250 Most popular French girl names you’ll want to steal for yourself!

Oooh là là, French girl names sound so beautiful, don’t they? If you’re curious about what the most popular French female names are or you’re having a baby yourself and are looking for some French baby girl names to inspire you, this post has you covered. Let’s get into some popular French girl names and baby names from today and from years past.

Most popular French girl names

What’s in a name?

On a personal note, I’ve always been kind of meh about my name, Diane. As a kid, people would tease me and say “DIE ANNE!” with a sneer. Diane just always sounded old fashioned to me, like your boring great aunt. Not a kid at school. Definitely not me now. I didn’t even meet another Diane until I was 25!

Diana — with an “a” at the end not an “e” — seemed to have more flair and sounded better to my ear. I do like my nickname though, Di. It’s what my family calls me.

Flash forward to today, my name had a bit of a rebirth when I moved to France. The American pronunciation of Diane changed to the French pronunciation, which is more like Dee-Anne. To me, the French way just sounds so much cooler because it’s something different. The name Diane is less popular in France as well and is not one of the most common French names for girls, so my name’s coolness factor went up a few notches ever since moving abroad.

So to stick with French female names and their meanings, let’s get into some of the most unique French girl names you’ll definitely want to know about. Everything sounds better in French, including baby girl names from France! Très chic!

To compile my lists of French baby girl names, I looked at official data of what the popular French girl names were last year and in previous years according to birth record data, so these aren’t random name lists.

To give you some background, the data gathered from birth records includes metropolitan France and the DOMs, excluding Mayotte, that have been registered by the State but excludes French babies who were born abroad.

Let’s get into that list of French baby girl names that are too chic to ignore. Maybe you’ll want to steal one for yourself!

50 Most popular French girl names in 2020:

(French baby girls names are according to insee.fr)

1. Jade 
2. Louise 
3. Emma 
4. Alice 
5. Ambre 
6. Lina 
7. Rose 
8. Chloé
9. Mia
10. Léa
11. Anna
12. Mila 
13. Julia 
14. Romy 
15. Lou
16. Inès
17. Léna 
18. Agathe
19. Juliette 
20. Inaya 
21. Nina
22. Zoé
23. Léonie 
24. Jeanne 
25. Iris
26. Eva
27. Charlie 
28. Lola
29. Adèle
30. Victoire 
31. Manon 
32. Luna
33. Camille 
34. Romane 
35. Lucie
36. Margaux 
37. Olivia 
38. Victoria 
39. Alix
40. Louna 
41. Mya 
42. Sofia
43. Charlotte 
44. Sarah 
45. Giulia 
46. Lya
47. Margot 
48. Nour 
49. Lyana
50. Capucine

Do any of the popular baby girl names from France in 2020 seem old fashioned to you? That’s one thing I noticed in France, that some French female names that are perfectly modern in the US are reserved for mostly senior citizen women in France. For example, Nicole and Georgette are names of women in France who are well into their 70s.

But let’s have a little fun and look at some other years for some other unique French girl names to give you some French flair to work with.

First, let’s take it way back to 1900 and see what French baby girl names topped the list for the very beginning of the 1900s.

50 Most popular French names for girls in 1900:

Something you’ll notice of is that some of the more old fashioned French girl names popular in the 1900s-1950s are making a comeback today. Louise, Agathe and variations of Anne (Anna, Annie, etc.) are some female French names that have become trendy again.

1. Marie
2. Jeanne
3. Marguerite
4. Germaine
5. Louise
6. Yvonne
7. Madeleine
8. Suzanne
9. Marte
10. Marcelle
11. Maria
12. Anne
13. Josephine
14. Eugénie
15. Berthe
16. Henriette
17. Alice
18. Hélène
19. Lucie
20. Georgette
21. Lucienne
22. Renée
23. Juliette
24. Gabrielle
25. Anna
26. Fernande
27. Augustine
28. Angèle
29. Thérèse
30. Catherine
31. Rose
32. Andrée 
33. Blanche
34. Léonie 
35. Antoinette
36. Françoise
37. Elise
38. Pauline 
39. Céline 
40. Raymone 
41. Mathilde
42. Léontine 
43. Emilie
44. Charlotte
45. Marie-Louise
46. Julie
47. Adrienne
48. Denise
49. Claire 
50. Emilienne

Let’s take it to the mid-20th century and see what popular French girl names topped the list in 1950. Get ready to turn back the clock.

50 Most popular French female names in 1950:

1. Marie
2. Martine
3. Françoise
4. Monique
5. Nicole
6. Chantal
7. Annie
8. Christiane
9. Jacqueline
10. Michèle
11. Danielle
12. Josiane
13. Claudine
14. Annick
15. Dominique
16. Catherine
17. Evelyne
18. Colette
19. Bernadette
20. Jocelyne
21. Brigitte
22. Josette
23. Geneviève
24. Joëlle
25. Mireille
26. Michelle
27. Anne
28. Maryse
29. Anne-Marie
30. Liliane
31. Eliane
32. Daniele
33. Elisabeth
34. Marie-Thérèse
35. Christine 
36. Jeannine 
37. Yvette
38. Gisèle
39. Denise 
40. Marie-Claude 
41. Nadine 
42. Francine 
43. Thérèse
44. Odile
45. Marie-France 
46. Hélène
47. Arlete
48. Ginette 
49. Micheline 
50. Ghislaine

Let’s now jump back about 20 years to 2000 and see what French baby girl names topped the list not so long ago. Do you know any of these popular French names for girls?

50 Most popular French girl names in 2000:

1. Léa
2. Manon
3. Camille
4. Chloé
5. Emma
6. Marie
7. Océane
8. Sarah
9. Laura
10. Mathilde
11. Julie
12. Marine
13. Pauline
14. Lucie
15. Anaïs
16. Inès
17. Clara
18. Justine
19. Lisa
20. Maeva
21. Juliette
22. Marion
23. Morgane
24. Charlotte
25. Emilie
26. Eva
27. Louise
28. Margaux
29. Amandine
30. Noémie
31. Clémence 
32. Célia
33. Mélissa
34. Elisa
35. Amélie 
36. Mélanie
37. Jade
38. Romane
39. Elodie 
40. Alice 
41. Laurine 
42. Elise
43. Margot 
44. Jeanne
45. Audrey 
46. Claire 
47. Alicia 
48. Carla 
49. Fanny 
50. Solène

Something else to keep in mind is that French baby girl names are going to have a different pronunciation than in English. The speech sounds aren’t the same at all, so even a popular American name like Julie just sounds more sophisticated and cool in French, like my whole Diane story from the intro of this post.

Popular French girl names and meanings

In terms of popular French baby girl names and meanings, here are some French names for girls that maybe didn’t make the list of the most popular French girl names, but are still beautiful once you learn the meaning behind them. Look no further for some French baby girl names to consider if you’re expecting.

1. Aaida: This name has several meanings in different languages but in French, it means ‘the one who is helpful’. 
2. Adeline: It means ‘a noble or kind-hearted person’. For those girls who have kindness as their watchword.
3. Aimée: This name means ‘dearly beloved, beloved’. So, when you’re overwhelmed with emotions and nothing comes to mind, this would suffice.
4. Amélie: This is the French form of the name Amelia which means ‘work’. Very fitting for those hard-working women.
5. Annabelle: It simply means lovable. For those girls who make your heart tingle and overflow with love.
6. Astrid: This French baby name means ‘strength’. It’s perfect for an active girl.
7. Aurore: This beautiful name means ‘golden’ and is super difficult for English speakers to pronounce in French.
8. Brielle: This one means ‘God is my strength’.
9. Camille: This name means ‘girl in white or religious attendant’.
10. Charlotte: It is the female version of Charles and it means ‘free’. A baby named Charlotte is said to be the best thing that will ever happen to you.
11. Chloé: Means flourishing and blooming. Girls named Chloe are said to have a bubbly personality.
12. Jeanne: This is the female French name form of John. It means ‘God is gracious’.
13. Claire: This French girl name means clear and bright. It is of French and Latin origin and has many variations.
14. Clarisse: This regal name means ‘shining and gentle’. How fitting for that dainty little princess!
15. Clementine: This name means ‘merciful, mild’. A beautiful name for a calm little girl.
16. Clothilde: This French girl name means ‘famous in battle’. Talk about girls who are known to pick a side, stick to it and win!
17. Colette: This French name means ‘victorious and triumphant’. It is perfect for girls who are goal-oriented. Out of all the French female names, I love this one.
18. Cosette: It is derived from the French word chosette which means ‘little thing’. For cute little girls.
19. Danielle: It is of French and Hebrew origin and it means ‘God is the Judge’.
20. Desiree: It means ‘desired and longed for’. So, when that baby you’ve been hoping and waiting for finally graces you with her presence, I think you know what to name her.
21. Dominique: This name means ‘belonging to the lord’. (can also be a male name)
22. Elaine: This absolutely lovely name means ‘sunray’. For lovely girls whose disposition reminds you of sunshine and rainbows.
23. Elania: This name which has a French and Scottish origin means ‘bright and shining light’. It’s for those girls who by their existence pull you out of the darkness and into the light.
24. Eloïse: This simple French name means ‘healthy’. Who doesn’t want a healthy baby girl?
25. Eugenie: This is a French origin name that means ‘well born’ and is the female version of the name Eugene.
26. Faustine: This beautiful French girl name evolved from the roman nickname Faustus, which means ‘lucky’. Well, aren’t you lucky to have such a sweet girl?
27. Felicity: This name means ‘happiness’. For those little girls whose joy brings you happiness.
28. Fleur: This means ‘flower’ in the French language. It’s one of the French names for girls whose beauty makes you think of beautiful flowers.
29. Francine: This name means ‘from France’.
30. Genevieve: This beautiful name means ‘belonging to the race or tribe of women’. It has French and Celtic origins. Girls named Genevieve are said to be strong yet meek; inspiring people wherever they go.
31. Giselle: This name is derived from the Germanic word ‘gisil’ which means a promise or pledge. It is a French name that means ‘beautiful like a star. In France, Giselle is a famous old ballet that is performed all around the world.
32. Hortense: This special name means ‘garden’ and isn’t a super popular one you hear a lot.
33. Inès: This is the French form of the name Agnes which means ‘chaste’.
34. Joëlle: This is the French feminine name of Joel which means ‘Yahweh is God’.
35. Jolie: This name means ‘pretty’. It has many variations and alternative spellings for that pretty little girl.
36. Josephine: This is a French girl name that means ‘God will add or increase’. It is a vintage name that never goes out of style.
37. Juliette: This name is of French and Latin origin and it means ‘forever young’. It’s one of those French names for girls that works well in both English and French.
38. Julienne: This is a feminine form of the name Julian which means ‘youthful’.
39. Liana: It means ‘to climb like a vine’. For those girls who love life’s adventures.
40. Lise: This unique French girl name is a variant of the name Elise. It means ‘God is my oath. It was originally derived from the popular and classic name Elizabeth.
41. Madeleine: This lovely French name means ‘elevated and magnificent ‘.
42. Marcelle: This creative name means ‘God of war’. It is suitable for very energetic young girls.
43. Margot: Means ‘like a pearl’ or ‘child of light’. Girls named Margot are fun-loving and adventurous.
44. Marguerite: This is one of the French names for girls that’s a classic. It means ‘a beautiful daisy flower’.
45. Marie: This name’s a reminder that beautiful things come from unexpected places. It means ‘star from the sea of bitterness’.
46. Mireille: This is a beautiful French girls’ name which means ‘wonderful, prosperous’. It also means ‘to admire’. 
47. Michèle: It means ‘who is like God’ or ‘who is closest to God’. It has several beautiful variations and is of French, Hebrew and English origin.
48. Monique: This is of French and Latin origin meaning ‘wise counselor and advisor’.
49. Natalie: This name means ‘the birthday of the Lord’. It is mostly given to baby girls who are born during the Christmas season. Natalies are said to be kind and artistic.
50. Nicolette: It means a victory for the people and is of French and Greek origins.
51. Renée: This feminine French name means ‘reborn or born again’.
52. Risette: It means ‘pleasant little laugh’. How cute!
53. Sophie: It means ‘having wisdom and being skillful’.
54. Virginie: This is a French variation of the name Virginia. It has a Latin origin and means ‘pure’.
55. Yvonne: This French female name was derived from the French name ‘Yves’ which means ‘archer, a bowman’.

Baby showers in France

Something you may not be aware of is that baby showers aren’t typically something you’ll see in France.  The (usually female) parties that are thrown for many American women several weeks before the baby’s arrival are not part of French culture.

The French wait until after the baby is born to celebrate the birth and shower him or her with gifts. They feel it’s a little superstitious to celebrate a baby that hasn’t been safely born yet.

Check out this post for more French vs. American social differences >>

French nicknames

Something else you’ll notice is that nicknames are way less common in France. Alain is called Alain not Al, Grégoire is not Greg, and people always refer to my husband Tom in France by his given full name, Thomas. In the U.S., my whole family calls him Tom. It’s just more familiar.

It’s not that nicknames don’t exist at all in France — you will hear Emmanuel shorted to Manu, for example — but it’s just what your friends call you in super casual settings. At work, people generally go by their full name and French nicknames aren’t as much of a thing.

In the U.S., it’s common for people to have a nickname and people introduce themselves by their nickname and everyone calls them that, like “Hi, nice to meet you I’m Mike.” That’s not the case in France. You won’t hear of too many Robs or Bens. It’s Robert and Benjamin.

Something else about nicknames in the US is that it’s common for people to ask someone what name they go by. So upon being introduced as “Michael,” someone might say, do you go by Mike or Michael? Just to check. In France, you really don’t hear that because it’s a given that people will use the full name.

What French nicknames or unique French names for girls in general are your favorite?

Now that you’ve read up on the top French girl names, let’s turn to popular French boy names, in the name of balance and all. ;-))

 

For more baby name inspiration, check out this amazing book of baby names from around the world.

Don’t confuse the gender of these French names! >>

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On a personal note, if I were to change my name to one of the French girl first names, my favorite is Victoire. I love it and to me it sounds like a unique French girl name. Victoire means victory, as you might have guessed, and it just sounds so classy.

Do you have any favorite baby girl names from France? Did any of the popular French girl names surprise you?

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PIN my unique French names for girls post: