French culture and names

French Names

Have you ever been curious about traditional or common names used in the French language? Explore French male and female names, their English equivalents, and short etymology notes that reveal where these names come from.

? How to use this guide

Browse the tables to compare French names with their English equivalents. Use the search box to find a specific French name, English name or etymology quickly.

FR What this page includes

This guide includes French male names, French female names, English equivalents and concise etymology notes to make the page more useful for learners and culture lovers.

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M French Male Names

French	English	Etymology
André	Andrew	From Greek andreios, meaning “manly” or “masculine”.
Albert	Albert	From Germanic elements meaning “noble” and “bright” or “famous”.
Alfred	Alfred	From Old English elements meaning “elf” and “counsel”.
Antoine	Anthony	From the Roman family name Antonius, of uncertain origin.
Arthur	Arthur	Often linked to Celtic roots connected with “bear”, though the origin is debated.
Charles	Charles	From a Germanic name meaning “free man”.
Daniel	Daniel	From Hebrew Daniyyel, meaning “God is my judge”.
David	David	From Hebrew Dawid, traditionally interpreted as “beloved”.
Édouard	Edward	From Old English elements meaning “wealth” or “fortune” and “guardian”.
Henri	Henry	From Germanic elements meaning “home” and “ruler”.
François	Francis	From Latin Franciscus, meaning “Frenchman” or “Frank”.
Guillaume	William	From Germanic elements meaning “will” or “desire” and “helmet” or “protection”.
Jacques	James	Ultimately from Hebrew Ya‘aqov, the source of Jacob and James.
Georges	George	From Greek Georgios, meaning “farmer” or “earth-worker”.
Joseph	Joseph	From Hebrew Yosef, meaning “he will add”.
Jean	John	From Hebrew Yohanan, meaning “God is gracious”.
Louis	Louis	From Germanic elements meaning “famous” and “battle”.
Martin	Martin	From Latin Martinus, meaning “of Mars”, the Roman god of war.
Michel	Michael	From Hebrew Mikha’el, meaning “Who is like God?”
Oscar	Oscar	Often linked to Old Irish elements meaning “deer” and “friend”.
Paul	Paul	From Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble”.
Pierre	Peter	From Greek Petros, meaning “stone” or “rock”.
Richard	Richard	From Germanic elements meaning “powerful” and “brave” or “strong”.
Robert	Robert	From Germanic elements meaning “fame” and “bright”.
Thomas	Thomas	From Aramaic ta’oma, meaning “twin”.

F French Female Names

French	English	Etymology
Alexandra	Alexandra	From Greek Alexandros, meaning “defender of men”.
Alice	Alice	From a Germanic name related to Adalheidis, meaning “noble kind”.
Anne	Anna	From Hebrew Hannah, meaning “grace” or “favour”.
Antoinette	Toni	From the Roman family name Antonius, of uncertain origin.
Béatrice	Beatrice	From Latin Beatrix, meaning “she who brings happiness” or “blessed”.
Carmen	Carmen	Often linked to Latin carmen, meaning “song”, or to Mount Carmel traditions.
Caroline	Caroline	Feminine form related to Charles, from a Germanic root meaning “free man”.
Catherine	Catherine	From Greek Aikaterine; later associated with katharos, meaning “pure”.
Christine	Christine	From Latin and Greek roots connected with Christos, meaning “anointed”.
Danielle	Danielle	From Hebrew Daniyyel, meaning “God is my judge”.
Dolorès	Delores	From Spanish and Latin roots connected with “pain” or “sorrow”.
Hélène	Helen	From Greek Helene; often associated with light or brightness.
Isabelle	Elizabeth	From Hebrew Elisheva, meaning “my God is an oath”.
Françoise	Frances	From Latin Franciscus, meaning “French” or “Frankish”.
Joséphine	Josephine	From Hebrew Yosef, meaning “he will add”.
Jeanne	Joan / Jane	From Hebrew Yohanan, meaning “God is gracious”.
Laure	Laura	From Latin laurus, meaning “laurel”.
Louise	Louise	From Germanic elements meaning “famous” and “battle”.
Marie	Mary	From Hebrew Miryam; the exact meaning is debated.
Marthe	Martha	From Aramaic, meaning “lady” or “mistress”.
Paule	Paula	From Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble”.
Roberte	Roberta	From Germanic elements meaning “fame” and “bright”.
Rose	Rose	From Latin rosa, meaning “rose”.
Thérèse	Theresa	Origin uncertain; often linked to Greek place-name traditions.
Violette	Violet	From Latin viola, meaning “violet flower”.

✧ French name patterns to notice

Accent marks French names often include accents: André, Édouard, François, Hélène and Thérèse.

-ette endings Some feminine French names use -ette, as in Antoinette and Violette.

Jean names Jean is one of the most recognisable French forms of John and appears in many compound names.

Name families Some pairs are easy to spot: François / Françoise, Joseph / Joséphine, Robert / Roberte.

◎ Quick facts

50 names25 French male names and 25 French female names.

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? French names FAQ

What does this French names page include?

It includes French male and female names with English equivalents and short etymology notes.

Are French names always the same as English names?

No. Some names are identical or very similar, such as Daniel and David, while others have different forms, such as Jean for John or Guillaume for William.

Why do some French names have accents?

French uses accent marks as part of its spelling system. Names such as André, Édouard, François and Hélène keep these accents in standard French spelling.