French Names for Boys

Welcome to our list of the 50 most popular French boys names. Each name has a short explanation of its meaning along with a cool fact about the name. 

This list is perfect for:

• Parents looking for a French baby name
• People who want to change their name via deed poll to a more French sounding one
• People who want to find out which are the most popular French names

So without further interruption here is the list of the 50 most popular French names for boys.

50 Popular Scottish Names for Boys

1. Adrian
   
   Adrian is a French name derived from the ancient Latin name “Hadrian”, meaning “holy sea” or “of Hadria”. The name has belonged to 6 popes and multiple saints.
   
   
2. Aldric
   
   The name Aldric means “mighty, old ruler”. One famous namesake is Saint Aldric of Le Mans, who lived during the 9th century AD.
   
   
3. Ambroise
   
   The name Ambroise comes from an Old Greek word meaning “immortal”. It has been a popular name in Christian Europe (excluding England) since the 4th century.
   
   
4. Andre
   
   Andre is the French form of the name “Andrew”, which means “manly”. It is popular in France among writers, athletes, artists, and other notable people.
   
   
5. Antoine
   
   Antoine comes from the Latin word “Antonius”, meaning “praise-worthy”. The name is the French form of “Anthony” and is common across the French-speaking world.
   
   
6. Armand
   
   Armand is an old name with Teutonic origins meaning “soldier”. One of the most popular French boy’s names, it has remained a top 200 name for decades.
   
   
7. Badouin
   
   This is the French form of the Old German name “Baldwin”, which means “bold friend”. King Badouin of Belgium is a famous namesake.
   
   
   
8. Barthelemy
   
   Bathelemy is a form of the name “Barthelomew”. This was the name of an apostle in the New Testament.
   
   
9. Basile
   
   The French boy’s name Basile means “king”. It is a popular Christian name that belonged to Saint Basil the Great and also to two Byzantine emperors.
   
   
10.  Blaise
    
    Blaise is a moderately popular name in France. The name gained popularity in the 8th century after Saint Blaise of Sebaste was canonized.
    
    
11.  Cedric
    
    The name Cedric was invented in 1819 by Walter Scott for his novel, Ivanhoe. Since then, it has spread widely across the western world.
    
    
12. Charles
    
    Charles means “great warrior”. It first became well-known in France and beyond when Charles the Great (Charlemagne) established the Holy Roman Empire.
    
    
13.  Christian
    
    Simple and to-the-point, this name means “one who is Christian”. Christian has been a common given name for boys since the Middle Ages.
    
    
14.  Claude
    
    Claude is a French name that has been around since the Middle Ages. Claude Monet, the French impressionist painter, was a famous individual with this name.
    
    
15. Clovis
    
    This is an old name meaning “famous in battle”. King Clovis I was a 5th century king who united all of the Frankish tribes under a single leader.
    
    
16.  Daniel
    
    Daniel is common everywhere, but its popularity is especially high in Francophone areas. The name originated in the Old Testament as the name of a Hebrew prophet.
    
    
17.  Dominic
    
    Sometimes spelled “Dominique”, this French name means “of the Lord”. Traditionally, this name was given to boys born on a Sunday.
    
    
18.  Emeric
    
    Emeric means “universal ruler” and is ancient Germanic in origin. Saint Emeric of Hungary and football player Drew “Emeric” Stanton are famous namesakes.
    
    
19.  Fabian
    
    Fabian is popular as a given name in France, Italy, and Spain. It comes from the word faba (broad bean) and was once an ancient Roman name passed down through the female lineage.
    
    
20.  Felix
    
    Popular throughout Europe in different forms, Felix is a name derived from the Old French word for “lucky”. The name is religiously significant and has belonged to 3 popes and numerous saints. 
    
    
21.  Florian
    
    Florian is a name popular in France, Germany, and Poland. It means “flower” and was the name of two saints and a fourth century Roman emperor.
    
    
22.  Francois
    
    This is a traditional French name that is also very popular. It means “a man from France” or “free man”. “Francis” is a variation of this name.
    
    
23.  Frederic
    
    Frederic, meaning “peaceful ruler”, is a common name in both France and Germany. The French artist Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi designed the Statue of Liberty for the United States.
    
    
24.  Gabriel
    
    Gabriel is the name of an Archangel. The name means “God is the strength” and “hero”. Archangel Gabriel was often a messenger in the Bible.
    
    
25.  Gaston
    
    The name Gaston was popularized after the release of the 1991 cartoon film Beauty and the Beast. It is a French name meaning “foreigner” or “guest”.
    
    
26.  Geoffrey
    
    Geoffrey is a French name with Germanic roots that means “peace”. Geoffrey Chaucer, the English author of the Canterbury Tales, is a famous namesake.
    
    
27.  Gilbert
    
    The name Gilbert reached the peak of its popularity in the year 1900 when it was number 146 in the United States. It means “promise”.
    
    
28.  Germain
    
    Germain means “brother” and comes from the Latin word “Germanus”. The Count of St. Germain was a famous philosopher, theologist, and scientist of the 18th century.
    
    
29.  Gustave
    
    Gustave means “staff of the Goths” and is a classic French name with Old Swedish origins. French artist Gustave Dore notably had this name.
    
    
30.  Hugo
    
    Hugo is a famous French name with numerous namesakes, including Hugo Chavez and three Catholic saints. It means “heart” or “spirit”.
    
    
31.  Jacques
    
    Jacques is the French form of the Hebrew name “Jacob”. It means “one who follows” and belonged to the famous French explorer Jacques Cartier.
    
    
32.  Jean
    
    This French name is a modern adaptation of the English name “John”. It has been the most common boy’s name in France since the 12th century.
    
    
33.  Jules
    
    Jules means “forever young” and belonged to notable people including French artist Jules Adler and French author Jules Verne.
    
    
34.  Laurent
    
    Laurent means “bright one” and reached its peak popularity in France during the 1970s. Laurent Fabius was the Prime Minister of France from 1984-1986.
    
    
35.  Leo
    
    Short and sweet, Leo is a common French name meaning “lion”. It was the name of 13 popes and multiple Medieval kings and emperors.
    
    
36.  Louis
    
    Louis is the name of many famous French people, including Louis Pasteur, King Louis the 1st (son of Charlemagne), and Saint Louis. It means “brave warrior”.
    
    
37.  Lucien
    
    This name was most popular in France during the early 20th century. It means “light”.
    
    
38.  Ludo
    
    Ludo is a French and Flemish name that has particular fame in Belgium. It means “famous in battle”.
    
    
39.  Marcel
    
    Marcel means “belonging to Mars” and comes from the ancient Roman name “Marcellus”. Marcel Proust is a famous French writer with this name.
    
    
40.  Maurice
    
    This French name means “one with the dark skin”. It was especially popular in 1914, but it has been around since the time of Saint Maurice in the 3rd century.
    
    
41.  Mathieu
    
    The French form of the name “Matthew”, this name means “gift of Yaweh”. Mathieu Debuchy and Mathieu Valbuena are notable French soccer players.
    
    
42.  Nicolas
    
    Nicolas means “victory of the people”. Prince Nicolas of Belgium, Nicolas Cage, and author Nicolas Rothwell share this name.
    
    
43.  Olivier
    
    Boy’s name Olivier means “olive tree” in French. The name became popular after the release of the French book La Chanson de Roland where the main character’s friend was named Olivier.
    
    
44.  Philippe
    
    Philippe is a traditional French name that means “friend of horses”. The name was popularized by multiple kings of Macedon as well as Biblical figures.
    
    
45.  Pierre
    
    Though not immediately obvious, Pierre is the French form of the name “Peter”. It means “strong like a rock” and is one of the most common French boy’s names.
    
    
46.  Quentin
    
    Quentin is a French name meaning “fifth”. It has been a popular name in both the US and France for many years, with 1919 being its most popular year.
    
    
47.  Rene
    
    French mathematician and philosopher Rene Descartes is the most notable namesake of this name. It means “born again”.
    
    
48.  Roy
    
    Roy is a very traditional name that comes from the Old French word for “king”. Roy Oliver Disney was the co-founder of The Walt Disney Company.
    
    
49.  Sebastien
    
    Sebastien means “venerable”. It became popular as a Christian name in Medieval Europe after Saint Sebastian gained fame.
    
    
50.  Yves
    
    Yves Saint-Laurent is one of the most famous French individuals with this name. The name Yves means “archer” and originates from ancient French languages.

Final Thoughts

We hope you found this list useful. If you want to change your name we make the process very easy. Simply order a deed poll (and a name change kit if you want to save time) to get started.