French Girl Names

By the Names.Contact Editorial Team · Updated September 2026 · 126 names

Few naming traditions feel as effortlessly chic as the French one. French girl names tend to be soft and melodic, with gentle endings like -ette, -ine and -elle, and many of them have been worn by queens, saints, novelists and film stars.

We’ve gathered more than 120 French girl names used in France and other French-speaking countries, grouped by style and paired with their real meanings. Looking for a brother’s name? Our French boy names use the same format. You can also browse the full French names section or compare with Italian girl names, which share many Latin roots.

Our top picks: Louise, Camille, Margaux, Élodie, Colette, Juliette, Adèle, Manon, Céleste, Inès, Solène, Amélie

Popular French girl names right now

Names that have ranked among the most given to baby girls in France in recent years (INSEE data). Jade and Louise have traded the top spot several times.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning / origin
Louise	loo-EEZ	Feminine of Louis, “famous in battle”
Jade	ZHAHD	The green gemstone
Ambre	AHM-bruh	French for “amber”
Alba	AHL-bah	Latin, “dawn” or “white”
Emma	eh-MAH	Germanic, “whole, universal”
Rose	ROHZ	The rose flower
Alice	ah-LEESS	Germanic, “noble”
Romy	roh-MEE	Pet form of Rosemarie
Anna	ah-NAH	Hebrew Hannah, “grace”
Lina	lee-NAH	Short for names like Angelina or Carolina
Mia	mee-AH	Short for Maria; also Italian “mine”
Léa	lay-AH	From Leah, possibly “weary” or “delicate”
Chloé	kloh-AY	Greek, “green shoot”
Iris	ee-REES	Greek, “rainbow”
Inès	ee-NESS	Spanish/French form of Agnes, “pure”
Agathe	ah-GAHT	Greek, “good”
Juliette	zhoo-LYET	Diminutive of Julie, from Julius
Charlotte	shar-LOT	Feminine of Charles, “free”
Lou	LOO	Short for Louise
Léna	lay-NAH	Short for Hélène or Madeleine

Timeless classic French girl names

These names have never really gone out of style in France and sound instantly elegant in English, too. More in the same spirit: classic girl names.

Name	Meaning	Famous namesake
Camille	From the Roman Camillus, “attendant at a ritual”	Sculptor Camille Claudel
Marguerite	“Pearl” (Greek) and French for “daisy”	Novelist Marguerite Duras
Catherine	Greek, commonly read as “pure”	Actress Catherine Deneuve
Isabelle	French form of Elizabeth, “pledged to God”	Actress Isabelle Huppert
Madeleine	From Magdalene, “of Magdala”	The famous French cake
Hélène	Greek, possibly “torch” or “light”	Helen of Troy
Sophie	Greek, “wisdom”	Actress Sophie Marceau
Claire	Latin, “bright, clear”	Saint Clare of Assisi
Françoise	Feminine of François, “Frenchwoman”	Novelist Françoise Sagan
Simone	Feminine of Simon, “he has heard”	Writer Simone de Beauvoir
Brigitte	From Irish Brigid, “exalted one”	Actress Brigitte Bardot
Geneviève	Possibly Celtic/Germanic, “woman of the people”	Patron saint of Paris
Joséphine	Feminine of Joseph, “she will add”	Empress Joséphine
Élise	Short for Élisabeth, “pledged to God”	Beethoven’s “Für Elise”
Anne	Hebrew Hannah, “grace”	Anne of Brittany
Jeanne	Feminine of Jean, “God is gracious”	Joan of Arc (Jeanne d’Arc)
Marie	French form of Mary	Scientist Marie Curie
Sylvie	Latin, “of the forest”	Singer Sylvie Vartan
Nathalie	Latin, “born on Christmas Day”	Actress Nathalie Baye
Véronique	Latin/Greek, “true image” or “bringer of victory”	Saint Veronica

Vintage French names for girls

Old-fashioned names that French parents are rediscovering. They pair well with modern surnames and suit anyone who loves vintage girl names.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning / origin
Colette	koh-LET	Diminutive of Nicolette, “victory of the people”
Adèle	ah-DEL	Germanic, “noble”
Odette	oh-DET	Germanic, “wealth”
Josette	zhoh-ZET	Diminutive of Joséphine
Blanche	BLAHNSH	French for “white, pure”
Solange	soh-LAHNZH	Latin, “solemn, religious”
Yvette	ee-VET	Feminine diminutive of Yves, “yew”
Paulette	poh-LET	Diminutive of Paule, “small”
Mireille	mee-RAY	Provençal, “to admire”
Lucienne	loo-SYEN	Feminine of Lucien, “light”
Germaine	zhair-MEN	Latin, “brother, sister”; also “German”
Suzanne	soo-ZAHN	Hebrew, “lily”
Henriette	ahn-ree-ET	Feminine of Henri, “ruler of the home”
Augustine	oh-goos-TEEN	Latin, “venerable”
Clémence	klay-MAHNSS	Latin, “mercy, gentleness”
Marcelle	mar-SEL	Feminine of Marcel
Violette	vyoh-LET	French for “violet”
Capucine	kah-poo-SEEN	French for “nasturtium” flower

Elegant and romantic French girl names

Long, flowing names with a touch of glamour. Several are also on our list of elegant girl names.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning / origin
Amélie	ah-may-LEE	From Amelia, Germanic “work”
Élodie	ay-loh-DEE	From Alodia, possibly Germanic “foreign riches”
Margaux	mar-GOH	Form of Margot/Marguerite; also a Bordeaux wine
Céleste	say-LEST	Latin, “heavenly”
Delphine	del-FEEN	Greek, “from Delphi”; linked to dolphin
Séraphine	say-rah-FEEN	Hebrew, “fiery ones” (seraphim)
Aurélie	oh-ray-LEE	Latin, “golden”
Gabrielle	gah-bree-EL	Feminine of Gabriel, “God is my strength”
Victoire	veek-TWAR	French for “victory”
Éloïse	ay-loh-EEZ	Possibly Germanic, “healthy, wide”; the medieval scholar Héloïse
Évangéline	ay-vahn-zhay-LEEN	Greek, “good news”
Rosalie	roh-zah-LEE	Latin rosalia, a rose festival
Ophélie	oh-fay-LEE	Greek, “help”
Florence	flor-AHNSS	Latin, “flourishing”
Laurence	loh-RAHNSS	Feminine of Laurent, “laurel”
Bérénice	bay-ray-NEESS	Greek, “bringer of victory”
Aliénor	ah-lyay-NOR	Old French form of Eleanor
Valentine	vah-lahn-TEEN	Latin, “strong, healthy”

Short and sweet French girl names

One- and two-syllable names that feel light and modern. They suit a long surname especially well; see also short girl names.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning / origin
Zoé	zoh-AY	Greek, “life”
Manon	mah-NOHN	Pet form of Marie
Margot	mar-GOH	Pet form of Marguerite, “pearl”
Nina	nee-NAH	Pet form of Anne and other names
Maëlle	mah-EL	Breton, feminine of Maël, “chief, princess”
Lise	LEEZ	Short for Élisabeth
Mila	mee-LAH	Slavic, “gracious, dear”
Lucie	loo-SEE	Latin, “light”
Coralie	koh-rah-LEE	From coral, or Greek Kore, “maiden”
Elsa	el-SAH	Short for Elisabeth
Maud	MOHD	Medieval form of Matilda, “mighty in battle”
Anaïs	ah-nah-EES	Provençal/Catalan form of Anne
Noémie	noh-ay-MEE	French form of Naomi, “pleasantness”
Julie	zhoo-LEE	Feminine of Julius
Clara	klah-RAH	Latin, “bright, clear”
Axelle	ak-SEL	Feminine of Axel, “father of peace”
Oriane	oh-ree-AHN	Possibly Latin aurum, “gold,” or oriens, “rising”
Fleur	FLUHR	French for “flower”

French girl names from flowers, jewels and nature

Plenty of French girl names are also ordinary French words — a lovely touch if you like flower names for girls or nature-inspired choices.

Name	French word for	Note
Perle	Pearl	Popular in the 1920s, charming again today
Océane	Ocean	A 1990s favorite in France
Marine	Of the sea	Also a common word for the navy
Églantine	Wild rose, sweetbriar	Rare and romantic
Garance	Madder plant (a red dye)	Made famous by the film <em>Les Enfants du Paradis</em>
Azur	Sky blue	From the French Riviera’s Côte d’Azur
Neige	Snow	Unusual winter-baby choice
Aurore	Dawn	French form of Aurora
Étoile	Star	Poetic and rare as a given name
Lilas	Lilac	Softer alternative to Lily
Hortense	Gardener (Latin hortus, “garden”)	Belonged to Napoleon’s stepdaughter
Olympe	Of Mount Olympus	Writer Olympe de Gouges
Soleil	Sun	Bright, modern, gender-neutral in feel
Myrtille	Blueberry	Sweet and quirky

Rare and unique French girl names

Unmistakably French but rarely heard in the US — ideal if you want a name nobody else in class will have. Browse unique girl names for even more.

Name	Pronunciation	Meaning / origin
Solène	soh-LEN	Latin, “solemn”
Apolline	ah-poh-LEEN	Feminine of Apollo
Ysaline	ee-zah-LEEN	Medieval-style variant of Isabelle
Blandine	blahn-DEEN	Latin, “flattering, charming”
Maïwenn	mah-ee-WEN	Breton, possibly “white, blessed”
Faustine	foh-STEEN	Latin, “lucky”
Bertille	bair-TEEL	Germanic, “bright”
Léonie	lay-oh-NEE	Feminine of Léon, “lion”
Sidonie	see-doh-NEE	Latin, “woman from Sidon”
Cosette	koh-ZET	From Victor Hugo’s <em>Les Misérables</em>; possibly “little thing”
Ondine	ohn-DEEN	Latin unda, “wave”; a water spirit
Clotilde	kloh-TEELD	Germanic, “famous in battle”
Albane	al-BAHN	Latin albus, “white”
Salomé	sah-loh-MAY	Hebrew, “peace”
Anouk	ah-NOOK	Dutch/French pet form of Anne
Emmanuelle	eh-mah-NWEL	Hebrew, “God is with us”
Gwenaëlle	gwen-ah-EL	Breton, “blessed, generous”
Bénédicte	bay-nay-DEEKT	Latin, “blessed”

Tips for choosing a French girl name

Decide how you’ll say it. English speakers often say “Ma-DE-line” while French speakers say “mad-LEN.” Pick one and use it consistently so teachers and relatives follow your lead.
Think about nicknames. Joséphine can become Josie, Marguerite becomes Margot or Daisy, Gabrielle becomes Gaby. French diminutives like -ette are nicknames in their own right.
Accents are optional in the US. Zoé, Chloé and Élodie are often written without accents on American documents; keep them if they matter to you, but expect them to be dropped sometimes.
Balance a frilly first name with a simple middle. Séraphine Anne or Clémence Rose feels grounded; a short first name like Lou or Maud can take a longer, lyrical middle name. Our middle names for girls can help.
Look at the family tree. Many French families honor grandmothers with a second or third given name, a tradition you can borrow.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular French girl name?

Louise and Jade have alternated at the top of the French birth charts in recent years, followed by names like Ambre, Alba, Emma and Rose.

What is a pretty French name for a girl?

Popular picks among English speakers include Amélie, Élodie, Margaux, Céleste, Juliette, Colette and Rosalie — all soft, melodic and easy to say.

What are old French girl names?

Traditional names such as Marguerite, Odette, Yvette, Germaine, Blanche and Henriette were common in early 20th-century France; many are now considered charmingly vintage.

What does Amélie mean?

Amélie is the French form of Amelia, from the Germanic element amal, meaning “work” or “industrious.” The 2001 film Amélie made it famous worldwide.

Which French girl names work well in English?

Claire, Juliette, Sophie, Margot, Élise, Camille and Adèle are easy to read and pronounce in English while still sounding French.