In France there are many completely unique cultural traditions, which may well include the formation of names and the order of naming children in the family. This especially applies to male names, which will be discussed in this article. Modern parents, of course, are deviating from family routines that have been mandatory for several centuries in a row. Many male French names are increasingly being replaced by biblical ones or those with English roots, which do not sound at all French.

However, French names for boys are often used in other countries. But not every parent knows what they mean and whether they are really so popular in France itself. To understand how popular the male name that you suddenly want to give to your baby is, it’s worth learning more about it.

What are they?

Like women's, men's French names have a unique melody and softness of sound. Perhaps, in no other country in the world will you hear such a charming pronunciation of the sound “r”. It is he who carries that special French charm. Despite the fact that the French are considered incredibly passionate, their names often sound soothing: Henri, Louis, Charles. Names on French pronounced softly, especially if sounds such as “r”, “t”, “k” and others are at the end of a word or follow one after another. For example, the traditional French “Godfried” most often sounds like “Godefroy”. And there are many such examples.

Another feature of the use of the name for the French of past centuries is its versatility. This means that both boys and girls were often called the same. An example of this is the names Corentin, Michel and some others.

Origin of French names

Most male French names are derived from biblical ones. Most often, they were modified in accordance with the ideas of ordinary people about the beauty of sound. An example of this is the names Pierre (Peter), Benjamin (Benjamin) and Michel (Michael). As can be seen from the above examples, the sounds in them are always softer than in the original version. Often French names in Russian, for example, acquire a harsher and rougher sound, losing their unique charm.

Also in France, borrowing proper names from neighboring cultures has been practiced since ancient times. During the wars of conquest with the participation of this state, new unusual names, which were the names given to newborn boys.

What were sons called in France: family traditions

Very interesting French traditions when naming children, they differ little from the rules adopted by other peoples. As a rule, male French names, the list and meaning of which will be given below, were given according to the following principle:

• the first-born was given the name of his paternal grandfather, and the names of his maternal grandfather and the saint under whose protection the boy was born were added;
• the second son in the family was given the name of his paternal great-grandfather, and the name of his mother's grandmother and the name of the saint were added to it.

These traditions were mandatory until 1966, when parents were legally allowed to choose the last name (saint) for their child. And only in 1993 in France it was officially allowed to choose a child’s first name from among those that parents liked.

Perhaps the reader will have a question about how several names could form a single whole. It's simple - in France almost everything male names were composite. What were they, which of them were used in everyday life, and what did the writing of such names look like? Let's figure this out right now.

Compound names in France

The tradition of giving boys double or triple names developed in France with the advent of Catholicism. Initially, this was done so that the child would be protected by several patron saints at once. Double names became most widespread in past centuries, but even now parents often give their babies traditional male French names consisting of several. An example of this is Jean-Paul, Jean-Claude and Pierre-Marie.

By the way, many modern celebrities (film actors, musicians and artists) have double and triple names. Among them are Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jean-Paul Gaultier and many others.

Writing and pronunciation of compound names

Double names that are written with a hyphen, in Everyday life pronounced in full, that is, as written in the documents. It is a completely different matter when a boy is called Antoine Michel Louis or Leonce Maurice Noel. In this case, in everyday life they use one of the names and simply call the children - Antoine (Titi) or Maurice, for example.

Often double or triple names, which are written without a hyphen, allow their owners to change them without paperwork at the registration authorities. For example, a man named Jean Battisto Robert, who was known as Jean from childhood, may tomorrow ask to be called Robert and will henceforth introduce himself only as such.

Meaning of French names

The lion's share of male names in France have Latin or Greek roots and came to the country through the adoption of Christianity. In fact, there are very few native French names. These include only Laurens and Laurentin (who arrived/originally came from Laurentum), Lope (like a wolf) and Remy (sitting on oars, a rower).

Many modern French names, as stated at the very beginning of this article, are derived from foreign ones. At the same time, the similarity of their sound is quite clearly visible. Other than that, they have the same meaning. So that readers can verify this, we present several values:

• Constantin (French) - Constantine (Roman) - constant, constancy, stable.
• Christophe (French) - Cristiano (Port.) - Christian (English) - presented by Christ.
• Leon (French) - Leonardo (Italian) - Leo (Russian) - like a lion.
• Markel (French) - Marcus (Italian) - Martin (German) - warlike.
• Nicolas (French) - Nikolaus (German) - Nikolai (Russian) - victory of humanity.

This list can be continued indefinitely. However, we will not do this, but will try to decide which male names the French themselves consider the most beautiful today.

The most beautiful French names

According to research, the French name Thierry, Christophe, Pierre and Jean among the most beautiful male names. In their opinion, such beautiful French names for boys as Michel (Michel), Alain (Alain) and Philippe (Philip) have no less charm.

In other countries, the following names are considered beautiful, having French roots: Sebastian, Jacques, Claude, Vincent, Francois and Dominique. As a rule, the high popularity of names is ensured by film actors or other famous personalities. It is this indicator that is the main point in classifying them as the most beautiful or simply euphonious names.

What male names are popular in France?

At present, the process of forming new proper names in France has not been completed. IN last years It became fashionable to name children by abbreviation and some modification of foreign names. They are also used unchanged. Which ones are the most popular? French names that have been in the top 10 in the last 5 years are most often of British (Kevin, Axel, Jed and Tom), Italian (Enzo and Theo) origin. Very often, young parents call their sons Lucas, Arthur and Hugo. But the most popular name for 4-5 years now has been Nathan.

Researchers also note that modern French people rarely give their babies double and triple names, and also practically do not observe traditions in terms of the order of naming babies in the family. Moreover, some men in France judicial procedure change the name chosen for them by their parents to a more harmonious and modern one.

Be that as it may, many parents in France still prefer traditional names to modern ones and continue to name their sons in honor of grandparents and other relatives.

French female names are very beautiful and melodious. They are endowed with a special charm and have a unique sound. Like everything connected with France, these names are imbued with an atmosphere of romance and love. They make them even more feminine and sophisticated, giving girls a special sophistication and elegance.

What makes French female names so popular? It’s not at all difficult to guess this. Main secret The attractiveness of such names lies in the French language itself, which is considered one of the most harmonious in the world. However, melody is not all that attracts contemporaries. People are interested not only in the sound of the most beautiful female French names, but also in their meaning. After all, the fate and character of its bearer largely depend on the meaning of the name.

French female names and their meanings

French names for girls have different origins. Some of them appeared in ancient times, others became popular only a few decades ago. Their meaning also depends on the origin of modern female French names. Names taken from Catholic church calendar, have religious meaning. Those that have survived from ancient times are closely related to ancient Greek mythology. Traditional French women's names have also been preserved. Their meaning, as a rule, is associated with various human qualities inherent in the fair sex (purity, beauty, wisdom, tenderness, etc.). In some cases, these names indicate natural phenomena, plants, animals, etc.

Many of our contemporaries pay attention not only to the usual interpretation of beautiful female French names, But and their meaning horoscope. This approach allows you to make the naming process as balanced, thoughtful and harmonious as possible.

List of popular French female names

• Amber. French female name of Persian origin. Value = "amber"
• Anjou. French version of the name Angelina = "angel"
• Antoinette. Means "invaluable"
• Babbette. French female name, meaning = "vow to God"
• Vivien. Translated into Russian = “live”
• Josephine. French female name. Meaning = "God will reward"
• Georgette. French version of the female name George = "landowner"
• Constance. From Latin = "stable"
• Lillian. The female French name has a meaning corresponding to the flower lily.
• Maryse. Translated as “beloved”
• Margot. French female name meaning "pearl"
• Marian. From French = "bitter"
• Matilda. French woman's name means "balanced"
• Penelope. French female name Greek origin. Meaning = "faithful wife"
• Suzette. From the French name of the flower.

Top most fashionable and beautiful female French names

Sociological services annually compile a ranking of popular female French names. In accordance with it, we can talk about the existence of certain patterns in the way children are named in France. For example, the most common in recent years are such beautiful French female names, like Emma, ​​Chloe, Camila, Lolai and Iness. Quite often, parents name their girls Clara, Lola, Lilu, Sarah and Manon. It is not difficult to notice that in this list, in addition to modern female French names, there are also those borrowed from other languages. Their popularity is increasing every year.

In each language, first and last names have their own etymology, their own origin. And French is no exception. In the French language, first and last names were formed historically, originating from some locality or from some clan.

Today we will talk about French names and surnames. We, like you, dear lovers of the French language, are interested in the origin of names and surnames in France. Let's quickly begin our journey into the world of French names and surnames!

Dictionary of French names and surnames, Larousse publishing house

Friends, before telling you beautiful French male and female names, before making a list or generator of French male and female names, pay attention to some details:

• France is very fond of double names (prénom), such as Jean- Marc, Jean-Pierre, Paul-Henri, Anne- Marie, Marie-Louise . Usually these are two names of the same gender, which are written with a hyphen. But there are cases when one name is female and the other is male. For a boy, the male name comes first, then the female name - Jean-Marie , for a girl - vice versa - Anne-Vincent . Do you remember the name of the philosopher Voltaire? — François Marie Arouet Voltaire . It is worth considering that if a person has a double name, then this is exactly what they should be called: Jean-Pierre – this is exactly Jean-Pierre, and not just Jean or Pierre.
• Many female names are formed by adding a suffix to the male name -e ,—ette , or -ine . For example: Jean – Jeanne ; Henri – Henriette; Maurice Mauricine; Honoré Honorine. Sometimes these suffixes affect pronunciation Armand (Arman) - Armande (Armand), and sometimes not Daniel (Daniel)- Danielle (Daniel).
• Diminutive male names are formed by adding the suffix - et, -ot , and women's –ette, -otte .

These were the distinctive features of French names, and now:

A brief history of how surnames appeared in France

In the 16th century, the king ordered all families to acquire surnames ( le nom de famille – family name). The surname could be the name of the head of the family: Martin, Bernard, Thomas, Robert, Richard, Michel, Henri, etc. Or some of its distinctive features or characteristics: Legrand - big, Lepetit - small, Leroux - red; or place of residence: Dubois - from the forest or one who lives near the forest, Dupont - one who lives next to the bridge or in the town of Le Pont; the main occupation of a person or tool: Fournier - stove maker, Mercier - seller, Beaudelaires - carpenter's cleaver, Hachette - carpenter's adze or mason's pick, Bonnet - hat, cap, cap. Plant names were also used: Castan - from chataîgne - chestnut, Lavigne - vigne - grapes.

The surnames of the nobles came from their estates plus the prefix de : le comte d'Artois - Count d'Artois, le duc d'Orléans - Duke of Orleans.

French first and last name generator

We can say that such a generator is a Russian transcription of French names and surnames. For example, Diane - Diana, Angélique - Angelique, Poline - Polina, Jean - Jean (Ivan), Godefroi - Godefroy, Duroy - Duroy.

Although, for example, it is permissible to say both Daniel and Danielle - Danielle. You can say both Celine and Selina – Céline.

French names and surnames

Now let's get to know women's and men's French names and surnames and their Russian pronunciation.

Male names:

• Jean – Jean (Ivan)
• Michel - Michel (Mikhail)
• Philippe - Philip
• Alain
• Patrick - Patrick
• Pierre - Pierre (Peter)
• Nicolas - Nikola (Nikolai)
• Christophe - Christophe
• Christian
• Daniel – Daniel (Daniel)
• Bernard - Bernard
• Eric - Eric
• Frédéric - Frederic
• Laurent
• Olivier - Olivier

Male French names

Female names:

• Marie - Marie (Maria)
• Nathalie - Natalie (Natalya)
• Isabelle - Isabelle
• Françoise - Francoise
• Christine
• Monique
• Nicole - Nicole
• Sophie - Sophie (Sofia)
• Anne – An (Anna)
• Celine - Celine
• Brigitte - Brigitte
• Catherine – Catherine (Ekaterina)

Female French names

The most common French surnames.

By naming a boy with a name of French origin, you take on great responsibility. A person’s name is the most important word in life; it shapes one’s personality and can influence contacts with peers. We invite you to find out which French male names are considered the most popular.

History of the origin of French names

French names in particular, double (triple) names are difficult to pronounce or remember. Sometimes it is impossible to understand who it belongs to - a woman or a man. This discrepancy occurs because in France, names are given in the same form for both girls and boys. To understand their meaning, you need to know their origins and look into history. French names for boys attract with their elegance of pronunciation and special charm. They differ from traditional names by their unusual sound.

In ancient times, representatives of the Russian nobility called their heirs with a “French accent.” Thus, they tried to improve the name. A striking proof of this phenomenon is the hero of Leo Tolstoy’s book - Peter (Pierre) Kirillovich Bezukhov. Orthodox name George took on a French meaning, like Georges. The same thing seems to be happening today, which is why parents are reluctant to give their sons traditional names. They are attracted to something especially original.

As for the origin of purely French names, they were formed under the influence of significant events that left their mark on history. For example, the male name Alan means beautiful, and Dion, Isaac, was dedicated to holy deities. The names Mark, Alphonse and Gilbert appeared during the German invasion of French lands. After the adoption of the law, according to which all newborns, without exception, had to be called by names from the church (Catholic) calendar.

It was then that they primarily began to give modern (at that time) catholic names. It was believed that in this way newborns “gained” the protection of their patron saints. Over time, borrowing stopped. Children began to be called with double and triple names in honor of their ancestors. Today the French are free to give the baby any name. Only some Catholic families still adhere to these traditions.

List of beautiful French names for boys

There are many immigrants from France creative people, famous poets, actors and artists. Apparently this fact left an imprint on their names; they came up with many beautiful-sounding options with a refined accent.

The proposed list of the most beautiful names for boys will make it easy to see this:

• Adrian
• Bastian
• Valerie
• Gilbert
• Didier
• Jerome
• Kamil
• Modest
• Noel
• Pascal
• Silestine
• Stephen
• Theodore
• Forest
• Florentine
• Emil

Looking for a beautiful name for a baby, parents begin to study their origin. It is difficult to choose a consonant name with a fateful meaning. However, in the case of French names this problem does not arise; they are all beautiful and predetermine a happy destiny.

Rare male names of French origin

The determining criteria when choosing a male name for boys is consonance with the surname and patronymic. However, in modern society, the demand for rare, as opposed to common, names, variations has increased.

Rare, undeservedly forgotten popular French names:

• Amedi
• Easter
• North
• Perrin
• Ermenegild
• Philibert
• Amadiou
• Modger

When choosing rare options for boys, think about the meaning of the name and pay attention to their sound. No matter how rare it is, a child will live with this name all his life.

The most common male names in France and their meaning

Surely, many parents are interested in knowing which male names are popular today, directly in France itself. Judging by modern children, the vast majority of modern parents continue to call boys Daniel. It is still relevant, but not for France, where the fashion for names is completely different.

The most beautiful names for boys today look like this:

• Hugo - fidgety
• Alain - handsome
• Patrick - noble
• Pierre (Peter) - chief
• Mathis - God's gift
• Jean (Ivan) - merciful
• Michelle (Mikhail) - looks like God
• Augustine - venerable
• Christophe - bearer of Christ
• Christian - Christian
• Bernard - strong
• Arthur (Arthur) - bear man
• Eric - leader
• Frederic - defender
• Dionne - dedicated to Zeus
• Laurent - arrived from Laurentum
• Dominic - belonging to a lord
• Olivier - olive
• Thierry - King of Nations
• Francois - Frenchman

Lately, many people want to name a boy with a French name. Unfortunately, we cannot give a newborn two or three names, like the French. However, if parents have a desire to give the boy a French name, this is not prohibited.

Ancient and forgotten names

Recently, there has been a tendency to name boys in an original way, bringing out old ones and many forgotten names with French roots.

• Barthelamew - son of the plowed earth, son of the fields
• Cola - winner of nations
• Pascal - Easter child
• Silestin - heavenly
• Eugene – beautiful, noble
• Raul - the wise wolf

The names presented in the lists are not always of purely French origin, but they sound very beautiful.

Male names common in France often have Roman, Latin, Greek and Anglo-Saxon roots.

How to choose a name for a boy depending on his date of birth

Catholic, as well as Orthodox tradition, often based on the names of saints, in calendars based on date of birth. It is worth noting that Catholic and Orthodox calendar practically do not coincide. This is due to the split of churches that occurred in the 11th century. Therefore, French names include those mentioned in the Bible, as well as those of Germanic, Latin and English origin. When choosing a name, you can be content with the Catholic calendar of saints. The date is chosen on the day or close to the birth of the baby.

True Catholics do not allow their name to be distorted or shortened. However, depending on the country, the ease of pronunciation of a French name may vary. For example, Maximilian will be called Max more often, and Charlemagne - Charles.

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid are mystics, specialists in esotericism and occultism, authors of 14 books.

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French surnames

French surnames

List of famous French surnames.

First French surnames appeared among representatives of high French society. Later, in 1539, a royal decree was issued, according to which every resident of France was assigned his family name, that is, a surname.

The French, like other peoples, used personal names, nicknames and derivatives of names and nicknames as surnames.

According to the royal decree, surnames were to be inherited and recorded in church and parish books. This royal decree of 1539 is considered official start appearance of French surnames. Aristocrats used the preposition de before their surname.

At first, according to French law, a child could only bear the father's surname, and the mother's surname could only be given to the child if the father was unknown. Now French legislation allows parents to decide for themselves whose surname the child will bear – the father’s surname or the mother’s surname. Also used double French surnames, which are written with a hyphen.

Currently, the following titles are used before using French names and surnames:

Mademoiselle (mademoiselle) - an appeal to an unmarried woman, girl.

Madame (madam) - an appeal to a married, divorced or widowed woman. The plural is Mesdames (“medam”).

Monsieur (monsieur) - an address to a man.

Like all words in French, surnames have fixed stress on the end of the word.

French surnames (list)

Adan

Alain

Azoulay

Alcan

Amalrik

Anglade

Anen

Arbogast

Arias

Arno

Harcourt

Attal

Bazin

Bayo

Bastien

Bayle

Benard

Benoit

Bertlein

Blancart

Bonnard

Bonnier

Bosset

Beauchamp

Brossard

Boisselier

Boulanger

Bujeau

Valois

Valyan

Weber

Whenua

Viardot

Vilar

Villaret

Vidal

Villeret

Vienne

Gaben

Gallon

Galliano

Garrel

Guerin

Gobert

Godard

Gautier

Grosso

Not at all

Debussy

Deco

Delage

Delaunay

Delmas

Desmarais

Deneuve

Depardieu

Defosse

Dieudonné

DuBois

Ducret

Dumage

Dupre

Duplessis

Jacquard

Jamet

Jarre

Joncières

Julien

Iber

Cavelier

Camber

Campo

Katel

Catuaurus

Keratri

Clément

Collo

Corro

Crespin

Coypel

Curie

Labule

Lavello

Lavoine

Lacombe

Lambert

Lafar

Levasseur

Legrand

Ledoux

Lemaitre

Lepage

Lefebvre

Loconte

Lurie

Lully

Manodu

Martin

Morel

Mare

Maren

Marmontel

Marceau

Martini

Marouani

Marshall

Marchand

Matia

Merlin

Mero

Meriel

Messager

Messiaen

Milhaud

Monsigny

Monty

Moriah

Moss

Mouquet

Murai

Monsoon

Navarre

Necessary

Naseri

Nive

Noiret

Noir

Nuburger

Aubin

Ober

Obier

Riot police

Parisot

Pascal

Pesson

Perrin

Petit

Picard

Planel

Prejean

Ravel

Ramo

Rebel

Ribs

Reverdy

Revial

Reason

Richard

Rouge

Rousset

Roussel

Savar

Senier

Cerro

Sigal

Simon

Sokal

Sorel

Surcouf

Tayfer

Taffanel

Tom

Tomasi

Tortelier

Trintignant

Trial

Truffaut

Tournier

Tiersen

Ouvrard

Farsi

Philip

Francois

Frey

Fresson

Freel

Foucault

Chabrol

Sharby

Chaplain

Charlemagne

Chatillon

Shero

Ersan

Erran

Etex

The most common French surnames

Andre (Andre)

Bernard (Bernard)

Bertrand (Bertrand)

Bonnet

Vincent

Dubois

Dupont

Durand

Girard

Lambert

Leroy

Laurent)

Lefebvre)

Martin)

Martinez (Martinez)

Mercier

Michel

Morel

Moreau

Petit)

Robert)

Richard)

Roux)

Simon)

Thomas)

Francois)

Fournier)

On our website we offer a huge selection of names...

Our new book "The Energy of Surnames"

In our book "The Energy of the Name" you can read:

Selecting a name using an automatic program

Selection of a name based on astrology, embodiment tasks, numerology, zodiac sign, types of people, psychology, energy

Choosing a name using astrology (examples of the weakness of this method of choosing a name)

Selection of a name according to the tasks of incarnation (life purpose, purpose)

Selecting a name using numerology (examples of the weakness of this name selection technique)

Choosing a name based on your zodiac sign

Choosing a name based on the type of person

Choosing a name based on psychology

Choosing a name based on energy

What you need to know when choosing a name

What to do to choose the perfect name

If you like the name

Why you don’t like the name and what to do if you don’t like the name (three ways)

Two options for choosing a new successful name

Corrective name for a child

Corrective name for an adult

Adaptation to a new name

Oleg and Valentina Svetovid

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French surnames

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