NewIdea
  • Royals
  • Celebrity
  • News
  • Beauty & Style
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Travel
  • Home & Away
  • Podcasts
  • Win
  • Video
NewIdea
  • Royals
  • Celebrity
  • News
  • Beauty & Style
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Travel
  • Home & Away
  • Podcasts
  • Win
  • Video
Subscribe
Home and Away opening title
Watch 1:09

Home and Away opening title

{headline}

{headline}

Short Names For Little Boys: 3 Letter Baby Names

Short Names For Little Boys: 3 Letter Baby Names

10 Spanish Boys’ Names With Beautiful And Unique Meanings

10 Spanish Boys’ Names With Beautiful And Unique Meanings

By Any Other Name: 27 Best Funny Names

By Any Other Name: 27 Best Funny Names

21 Of The Most Popular Italian Boy Names

21 Of The Most Popular Italian Boy Names

{headline}

{headline}

Bradley Cooper brings daughter on rare outing

Bradley Cooper brings daughter on rare outing

WATCH: Wippa's hilarious gender reveal burnout

WATCH: Wippa's hilarious gender reveal burnout

Top baby names in Australia for 2019

Top baby names in Australia for 2019

{headline}

{headline}

These GoT superfans gave their baby the most craziest name

These GoT superfans gave their baby the most craziest name

The most popular BABY NAMES of the past decade

The most popular BABY NAMES of the past decade

64 of the Best Old-Fashioned Boy Names

Royal wedding and sneaker inspired baby names to trend in 2019

Bizarre food-themed baby names saw a surge in popularity in 2018

Baby name rule Meghan must follow

AFL star Jobe Watson welcomes baby...with a VERY unusual name

  1. Home
  2. Parenting

Bonjour! 10 Most Popular French Women’s Names

Here are 10 of the most popular French Girls' Names in the world. - by Rhys McKay
  • 25 Feb 2020
Bonjour! 10 Most Popular French Women’s Names

France is famous for its fine food, its beautiful architecture and art, its sophisticated culture, its high fashion, and its rich history. The French language is very old, and is often considered one of the most romantic in the entire world, with a melodious sound. This unique musical quality is typical of French names.

French female names often have long histories, with traditional associations to Catholic saints. They can be both cute and classic at the same time. French women’s names sound sophisticated to even non-French speakers, which is probably why they’re so popular!

RELATED: Cute Girl Names That Everyone Will Love

10 Best French Girl Names 

1. Louise

Pronunciation: loo-EEZ

Origin: Germanic, Hluodowig

Meaning: Famous warrior

Famous Namesakes: Louise Fletcher, actress; Louise Bogan, poet

Overview: The most popular girl’s name in France in 2015, and the most popular French girl’s name starting with L, Louise is the feminine form of Louis, which was the name of many famous French kings, such as Louis XIV, the glorious Sun King, and Louis XVI, the not-so-glorious king who lost his head during the French Revolution.

2. Alice

Pronunciation: a-LISS

Origin: French, Alis

Meaning: Noble

Famous Namesakes: Alice, Lady Todd; Alice Cooper, musician

Overview: The most popular girls’ name in France starting with A, Alice is popular all around the world. The name is a big hit in England, the home of the classic children’s story Alice in Wonderland, and in Sweden, where it is has been among the top 10 girls' names in recent years. Here in Australia, Alice is most famous for well... Alice Springs.

3. Chloe

Pronunciation: KLO-ee

Origin: Greek, Chloe

Meaning: Blooming or fertility

Famous Namesakes: Chloe Sevigny and Chloe Grace Moretz, actresses

Overview: The most popular girls’ name in France starting with C, Chloe was a popular Ancient Greek girls’ name as well. The name is also popular in the UK and Australia. Coincidentally, Chloe is also the name of Australia’s most famous nude painting, hanging on the wall of Chloe’s Bar in the Young and Jackson Hotel in Melbourne since 1909.

Chloe Moretz pictured at a photocall for the opening party of  'Louis Vuitton Maison Seoul'
Getty

4. Adele

Pronunciation: a-DEL

Origin: German, Adelaide

Meaning: Noble

Famous Namesakes: Adele, singer-songwriter

Overview: A very popular French name starting with A, this was the noble name of William the Conqueror’s youngest daughter. Nowadays the singer Adele practically owns this name. Adele is the short form of either Adeline or Adelaide, which we know as the capital of South Australia.

Adele performing on stage at the Wembley Stadium
Getty

5. Francoise

Pronunciation: frahn-SWAZ

Origin: Italian, Francesca

Meaning: Frenchwoman

Famous Namesakes: Francoise Hardy, singer and actress; Francoise Draschler, reality show contestant

Overview: There aren’t many French girls names starting with F, the most common one is simply the French form of the Italian name Francesca, which means ‘frenchwoman’. Francoise Hardy was a fashion icon of the 60s, and Francoise was also the name of Leo DiCaprio’s love interest in the movie The Beach.

6. Bernadette

Pronunciation: ber-na-DEHT

Origin: German: Bernarde, feminine form of Bernard

Meaning: Brave as a bear

Famous Namesakes: St. Bernadette of Lourdes; Bernadette Robinson, actress and singer

Overview: One of the most popular French girls names starting with B, Saint Bernadette was a French peasant girl who had visions of the Virgin Mary in a grotto near the town of Lourdes. Today, Lourdes is a major pilgrimage destination. Nowadays, the most famous personality who bears this 3-syllable name is probably Dr. Bernadette Maryann Rostenkowski, the pretty microbiologist on the comedy The Big Bang Theory.

7. Madeline

Pronunciation: MA-de-lin

Origin: Hebrew, Magdala, a town on the coast of the Sea of Galilee

Meaning: High tower

Famous Namesakes: Madeline L’Engle, writer of the children’s book A Wrinkle In Time; Madeline Zima, actress

General Overview: Among the most popular French names starting with M, Madeline is best known as the protagonist of the series of cute children’s books and cartoons about a mischievous girl living in a Catholic boarding school in Paris. Madeline is a variant of Magdalene, a town by the Sea of Galilee, where the follower of Jesus Christ known as Mary Magdalene may have come from.

Madeline Zima at the LA premiere of 'Chain Of Death'
Getty

8. Aimee

Pronunciation: ay-MAY

Origin: French, amee

Meaning: Beloved

Famous Namesakes: Aimee Mann, singer; Aimee Semple McPherson, evangelist

Overview: This name is derived from the old French name Amee, which in turn comes from the Latin word amatus, which means loved. It’s the French variant of the English name Amy.

Aimee Mann performing on stage at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Getty

9. Ninon

Pronunciation: ni-NON

Origin: Hebrew, Hannah

Meaning: Full of grace, flower, blossom

Famous Namesakes: Ninon de l’Enclos, author, courtesan, and patron of the arts; Ninon Romarin, athlete

General Overview: A name which means blossom, flower, or the grace of God, the name Ninon was most famously borne by Ninon de l’Enclos, a figure famed in France for her wit and beauty.

10. Audrey

Pronunciation: AW-dree

Origin: Old English, Athelthryth

Meaning: Noble strength

Famous Namesakes: Audrey Hepburn, Hollywood actress; Audrey Tatou, French actress

Overview: Let’s round out our list of French girl names with Audrey, sometimes spelled Audree in French. Derived from an Old English warrior’s name, the most famous recent Audrey is French actress Audrey Tatou, star of Amelie and The Da Vinci Code.

RELATED: 50 Unusual Girl Names For Your Next Baby

Rhys McKay

Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!-SAVE 79%

Subscribe to New Idea today

Subscribe Now
Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!

Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!-SAVE 79%

Subscribe to New Idea today

Subscribe Now
Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!

Recommended to you

Home and Away opening title
Watch 1:09

Home and Away opening title

{headline}

{headline}

Short Names For Little Boys: 3 Letter Baby Names

Short Names For Little Boys: 3 Letter Baby Names

10 Spanish Boys’ Names With Beautiful And Unique Meanings

10 Spanish Boys’ Names With Beautiful And Unique Meanings

By Any Other Name: 27 Best Funny Names

By Any Other Name: 27 Best Funny Names

21 Of The Most Popular Italian Boy Names

21 Of The Most Popular Italian Boy Names

{headline}

{headline}

Bradley Cooper brings daughter on rare outing

Bradley Cooper brings daughter on rare outing

WATCH: Wippa's hilarious gender reveal burnout

WATCH: Wippa's hilarious gender reveal burnout

Top baby names in Australia for 2019

Top baby names in Australia for 2019

{headline}

{headline}

These GoT superfans gave their baby the most craziest name

These GoT superfans gave their baby the most craziest name

The most popular BABY NAMES of the past decade

The most popular BABY NAMES of the past decade

64 of the Best Old-Fashioned Boy Names

Royal wedding and sneaker inspired baby names to trend in 2019

Bizarre food-themed baby names saw a surge in popularity in 2018

Baby name rule Meghan must follow

AFL star Jobe Watson welcomes baby...with a VERY unusual name

NewIdea
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Competitions
NewIdea Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Competitions

Brands

  • Girlfriend
  • New Idea food
  • Practical Parenting
  • That’s Life
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • marie claire
  • Instyle
  • Beauty Crew
  • Women's Weekly Food
  • Bounty Parents
  • Home Beautiful
  • All Recipes
  • Perth Now
  • The West Australian
  • 7Plus
  • Airtasker
  • 7NEWS
  • SocietyOne
  • Health Engine
  • Starts at 60
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from New Idea

Magazine Subscription Offer

Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!-SAVE 79%

Shop This Offer
Just $6 for 6 issues delivered!