Adrien is the French equivalent of the English Adrian, but this spelling is sometimes used by English-speaking parents.
Albert was a fairly common name in England in the Middle Ages, but later fell out of favor and was not revived until the nineteenth century. Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the husband of Queen Victoria; Prince Albert was the main reason this name ca
French form of the Greek name Alexandros.
André is the French and Portuguese form of Andrew.
André was the 2nd most popular boy's name in France in the 1910s, 20s and early 30s, and has since declined in popularity. André is currently particularly popular in Norway as a middle name
French form of Anthony, particularly popular in France in the early 1990s, following the popularity of Anthony. It was also popular from the 16th to 18th century, and declined in popularity during the 19th century.
Notable bearers include F
Arman is most commonly found in English speaking countries as a surname, but it also occurs as a given name. It is from the family of hereditary surnames and signifies a familiar relationship.
Arman also occurs quite frequently in those wit
From the Latin "blaesus" (to stutter; to stammer).
Brice probably comes from the Gaulish adjective "brictio", meaning "spotted, dappled", and which gave "brizh" in modern Breton.
The name might have been originally attributed to boys who were born with freckles.
[breess] is
Originally a French surname; based on the Picard dialect form of the word 'chauve' meaning 'bald'.
John Calvin was a church reformer of the 16th century, after whom the Christian group Calvinism is named. Calvinists believe in predestinati
From the Germanic word karl meaning "free man", akin to Old English ceorl "man".
Charles is the French form of the name. There have been ten French kings named Charles, including Charlemagne (Charles the Great). Under Charlemagne's rule the Frankis
French form of Damian.
In the Old Testament, Daniel was a Hebrew prophet and the Book of Daniel contains prophecies concerning the future. Daniel was among the Jews who were taken captive in Babylon. He rose to a high position in the Babylonian government by interpreting the ki
Darnell is a name that has become a given name but originated as an Old English habituation surname given to or taken by those who lived in a hidden copse or a hard to find area. Another line of etymology points to an Old French origination brought to En
A French surname derived from David whose English use is probably influenced by Devin.
St Denis was the martyr bishop of Paris in the 3rd century. He is usually depicted as headless, as he was beheaded.
See Edmund for more background information.
In the 20th century, this French form has tended to overtake the English Edmund.
A noted literary character by the name Edmond was the Count of Monte Cristo in the novel of the same name w
Derived from the Old Norse Eirìkr (eternal ruler), a compound name composed of the elements ei (ever, always) and ríkr (ruler). The origin of the name is debated. Most believe in the Norse etymology, but there are some who think it comes to the Old Norse
A borrowing from the French Eugène.
From the Latin Eugenius and the Greek Eugenios, which are derived from the Greek "eugenes" (well-born, noble). Eugene was a name borne by four popes and several saints.
Eugène de Beauharna
There have been several St Felixs. St Felix and his sister, St Regula, are the patron saints of Zurich. St Felix of Burgundy is known as the bishop who introduced Christianity into East Anglia, in England. There have been four Popes named Felix.
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Famous Herberts include: 31st US President Herbert Clark Hoover and 41st US President George Herbert Walker Bush. Herbert is also found frequently as a surname.
Cartoons Family Guy and South Park both have characters with this name: the eld
Victor Hugo was a French novelist and poet, famous for 'Les Misérables' and 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'.
The current President of Venezuela is Hugo Chávez and Hugo Banzer is a former Bolivian president.
Hugo Grotius, who
The French variant of the name is spelled Jérémie.
The French form of the name is spelled Jérôme.
St. Jerome is the patron saint of librarians, he translated the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into Latin.
Jerome K Jerome was an English novelist.
There are several Josephs in the Bible, including the husband of Mary in the New Testament and Joseph, son of Jacob - nowadays known for his many coloured coat. Joseph of Arimathea donated his own tomb for the burial of Jesus.
Joseph was th
Josue [HO-su-eh; HO-sway] is the Spanish form of Joshua.
Josué [ZHO-zu-ay] is the French and Portuguese form of the name.
English, German and Polish form of Leo. It is spelled as Léon in French.
León is a province in Spain, it's capital is also called León. León is also the name of a car made by SEAT.
Russian Bolshevik revolutionary, Leon Trotsk
French first name, pet form of Léon. It is also an English surname from which the English usage of the name is probably derived. The French pronounciation is lee-YO-nel.
Louis is a traditional and still very popular French name related to Clovis and Ludovic.
The Germanic Chlodowig, derived from 'hold' ("glory, fame") and 'wig' ("warrior), was simplified to Clovis. The Latin form of Clovis became Clodovico, which ga
From Latin Marcus; French form of Mark.
This form is also now quite popular in the English-speaking world.
French cognate of Marcellus, most famous in the years 1930-1940.
Variant of Matthias.
Variant of Matthieu, French cognate of Matthew.
New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew Mattathia.
The name of an early saint, and used by Christians of the Roman empire.
More modern examples of the name Maurice include musician and member of the 'BeeGees' Maurice Gibb, impressionist composer Maurice Ravel and Nobel Prize winning author
Extended form of Micha, meaning "Who is like God?".
Michael is the name of several characters in the Old Testament. It is most famously that of one of the archangels, the one closest to God, who has the responsability of carrying out God's
A French cognate of Michael.
This French and Spanish spelling of Nicolas is borne by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and actor Nicolas Cage.
Nicolas is also the name of a chain of French wine retailers.
It was the 8th most popular name in Chile in 2006.
St Paul was an early Christian missionary. Originally a persecutor of Christians named Saul, who witnessed the stoning of Stephen, he was converted whilst on the road to Damascus, prompting a name change. Paul travelled throughout the Mediterranean teachi
Quentin Blake is a British illustrator and author. He is most famous for illustrating Roald Dahl's books. The name is also borne by film director Quentin Tarantino.
Raphael is traditionally one of the seven archangels. He is mentioned by name in the apocryphal book of Tobit.
Raphael is also the name used when referring to Renaissance Italian painter Raphael Santi or Sanzio. One of the Teenage Mutant N
Raymond was the name of seven Counts of Toulouse, up until the 13th century.
Raymond Poincaré was a French politician, who was President of France during the First World War. Raymond Chandler was an author.
'Everybody loves
Richard has always been a very popular name throughout the English-speaking world. It was first imported to England by the Normans, though it is derived from the Germanic elements "ric" (power) and "hard" (strong, hardy). The original form was probably
There have been various saints named Robert. St Robert of Molesme was one of the founders of the Cistercian monastic order. St Robert Bellarmine was a Catholic Cardinal, and is one of the Doctors of the Church.
There were three kings of Sc
From an Old French personal name of Germanic origin, from hrod (fame) and land (land, territory).
This was adopted by the Normans and introduced by them to Britain.
In Old French literature, it is borne by a legendary Frankish hero,
In the Old Testament, Samuel was the son of Hannah, a prophet and a judge who anointed Saul as the first king of Israel. Samuel was the 25th most popular boy's name in the US in 2006 and the 8th most popular in the UK.
Simon appears several times in the New Testament of the Bible. Simon was the original name of St Peter, one of the twelve apostles and first Bishop of Rome or Pope. Simon the Zealot is named as one of the apostles in the gospel of Luke. It was at Simon t
Theodore was a pre-Christian name borne by many learned men in ancient Greece, including the ironically-named Theodorus the Atheist. There have been various saints named Theodore, and two popes.
Theodore Roosevelt was President of the Uni
Thomas has been very popular in the UK for several years, staying at second place in 2007. In the US it ranked 51st. St Thomas was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is often known as 'doubting Thomas' as he requires proof of the resurrection of Jes
A Norman French name ultimately derived from the verb 'traverser' (to cross).
There have been three Popes named Victor. It was also a name used by the House of Savoy, which later became the family that ruled Italy following its unification in 1860 - Victor Emmanuel II was the first king of Italy.
Other famous Victor
St Vincent of Saragossa is the patron saint of Lisbon.
St Vincent and the Grenadines is an island chain in the Lesser Antilles, with St Vincent being the largest island.
Famous bearers include artist Vincent van Gogh and ac
Xavier comes from the Basque place name "Etcheberria," which means "the new house." Though traditionally a Roman Catholic name, Xavier has grown to be one of the top 100 boys names in the U.S.
St Francis Xavier was the founder of the Jesu
In French spelt with a grave accent: 'Adèle'.
Adele was the name of Jane's flighty but charming charge in Charlotte Brontë's novel "Jane Eyre."
'Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I' by Gustav Klimt is one of the most expensive
Famous bearers include former Governor-General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson and American feminist Adrienne Rich. Adrienne Shelly was an American actress and film director.
Alice was an extremely common name in medieval England, though it frequently appeared in the alternate form Alys. It is found several times in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," most famously as the name of the Wife of Bath. The name fell into disuse for man
A Norman French diminutive of Alice.
The name was particularly popular in Scotland from the 16th century, and was revived in England in the 20th century. In the USA, Alison experienced it's highest popularity in the mid 1980s when it broke
Variant of Alison, a Norman French diminutive of Alice.
Since 1963 in the US, Allison has been more popular than Alison.
The name is borne by news anchor Allison Stewart, Canadian singer Allison Crowe, and actresses Allison M
Anne gained popularity through the belief that St Anne was the mother of the Virgin Mary. There is no Biblical basis for this, though Anna is one of the people who meets the infant Jesus at the Temple of Jerusalem.
Anne is the name of vari
Pet form of Anne.
Notable bearers include actress Annette Bening, Annette Lu who is the Vice-President of the Republic of China - the area that is more commonly known as Taiwan, and Annette Kellerman, who is credited with the invention of s
St Etheldreda is also known as St Audrey. She was an East Anglian princess who formed the monastery of Ely, and became its first Abbess. The word 'tawdry' comes from St Audrey. Admirers of St Audrey brought lacework to the annual fair in Ely, this later b
The French word for "April." Popularized recently by singer Avril Lavigne.
Italian and French form of Beatrix, which is probably a form of the early Christian name Viatrix, altered to incorporate the Latin 'beatus' (blessed).
Beatrice is a character of Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing". It was also the n
Berenice is the name of several Ptolemaic and Seleucid queens in Cyrenaica and Egypt and of two Judean princesses.
"Bérénice" is a tragedy by the French 17th-century dramatist Jean Racine.
The subject was taken from the Roman histori
Feminine form of Bernard.
Bernadette was a popular name in the 1950s that is now out of fashion in France.
This name may also mean "exalted one"
Pre-Christian Irish mythology refers to Bríghid as the goddess of poetry and wisdom. She was the daughter of the god Dagda.
French cognate of Carolina. It was borne by Caroline Brunswick, queen consort to King George IV, Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach, queen consort to King George II and by Lady Caroline Lamb, mistress of the poet Lord Byron. "Sweet Caroline" is the name of
From the Latin 'caelestis' which means 'heavenly', 'divine'. It is spelt Céleste in French.
For a long time, Celeste has been more bestowed on boys than on girls, probably taken as a variant of Célestin. The trend was reversed first in Eng
At first a French family name. It came into use as a first name at the beginning of the 20th century.
A spelling variant on Chantal.
Charlotte is a feminine form of the name Charles; though often interpreted as "woman" or "feminine," Charlotte might equally be interpreted as "masculine." Many texts reconcile these differences by defining Charlotte as "strong woman." Whilst moderately
From the French term of endearment 'chérie', as in 'ma chérie' (my dear, my beloved).
Respelling of Cerise.
Cherise is not used as a firstname among French speaking people.
"Claire" is the French feminine adjective for "clear."
Claire is the name of a computer programming language; "Claire's" is a well-known accessories store in the U.S and UK. Famous bearers include actress Claire Danes and US senator Claire
Clara is a town in Offaly, in the middle of Ireland. Famous Claras include American nurse Clara Barton (born Clarissa Barton) who organized the American Red Cross, and German pianist Clara Schumann, wife of the Romantic composer Robert Schumann.
Corinne Bailey Rae is an English singer-songwriter. Corinne Robinson was the younger sister American president Theodore Roosevelt, and aunt of Eleanor Roosevelt. The name was particularly popular in France in the 1960s.
The feminine form of Daniel, Danielle rose to popularity in the US in the 1980s, when it was in the top 20. Author Danielle Steel is a famous bearer.
Famous Denises include actresses Denise Richards and Denise van Outen. Denise Levertov was a poet, whose work was, in particular, critical of the Vietnam War. Denise Lewis is a British Olympic gold-winning heptathlete.
Usual form of Elizabeth in European languages. It occurs commonly in English-speaking countries.
French diminutive of Elisabeth or feminine form of Elisée. Introduced to English-speaking countries in the later half of the 19th century.
The Lotus Elise is a sports car. Für Elise is a solo piano piece by Ludwig van Beethoven, it is not o
Emilie is from the Latin family name Aemilius. English-speaking parents also used the spelling Emilie as an alternative to the more popular Emily.
Common to England, Estelle is the French cognate of the Spanish Estella, which is derived from the Latin stella (star).
The name Evangeline was invented by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for his Acadian epic poem, "Evangeline." Though it is derived from Greek elements [euangelion], its use is primarily in the English and French speaking worlds, particularly among the Acadian
Fanny is a diminutive form of Frances, and so the English equivalent of the French Françoise. Due to its slang meanings in the USA and UK (meaning "rear end" or "bum") it is rarely found on anyone under the age of about 80.
Gabrielle Union is an actress, and Gabrielle Giffords is a member of the American House of Representatives for Arizona.
Gabrielle is particularly popular in Quebec, where it was the 6th most popular name in 2006.
St Geneviève is the patron saint of Paris. She lived in the 5th century and was renowned for her piety. She persuaded the people of Paris not to flee when attack by the Hun army seemed imminent (she was proved correct when instead the army instead attacke
'Giselle' is a ballet about an innocent maiden (Giselle) who falls in love with a nobleman disguised as a peasant (Albrecht), who is secretly engaged to another woman. When Giselle discovers this she goes mad and dies. She later saves Albrecht from wilis
Isabelle is the French version of Isabel, and incorporates the word 'belle' - French for beautiful. Isabelle Adjani is a French actress.
Jacqueline is the feminine form of Jacques, the French form of James.
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier was the wife of assassinated American President John F Kennedy. She was noted for her style and grace. Following the death of Kennedy she married
Common English variant of Jacqueline.
Diminutive form of Jeanne.
Jeannine is a diminutive form of Jeanne.
Josephine is an English and French feminine form of the name Joseph.
Joséphine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, is an early bearer of this name. She was born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de la Pagerie, and her first husb
Famous Julies include actresses Julie Andrews, Julie Delpy and Julie Walters.
Julie was the 3rd most popular name in Norway in 2006, as well as being the 4th most popular in Belgium and 10th in Denmark.
Juliette is a French diminuitive of the name Julie. Famous Juliettes include actress Juliette Binoche and actress and musician Juliette Lewis.
It was the 14th most popular girls name in Quebec in 2006.
French feminine form of Justin, from the Latin 'Justinus'.
This spelling variation is rarely used as simpler forms have taken its place.
This name may come from the name, Lee or in more modern terms it could also be a nickname for Azalea.
Léa is also the French form of Leah, it is pronounced LAY ah. It is currently a popular name in France, and in Quebec.
In E
The French pronounciation of the name is [lee ZET].
It is a French petform of Elizabeth.
Alongside with Lison, Lisette was common from the beginning of the 18th century on.
It is a name that appears often in comedies. Lison is the jo
This surname became a popular first name in Scotland in the 19th century.
Louise is a popular feminine form of the name Louis; it is used in all English-speaking and French-speaking countries, and is commonly found across Europe. Louise is a common name in European royal families. Saint Louise de Marillac was born in France i
Lucille Ball was an American comedian and actress, famous for her show 'I love Lucy'.
French cognate of Magdalene, also in common use in English-speaking countries.
A madeleine is a famous sort of French butter cookie or cake. Several French communes and geographical features are named Madeleine after Mary Magdalene.
English form of French Madeleine, itself from Magdalene.
The 'Madeline' books were written by Ludwig Bemelmans, and follow the adventures of a young girl living in Paris.
Madeline Kahn was an American actress.
Modern variant of Margot.
Contraction of the name Marie-Anne, composed of the names Marie (of uncertain origin, perhaps meaning "bitter") and Anne ("grace").
Marianne is the name used for the symbolic figure representing the French Republic.
French cognate of Maria; French form of Mary.
Also the earlier form of the name in England until the Authorized version of the Bible established Mary as the English spelling.
Marie was the name of various queens of France, in
Pet form of Marie.
The French form of the Latin Melania, derived from the Greek 'melas', meaning "black, dark".
The French spelling is Mélanie.
The name was introduced to England in the Middles Ages, but became popular in the late 20th century. This ca
French feminine form of Michel; variant of Michèle.
The name is now also used extensively in the English-speaking world.
It was popular in the 1970s and 1980s, possibly influenced by the famous Beatles song "Michelle".
Natalie is the English form of Natalia, which is derived from the Italian "natale," meaning "birthday." The term refers specifically to Christ's birthday - the Italian phrase for "merry Christmas" is "buon natale!", literally "good birthday!"
Nicole is a feminine form of Nicholas. Bearers include actress Nicole Kidman, socialite Nicole Richie and singer Nicole Appleton.
Feminine form of Noël.
The French name Pauline has a double etymology. It is a diminutive form of Paule, the feminine form of Paul, but it may also be derived from the Roman family name Paulinus.
In literature Pauline appears in Noel Streatfeild's classic childre
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Rachel was a wife of Jacob and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin.
Famous bearers include actresses Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, and artist Rachel Whiteread. Rachel Green was a character on the TV sitco
From the Latin and Italian Rosalia, an elaborated form of Rosa.
Rosalia is also an Ancient festival during which garlands of roses were laid to honor the memory of fallen soldiers.
Female variant of Simon. The name was extremely popular in the 1920s to 1950s in France and is now extremely rare, considered out-dated.
Simone de Beauvoir was a French author and philosopher who wrote one of the founding feminist tracts. N
Soleil is not used as a first name in France. Marie-Soleil occurs in Québec.
Soleil Moon Frye is an American actress most notable for playing the title role in the 1980's television show "Punky Brewster".
Sophie is a traditional French name, derived from the Greek meaning "wisdom".
"Les Malheurs de Sophie" ("Sophie's Misfortunes") is a famous children's novel in France, written by Madame La Comtesse de Ségur and published in 1859.
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Suzanne is the French form of Susanna.
Variant of Teresa. Alternative spelling: Thérèse. The name is used in French and German speaking countries mostly.
Yvonne is a feminine form of the French Yves, created either directly from Yves or from the Old French Yvon (which comes from Ivo, a form of Yves used in Germany). Yves originated as a shortened form of any Germanic name containing 'iv' ('yew').
This traditionally male name is now also used for girls in the English-speaking world. In modern Greece it remains a male name, which might more literally be transliterated as 'Alexes': in the Greek alphabet it is written 'alpha-lambda-epsilon-xi-eta-sigm
Augustine is the masculine English form of Augustinus, as well as the French feminine form of Augustin.
Augustine was a famous theologian and Doctor of the Church from Carthage, North Africa.
Cain has four separate origins. From the Hebrew, it means 'a spear'. In Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition, Cain was the world's first murderer. In Welsh Cain is a feminine name meaning 'beautiful' or 'fair' (this usage is completely unrelated to the
Camille is a unisex name in French-speaking contexts, but is generally feminine in the English-speaking world.
Camillus and camilla were two Latin nouns designating children helping at religious services, much like altar boys. These young b
A Christian is someone who follows the religion of Christianity, based upon the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Christian is the main character of John Bunyan's 'The Pilgrim's Progress', which is a Christian allegory.
Famous peopl
In France Claude is used for both sexes.
Famous male bearers of the name include Claude Debussy, 19th-century composer, and Claude François, French singer of the 1960s and 1970s.
Famous female bearers of the name include Queen Claud
A unisex French form of Dominic. It became popular in English speaking countries following the release of a song of the same name in 1963 by the Singing Nun, also known as Soeur Sourire or Sister Smile.
French male name, modern French form of John. Or English female name, medieval variant of Jane.
There have been two king Johns or king Jeans of France. The first only ruled for five days - he was born after his Father's death and died soon
In past centuries an exclusively male name, Jocelyn is today given almost exclusively to females.
Jocelyn Bell Purnell is an astrophysicist, who helped discover pulsars. Other famous bearers include socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein and comedi
Laurence is an English masculine name and a French feminine name. Friar Laurence is a character from Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet".
From the surname Massey, which derives from places names for a person called Maccius.
Derived from the Latin name Marinus, derived from Marius; or from the Latin adjective 'marinus' (of the sea), which has its root in 'mare' (the sea). It is also the modern French word for sailor.
Marin is traditionally a male name, though
Originally a medieval French diminutive form of Marie, introduced to Britain in the Middle Ages.
It is now used as an independent name in both countries.
It is sometimes taken as a pet form of Margaret or Margery.
As a
Michele is the Italian form of boys name Michael.
Michèle is the feminine form of French name Michel, also related to Michael. It is also used in the English-speaking world (with or without the accent). It is pronounced 'mee-SHELL'.
A form of both Patricius and Patricia. Used for boys in France but for girls in the English-speaking world.
May have also come from a contraction of the French city of Saint Denis.
English masculine form of the Latin 'Valentinus', meaning "strong, healthy".
It is also the French feminine form of the name (pronounced [val en TEEN]).
Valentine's Day is a conventional holiday to celebrate sweethearts and love and
Vivien is the Old French masculine form of Vivian.
Vivien was a hero of several French Medieval tales, the model of the young Christian warrior, dying for his faith.