)
Meaning: Youthful

32. Léa (or Lya)

Origin: French, Hebrew (derived from Leah)
Meaning: Delicate or weary

33. Léna

Origin: French, Persian
Meaning: Torch, bright, ray of light

34. Léonie

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Lion

35. Lilou

Origin: French
Meaning: Lily

36. Lise

Origin: French, English, German, Dutch (derived from Elisabeth)
Meaning: God is my oath

37. Lottie

Origin: French
Meaning: Free woman

38. Louise

Origin: French
Meaning: Famous warrior

39. Louna

Origin: French, Italian
Meaning: Moon

40. Lucie

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Light

41. Lya

Origin: French, Hebrew
Meaning: Delicate or weary

42. Lyana

Origin: French, Latin, Hebrew
Meaning: God has answered

43. Maddy

Origin: French (diminutive of Madeleine)
Meaning: Woman of Magdala

44. Maëlys

Origin: French
Meaning: Chief or prince

45. Manon

Origin: French
Meaning: Bitter or beloved

46. Margot (or Margaux)

Origin: French
Meaning: Pearl

47. Mathilde

Origin: French, German
Meaning: Battle

48. Mya

Origin: Greek, Hebrew, Burmese
Meaning: Great one, or mother, beloved or, emerald

49. Romane

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Citizen of Rome

50. Romy (originally a diminutive of Rosemary or the French name Romée)

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Dew of the sea

51. Roxane

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Bright star

52. Salomé

Origin: Hebrew, French
Meaning: Peace

53. Suzanne

Origin: French
Meaning: Lily

54. Théa

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Goddess

55. Valentine

Origin: French
Meaning: Strength or health

56. Victoire

Origin: French
Meaning: Victory

57. Yasmine

Origin: Old French, Persian
Meaning: Jasmine flower

58. Zélie

Origin: French
Meaning: Noble

59. Zoé

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Life

What Mumsnetters say about popular French baby girl names

“Appoline? Lovely, there is a little one at my son’s Primary School and I often think it has a lovely sound to it.” - Mumsnet user, scrivette

“Valentine… my daughter has this for her middle name.” - Mumsnet user, keironsmum

Popular French boy names

60. Antoine

Origin: French
Meaning: Priceless one

61. August

Origin: French
Meaning: Great

62. Augustin

Origin: French
Meaning: Great

63. Charles

Origin: French
Meaning: Free man

64. Clément

Origin: Latin, French (variation of Clement)
Meaning: Mild or merciful

65. Côme

Origin: Greek, French (variation of Cosmo)
Meaning: Order, decency

66. Évan

Origin: Welsh, Hebrew, French (variation of Evan)
Meaning: God is gracious

67. Gabin

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Of Gabium

68. Gaspard

Origin: French, Persian
Meaning: Treasurer

69. Jules

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Youthful, soft, downy

70. Kaïs

Origin: French, Quranic
Meaning: Proud or distinguished

71. Léandre

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Lion man

72. Léo

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Lion

73. Léon

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Lion

74. Louis (or Louie)

Origin: French
Meaning: Famous warrior

75. Lucien

Origin: French
Meaning: Light

76. Maël

Origin: French, Breton
Meaning: Prince or chieftain

77. Malo

Origin: French, Breton
Meaning: Shining hostage

78. Marceau

Origin: French
Meaning: Little warrior

79. Marius

Origin: Latin, French, Dutch, English
Meaning: Mars, male, sea

80. Mathéo

Origin: French, Hebrew
Meaning: Gift of god

81. Mathis

Origin: French, German
Meaning: Gift of God

82. Maxence

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Greatest

83. Mahé

Origin: French, Breton
Meaning: Gift of God

84. Milo

Origin: France, Latin
Meaning: Merciful or peaceful

85. Naël

Origin: French, Breton
Meaning: Gift of God

86. Noé

Origin: French (variation of Noah)
Meaning: Rest, comfort

87. Paul

Origin: French, English, Latin
Meaning: Small, humble, least or little

88. Raphaël

Origin: French, Hebrew
Meaning: God has healed

89. Sohan

Origin: French (variation of Jean or Jehan), Indian, Arabic
Meaning: God is gracious

90. Théo

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Gift from God

91. Timéo

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Honouring God

92. Timothée

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Honouring God

93. Valentin

Origin: French, German, Scandinavian
Meaning: Strength, health

94. Victor

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Conqueror

What Mumsnet users think of popular French boy names

“LOVE Lucien! I would shorten it to Luc. It's lovely. Strong but gentle, classy and ancient.” - Mumsnet user, Mummysharkdoodoodoodoodoodoo

“Absolutely love Milo.” - Mumsnet user, Reallycantbesarsed

Unique French girl names

95. Adeline

Origin: French (derived from Adele)
Meaning: Noble, nobility

96. Anouk

Origin: Dutch, French
Meaning: Grace

97. Aveline

Origin: French
Meaning: Hazel

98. Avril

Origin: French
Meaning: April

99. Belle

Origin: French
Meaning: Beautiful

100. Brigitte

Origin: French
Meaning: Strength or exalted one

101. Caroline

Origin: French
Meaning: Free woman

102. Cécile

Origin: French
Meaning: Blind

103. Chantelle

Origin: French
Meaning: Song

104. Céline

Origin: French
Meaning: Heavenly

105. Claire (or Clair)

Origin: French
Meaning: Clear, bright

106. Clémentine

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Mild, merciful

107. Coco

Origin: French
Meaning: Victorious

108. Colette

Origin: French (derived from Nicole)
Meaning: People of victory

109. Coraline

Origin: French
Meaning: Maiden

110. Delphine

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Of the womb

111. Demi

Origin: French
Meaning: Half or small

112. Édith

Origin: Old English, French (variation of Edith)
Meaning: Prosperous in war

113. Éloïse

Origin: French (variation of Héloïse)
Meaning: Famous warrior

114. Fleur

Origin: French
Meaning: Flower

115. Geneviève

Origin: French
Meaning: Tribe woman

116. Hermine

Origin: French
Meaning: Army man/woman

117. Kiki

Origin: French
Meaning: Double happiness

118. Léontine

Origin: French
Meaning: Lion

119. Lourdes

Origin: French
Meaning: Little French town

120. Lucienne

Origin: French
Meaning: Light

121. Lucille

Origin: French
Meaning: Light

122. Maëlle

Origin: French, Breton (Celtic)
Meaning: Chief or prince

123. Marianne

Origin: French
Meaning: Drop of the sea, bitter, beloved and grace

124. Maribel

Origin: Latin/French
Meaning: Of the sea, beautiful

125. Marion

Origin: French
Meaning: Star of the sea or wished-for child

126. Merle

Origin: French
Meaning: Blackbird

127. Milou

Origin: French, Dutch
Meaning: Drop of the sea, star of the sea

128. Nicole

Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Victory of the people

129. Noëlle

Origin: French
Meaning: Christmas

130. Odette

Origin: French
Meaning: Wealth

131. Ottilie

Origin: French
Meaning: Prosperous in battle

132. Petunia

Origin: French
Meaning: Petunia flower

133. Reeva

Origin: French
Meaning: Riverbank

134. Renée

Origin: French origin
Meaning: Born again

135. Rochelle

Origin: French
Meaning: Small rock

136. Soleil

Origin: French
Meaning: Sun

137. Sylvie

Origin: French
Meaning: From the forest

What Mumsnet users say about unique French baby girl names

“Celine? Love it, went to sixth form with a (French) Celine and she was fabulous, so I find it really chic and cool.” - Mumsnet user, Martinisarebetterdirty

“Lucienne is pretty, with a very French feel to me. I think it would get pronounced "Lucy-en" usually in the UK though, if that matters.” - Mumsnet user, IamnotwhouthinkIam

“Marion? Lovely - French and pretty. Makes me think of Marion Cotillard.” - Mumsnet user, freesiasandpeonies

Unique French boy names

138. Bastien

Origin: French
Meaning: Venerable, revered

139. Dashiell

Origin: French
Meaning: Of the sky or from the heavens

140. Lancelot (Lance for short)

Origin: French
Meaning: Servant

141. Leroy

Origin: French
Meaning: The king

142. Marshall

Origin: Old English, French
Meaning: Horse keeper or steward

143. Maxime

Origin: French
Meaning: Greatest

144. Matthieu

Origin: French
Meaning: Gift of God

145. Montague

Origin: French
Meaning: Pointed mountain

146. Montgomery

Origin: Old French
Meaning: Mountain giver or gift of the mountain

147. Raoul

Origin: French
Meaning: Wolf counsel

148. Sébastien

Origin: French
Meaning: From Sébaste

149. Sinclair

Origin: Old French, Scottish
Meaning: Holy light

150. Xavier

Origin: Basque
Meaning: Bright

151. Yves

Origin: Breton
Meaning: Archer

What Mumsnet users think about unique French baby boy names

“Love Monty, especially when short for Montgomery or Montague.” - Mumsnet user, FriedasCarLoad

“I know a couple of Xaviers (it's one of my favourite names).” - Mumsnet user, Poppi89

Gender-neutral French names

152. Beau

Origin: French
Meaning: Beautiful

153. Camille

Origin: French, Latin
Meaning: Helper to the priest

154. Dominique

Origin: French
Meaning: Belonging to the Lord or God's child

155. Forest (or Forrest)

Origin: French
Meaning: Wooded area or woodsman

156. Lou

Origin: French (derived from Louise/ Louie/Louis)
Meaning: Famous warrior

157. Pascale (or Pascal)

Origin: French
Meaning: Referring to Easter or the Passover

158. Remi (or Remy)

Origin: French
Meaning: Rower

159. Sacha

Origin: French
Meaning: Defending warrior

160. Taylor

Origin: French, English
Meaning: Clothing maker

What Mumsnet users think about gender-neutral French baby names

“I know a little girl called Remy it’s such a gorgeous name and gender neutral too.” - Mumsnet user, MamaBear54321

“I love the name Taylor and always have, for a boy or girl.” - Mumsnet user, Khanny

How to choose a French baby name

Check the ONS top 100 lists for French names currently popular in the UK.
Check the latest French stats for the most popular names in France being chosen by French parents in 2024.
Analyse French naming trends and see if you can predict the next ‘big’ name to cross the Channel for UK shores. French names often become popular in the UK after they’ve experienced a spike in popularity in France. The name Élodie is the perfect example of this phenomenon. It was very popular in the late eighties and early nineties, reaching number one from 1998 to 1990. As it steadily declined in popularity in France, it began to pick up in the UK from the late 1990s, reaching the top 100 ONS list in 2019.
Immerse yourself in popular French culture for inspiration. The name Amélie experienced a stratospheric rise in popularity in the UK, following the release of the film Amélie in 2001. It was never actually particularly popular in France and has more or less dropped out of the rankings these days.

Chic French celebs, or stars with French heritage, have long influenced baby name trends. How about actors Brigitte Bardot, Juliette Binoche, Marion Cotillard or man of the moment Timothée Chalamet for inspo? Then there’s legendary designer Coco Chanel and singing star Édith Piaf, most famous for her classic song ‘Je ne regrette rien…’
For highbrow ideas, look to French historical figures such as Charles de Gaulle, who was France’s renowned Prime Minister during WW2, French scientist Louis Pasteur or even Marianne, the national emblem of France.

What is a cool French name?

We think a cool French name is one which is in the top 100 in France (so you know that modern French parents are choosing it) but hasn’t made the ONS top 100 over here, so you’re unlikely to meet lots of other kids with the same name.

With this in mind, Anaïs is a cool French name for girls. Neither overused (ranked at 91 in France) or obscure, it feels fresh, pretty and chic. For boys, Mathéo - the French form of Matthew - fits the brief. At number 56 in the French rankings, it’s current and popular - but not too popular. It also shortens to the adorable Matty.

What is a traditional French name?

Traditional French names which have stood the test of time in France for many years include Louise for girls, which has remained in France’s top 100 for most of the last century, aside from a blip during the 1970s and 1980s (incidentally when it was very popular in the UK).

For boys, the male version, Louis, follows a similar pattern and has been a popular choice for the majority of the last century.

Other traditional French names for girls include Capucine, Delphine and Manon while traditional French names for boys are Antoine, Bastien and Léo.

About the author

Louise Baty writes parenting content for Mumsnet, producing product round-ups, travel guides and baby name articles. She’s also written content for Mumsnet’s sister site, Gransnet.

Originally from West Yorkshire and now based in Nottinghamshire, Louise has worked as a features writer for consumer magazines and national newspapers for 20 years. She specialises in parenting and lifestyle features and emotional true life first-person interviews and has authored four non-fiction books on parenting and grandparenting.

Mum to two tweenagers, Louise’s own baby name choosing days may be long gone. However, she admits to having spent a LONG time deciding on her DCs’ names, together with her DP.

For this reason, Louise has a particular interest in baby names. She understands how difficult it can be to narrow down a short list from your long list of baby names, either during pregnancy or during the sleep-deprived days following the birth of your baby.