French Word Names

This regal French name is a descendant of the Latin Regina, as is the Spanish Reina. Reine is also a male name in Scandinavia.

Herby and aristocratic Basil remains a tough sell, but we’d like to introduce you to Basile, the delightful French version. It retains all of Basil’s charm, but sheds some of the pesto linkage.

The kind of French name that seemed daring -- and darling -- in the sixties.

Adds French flair to Victoria, though many Americans would find pronunciation a challenge.

A name that looks intriguing and masculine on paper, but is, unfortunately, a homonym for a girl's name.

The middle name of the Travoltas' Ella, this French color alternative hasn't caught on with many other parents.

This French word for star sounds like even more of a celebrity-worthy choice than Star or Esther or Estella or Stella. But count on English speakers who never took high school French to stumble over the pronunciation.

Traditionally used by the ultrareligious, the French boys' name Baptiste comes from the Greek word meaning "to dip". Baptiste is one of the Top 100 Boy Names in France.

A sweet way—literally—to honor a Melissa or a Pamela.

Marin is a lovely county north of San Francisco, pronounced with the accent on the second syllable.

Mason with a French accent. It first entered the US Top 1000 in 2012, and it will likely hang on for as long as its brother-in-spelling-variations, Mayson.

"Girls Gone Child" blogger Rebecca Woolf made Boheme a first name when she gave it to one of her twin daughters (the other one's name is Reverie). La Boheme -- "The Bohemian" -- is a Puccini opera that was transmogrified into the modern play Rent. Boheme means a literary or artistic person who lives outside conventional society.

In the US Amber is stuck in the '80s, while Ambre is a fresh choice in France.

A happy combination of several desirable genres: it's a word name, it has a foreign accent, and it has a highly virtuous meaning. And few other parents will be bold enough to choose it.

Innovative French word name, suggesting illumination and clarity.

Cadeau puts a decidedly French-ified twist on the word name trend, but don't be surprised if you encounter ponies and poodles with the same moniker.

Une amie for Gwyneth's little girl.