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French boy names: 160+ male French names with meanings and pronunciation

164 names · Updated · By The Nomezo Editors · Save to Pinterest

Popular French boy names include Gabriel, Noah and Léo, the top three names for baby boys born in France in 2025, according to INSEE. Male French names such as Pierre, Louis and Étienne remain as French as ever, and hyphenated names like Jean-Luc are a French specialty.

This list of 160+ real French boy names is grouped into popular, classic, unique, short, vintage and retro names, common French men's names, hyphenated names for guys, saints' names, names that work in English and Breton or Basque names. Each one has its meaning, its language of origin and a simple English respelling, and the tags show its rank in France in 2025. Names with disputed origins are left out.

Can't decide? Shuffle 6 random picks

  • Ander

    Manly, brave; Basque, from Greek. Say AHN-dair

  • Loïc

    Famous in battle; Breton, from Germanic. Say loh-EEK

  • Emmanuel

    God with us; Hebrew. Say eh-mah-new-EL

  • Rodolphe

    Famous wolf; Germanic, the French Rudolf. Say roh-DOLF

  • Paul

    Small, humble; Latin. Say POHL

  • Ernest

    Serious, earnest; Germanic. Say air-NEST

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Narrow 164 names by how common they were for US boys in 2025, by section, length or first letter, or search the meanings.

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Classic male French names

Names that have been at home in France for centuries, from kings and saints to grandfathers and great-uncles.

  1. Pierre France #206 peak 1930: Rock, stone; Greek. Say PYAIR
  2. Jean France #103 peak 1946: God is gracious; Hebrew. Say ZHAHN
  3. Jacques France #322 peak 1946: A form of Jacob, holder of the heel in Genesis; Hebrew. Say ZHAHK
  4. Philippe France #714 peak 1963: Lover of horses; Greek. Say fee-LEEP
  5. François France #534 peak 1963: A Frenchman; Latin. Say frahn-SWAH
  6. Henri France #151 peak 1920: Home ruler; Germanic. Say ahn-REE
  7. Nicolas France #269 peak 1980: Victory of the people; Greek. Say nee-koh-LAH
  8. Guillaume France #953 peak 1984: Resolute protector; Germanic. Say gee-YOHM
  9. Étienne France #698 peak 1996: Crown, garland; Greek. Say ay-TYEN
  10. Mathieu France #409 peak 1986: Gift of God; Hebrew. Say mah-TYUH
  11. Thomas France #155 peak 2000: A twin; Aramaic. Say toh-MAH
  12. Alexandre France #87: Defender of men; Greek. Say ah-lek-SAHN-druh
  13. Laurent France #1,916 peak 1970: Man from Laurentum; Latin. Say loh-RAHN
  14. Vincent France #847 peak 1981: Conquering one; Latin. Say van-SAHN
  15. Édouard France #301 peak 1910: Rich guardian; Old English. Say ay-DWAR

Unique French boy names

Real French names with old roots that stand out in an English-speaking classroom.

  1. Anatole France #247: Sunrise; Greek. Say ah-nah-TOL
  2. Ambroise France #178: Immortal; Greek. Say ahm-BRWAHZ
  3. Basile France #41: Royal, kingly; Greek. Say bah-ZEEL
  4. Honoré France #821 peak 1904: Esteemed, distinguished; Latin. Say oh-noh-RAY
  5. Lazare France #316: God has helped; Hebrew. Say lah-ZAR
  6. Maxence France #92: Greatest; Latin. Say mak-SAHNSS
  7. Octave France #135: Eighth; Latin. Say ok-TAHV
  8. Thibault France #335 peak 1992: Bold people; Germanic. Say tee-BOH
  9. Aristide France #586 peak 1907: Son of the best; Greek. Say ah-ree-STEED
  10. Séraphin France #1,432 peak 1920: Fiery ones; Hebrew. Say say-rah-FAN
  11. Théophile France #715 peak 2000: Friend of God; Greek. Say tay-oh-FEEL
  12. Hippolyte France #446 peak 2003: Freer of horses; Greek. Say ee-poh-LEET
  13. Amaury France #167: Vigorous ruler; Gothic. Say ah-moh-REE
  14. Clovis France #514 peak 2008: Famous in battle; Germanic, the oldest form of Louis. King who united the Franks. Say kloh-VEESS
  15. Cyprien France #1,577 peak 2006: From Cyprus; Latin. Say see-pree-AN
  16. Léandre France #40: Lion man; Greek. Say lay-AHN-druh

Short French boy names

Crisp one- and two-syllable names that travel well.

  1. Tom France #54: A twin; Aramaic. Say TOHM
  2. Côme France #36: Order, universe; Greek. Say KOHM
  3. Rémi France #676 peak 1987: Oarsman, rower; Latin. Say ray-MEE
  4. Max France #419 peak 1946: The greatest; Latin. Say MAHKS
  5. Axel France #71: My father is peace; Hebrew, via Danish. Say ak-SEL
  6. Noël France #2,762 peak 1948: Christmas; French. Say noh-EL
  7. Félix France #111 peak 1905: Lucky, happy; Latin. Say fay-LEEKS
  8. Ilan France #307 peak 2007: Tree; Hebrew. Say ee-LAHN
  9. Élie France #275 peak 1920: My God is Yahweh; Hebrew. Say ay-LEE
  10. Abel France #98: Breath; Hebrew. Say ah-BEL
  11. Loup France #339: Wolf; Latin. Say LOO

Vintage French boy names

Great-grandpa names that peaked in the early 1900s, with plenty of old-world charm.

  1. Lucien France #80: Light, brightness; Latin. Say lew-SYAN
  2. Émile France #107 peak 1920: Rival, striving to equal; Latin. Say ay-MEEL
  3. René France #2,755 peak 1920: Born again; Latin. Say ruh-NAY
  4. Raymond France #1,946 peak 1928: Counsel protector; Germanic. Say ray-MOHN
  5. Roger France #4,766 peak 1925: Famous spear; Germanic. Say roh-ZHAY
  6. Albert France #844 peak 1920: Noble and bright; Germanic. Say al-BAIR
  7. Edmond France #795 peak 1920: Rich protection; Old English. Say ed-MOHN
  8. Armand France #128 peak 1910: Army man, soldier; Germanic. Say ar-MAHN
  9. Léopold France #211 peak 1908: Bold people; Germanic. Say lay-oh-POLD
  10. Ernest France #278 peak 1906: Serious, earnest; Germanic. Say air-NEST
  11. Eugène France #485 peak 1908: Well born; Greek. Say uh-ZHEN
  12. Alphonse France #416 peak 1908: Noble and ready; Gothic. Say al-FOHNSS
  13. Georges France #184 peak 1920: Farmer, earth worker; Greek. Say ZHORZH
  14. Auguste France #63: Exalted, venerable; Latin. Say oh-GEWST
  15. Firmin France #1,145 peak 1902: Firm; Latin. Say feer-MAN
  16. Marcel France #100: From Marcellus, a pet form of Marcus, probably of Mars; Latin. Among France's 10 most given boys' names since 1900. Say mar-SEL

Retro French male names from the 1950s to the 1970s

Names that filled French schoolyards after World War II. Today they are dad and grandpa names, rarely given to babies.

  1. Michel France #700 peak 1947: Who is like God? From Hebrew. Say mee-SHEL
  2. Daniel France #156 peak 1947: God is my judge; Hebrew. Say dahn-YEL
  3. Patrick France #1,559 peak 1956: Nobleman, patrician; Latin. Say pah-TREEK
  4. Christian France #814 peak 1955: Follower of Christ; Greek. Say krees-TYAHN
  5. Gérard France #3,751 peak 1949: Brave spear; Germanic. Say zhay-RAR
  6. Thierry France #2,635 peak 1964: Ruler of the people; Gothic. Peaked in France in the mid-1960s. Say tyeh-REE
  7. Pascal France #3,806 peak 1962: Relating to Easter; Latin. Say pahs-KAHL
  8. Didier Under 3 births in 2025 peak 1958: Longing, desire; Latin. Say dee-DYAY
  9. Christophe France #1,351 peak 1969: Bearer of Christ; Greek. Say krees-TOF
  10. Frédéric France #1,930 peak 1973: Peaceful ruler; Germanic. Say fray-day-REEK
  11. Stéphane France #1,381 peak 1971: Crown, garland; Greek. Say stay-FAHN
  12. Sébastien France #918 peak 1977: Man of Sebaste, venerable; Greek. Say say-bahs-TYAN
  13. Joël France #1,096 peak 1952: Yahweh is God; Hebrew. Say zhoh-EL
  14. Fabrice France #3,115 peak 1973: Craftsman; Latin. Say fah-BREESS
  15. Gilbert Under 3 births in 2025 peak 1947: Bright pledge; Germanic. Peaked in France in 1947. Say zheel-BAIR

Common French men's names

More names you will meet among French men of every age, from grandfathers to thirty-somethings.

  1. Éric France #2,205 peak 1965: Ever ruler; Old Norse, often written Eric in France. Footballer Cantona bears it. Say ay-REEK
  2. Arnaud France #940 peak 1974: Eagle power; Germanic, the French Arnold. Say ar-NOH
  3. Yves France #2,236 peak 1947: Yew tree; Germanic. Designer Saint Laurent bore it. Say EEV
  4. Franck France #2,110 peak 1965: A Frank, the Germanic people who gave France its name; Germanic. Say FRAHNK
  5. Sylvain France #1,738 peak 1980: Of the woods; Latin silva, forest. Say seel-VAN
  6. Gaëtan France #747 peak 1990: From Gaeta, an old town in Italy; Latin. Say gah-ay-TAHN
  7. Jérémy France #1,001 peak 1987: Yahweh will exalt; Hebrew, the French Jeremiah. Say zhay-ray-MEE
  8. Mickaël France #605 peak 1984: Who is like God? From Hebrew, a modern spelling. Say mee-kah-EL
  9. Cyrille France #3,178 peak 1973: Lordly; Greek kyrios, lord. Say see-REEL
  10. Maxime France #130 peak 1992: The greatest; Latin maximus. Say mak-SEEM
  11. Aurélien France #461 peak 1986: Golden; Latin aureus, via the Roman name Aurelianus. Say oh-ray-LYAN
  12. Fabien France #2,312 peak 1984: Bean; Latin, from the Roman family name Fabius. Say fah-BYAN
  13. Rodolphe France #3,215 peak 1973: Famous wolf; Germanic, the French Rudolf. Say roh-DOLF
  14. Maurice France #1,530 peak 1920: Dark-skinned, Moorish; Latin Mauritius. Composer Ravel bore it. Say moh-REESS

French names for guys: hyphenated classics

Prénoms composés join two names with a hyphen and are used as one first name. Many famous French men carry them.

  1. Jean-Pierre France #4,925 peak 1947: God is gracious, plus rock; Hebrew and Greek. Say zhahn-PYAIR
  2. Jean-Luc France #3,296 peak 1957: God is gracious, plus from Lucania; director Godard's name. Say zhahn-LEWK
  3. Jean-Paul France #5,913 peak 1951: God is gracious, plus small; philosopher Sartre's first names. Say zhahn-POHL
  4. Jean-François France #3,268 peak 1964: God is gracious, plus Frenchman; Champollion read the hieroglyphs. Say zhahn-frahn-SWAH
  5. Jean-Baptiste France #1,054 peak 1991: Honors John the Baptist; Molière's real first names. Say zhahn-bah-TEEST
  6. Jean-Jacques France #4,530 peak 1954: God is gracious, plus a form of Jacob; philosopher Rousseau's name. Say zhahn-ZHAHK
  7. Jean-Louis France #4,988 peak 1954: God is gracious, plus famous in battle; Hebrew and Germanic. Say zhahn-LWEE
  8. Jean-Michel France #4,481 peak 1959: God is gracious, plus who is like God? Both Hebrew. Say zhahn-mee-SHEL
  9. Jean-Philippe Under 3 births in 2025 peak 1966: God is gracious, plus lover of horses; composer Rameau. Say zhahn-fee-LEEP
  10. Jean-Christophe Under 3 births in 2025 peak 1967: God is gracious, plus bearer of Christ; a Romain Rolland novel. Say zhahn-krees-TOF
  11. Jacques-Yves Under 3 births in 2025 peak 1956: A form of Jacob, plus yew tree; ocean explorer Cousteau's first names. Say zhahk-EEV
  12. Pierre-Auguste Under 3 births in 2025 peak 1989: Rock, plus venerable; painter Renoir's first names. Say pyair-oh-GEWST
  13. Louis-Philippe Under 3 births in 2025 peak 1974: Famous in battle, plus lover of horses; the last king of France. Say lwee-fee-LEEP
  14. Pierre-Yves Under 3 births in 2025 peak 1985: Rock, plus yew tree; Yves is the patron saint of Brittany. Say pyair-EEV

French saints' names for boys

Names of saints honored in France, each with a feast day, or fête, on the French calendar.

  1. Denis France #1,126 peak 1963: Of Dionysus; Greek. Patron saint of Paris. Say duh-NEE
  2. Bernard France #3,894 peak 1947: Brave bear; Germanic. Abbot of Clairvaux. Say bair-NAR
  3. Benoît France #1,117 peak 1980: Blessed one; Latin. Founder of the Benedictines. Say buh-NWAH
  4. Hilaire France #2,837 peak 1920: Cheerful; Latin. Bishop of Poitiers. Say ee-LAIR
  5. Germain France #1,023 peak 1912: Brother; Latin. Say zhair-MAN
  6. Éloi France #378: Chosen; Latin. Patron saint of metalworkers. Say ay-LWAH
  7. Irénée France #2,578 peak 1913: Peaceful; Greek. Early bishop of Lyon. Say ee-ray-NAY
  8. Hubert France #2,610 peak 1956: Bright heart; Germanic. Patron saint of hunters. Say ew-BAIR
  9. Grégoire France #542 peak 1998: Watchful; Greek. Say gray-GWAHR
  10. Jérôme France #3,454 peak 1974: Sacred name; Greek. Translated the Bible into Latin. Say zhay-ROHM
  11. Gilles France #6,105 peak 1959: Young goat; Greek. Say ZHEEL
  12. Clément France #114 peak 1998: Merciful, gentle; Latin. Say klay-MAHN
  13. Lambert France #4,896 peak 1989: Bright land; Germanic. Say lahn-BAIR
  14. Anselme France #736 peak 1913: Divine protection; Germanic. Archbishop of Canterbury. Say ahn-SELM

French boy names that work in English

French names English speakers can read and say without help.

  1. Adrien France #164 peak 1991: From Hadria; Latin. Say ah-dree-AN
  2. Damien France #881 peak 1985: To tame, subdue; Greek. Say dah-MYAN
  3. Florian France #910 peak 1991: Flourishing, blossoming; Latin. Say flor-YAHN
  4. Xavier France #1,260 peak 1972: New house; Basque. Say gzah-VYAY
  5. Valentin France #59: Strong, healthy; Latin. Say vah-lahn-TAN
  6. Bastien France #297 peak 1999: Man of Sebaste, venerable; Greek. Say bahs-TYAN
  7. André France #438 peak 1920: Manly, brave; Greek. Say ahn-DRAY
  8. Hector France #141: Holding fast; Greek. Say ek-TOR
  9. Emmanuel France #349 peak 1971: God with us; Hebrew. Say eh-mah-new-EL
  10. Benjamin France #263 peak 1992: Son of the right hand; Hebrew. Say ban-zhah-MAN
  11. Baptiste France #148 peak 2000: One who baptizes; Greek. Say bah-TEEST
  12. Romain France #391 peak 1987: Roman; Latin. Say roh-MAN
  13. Quentin France #790 peak 1998: Fifth; Latin. Say kahn-TAN

Breton and Basque boy names

Regional names from Brittany in the northwest and the French Basque Country in the southwest.

  1. Yann France #462 peak 1972: God is gracious; Breton, from Hebrew. Say YAHN
  2. Yannick France #1,958 peak 1972: God is gracious; Breton, from Hebrew. Say yah-NEEK
  3. Ronan France #1,342 peak 1979: Little seal; Breton, from Irish. Locronan in Brittany is named for him. Say roh-NAHN
  4. Tanguy France #6,181 peak 2000: Fire dog; Breton. A 6th-century Breton saint. Say tahn-GEE
  5. Pierrick France #2,645 peak 1989: Rock, stone; Breton, from Greek. Say pyeh-REEK
  6. Malo France #22: Bright pledge; Breton. A famous port town bears his name. Say mah-LOH
  7. Gwenaël France #2,026 peak 1976: Blessed and generous; Breton. Say gweh-nah-EL
  8. Armel France #403: Bear prince; Breton, from Old Welsh. Say ar-MEL
  9. Loïc France #647 peak 1987: Famous in battle; Breton, from Germanic. Say loh-EEK
  10. Peio France #2,008 peak 2006: Stone; Basque, from Greek. Say PAY-oh
  11. Ander France #2,371: Manly, brave; Basque, from Greek. Say AHN-dair
  12. Iban France #1,712 peak 2007: God is gracious; Basque, from Hebrew. Say ee-BAHN

How to pick the right name

Mind the silent letters

Many French endings are silent: Thibault ends in an oh sound and Denis ends in ee. In our respellings, ew is the French u, an ee said with rounded lips, as in Hugo (ew-GOH). Pick a spelling that people around you will read the way you want.

Test it with your last name

French stresses the last syllable of a name, so try the full name out loud. A name that ends in a strong sound, like Hugo or Victor, pairs well with a short last name.

Choose a saint's name for a second celebration

Saints' names come with a feast day, or fête, that many French families still mark. Saint Hubert's day, for example, falls on November 3.

Think about short forms

French names shorten in friendly ways: Sébastien becomes Bastien, and in Brittany Pierre becomes Pierrick. Make sure you like the nickname as much as the full name.

French boy names: 164 ideas from Nomezo

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French boy names in INSEE data: the 2025 top 10, a century of No. 1s, and how spread out names are now

By The Nomezo Editors · Updated October 25, 2026 · How we research names

Gabriel was the most given boy's name in France in 2025, with 4,625 births, ahead of Noah and Léo, according to INSEE. It led in 12 of France's 18 regions; Malo led Brittany, and Noah led Guadeloupe and Martinique.

French parents now choose from a far wider range: the top 5 boys' names went to 5.5% of baby boys in 2025, against 32.5% in 1946. The tags beside each name show its 2025 rank in France and, for names past their best, the year it peaked.

  1. Step 1Check what France chooses nowGabriel, Noah and Léo led in 2025.
  2. Step 2See when a name peakedJean was No. 1 every year until 1957.
  3. Step 3Mind the accentINSEE counts Eric and Éric separately.
  4. Step 4Narrow the listBy section, length or US familiarity.

France's top 10 boys' names in 2025, and their US rank

Most given boys' names in France, 2025
RankNameBoys in FranceUS rank, 2025
1Gabriel4,625#37
2Noah3,465#2
3Léo3,420#19 (as Leo)
4Raphaël3,285#394 (as Raphael)
5Louis3,260#249
6Jules3,040131 boys
7Arthur2,875#87
8Léon2,835#138 (as Leon)
9Adam2,810#101
10Maël2,700195 boys (as Mael)

Sources: INSEE top 10 and national file, births rounded to the nearest 5; US Social Security Administration, which drops accents.

A century of No. 1 boys' names

  • By generation. The most given boys' name was Jean for baby boomers (1946 to 1964), Christophe for Generation X, Nicolas for Generation Y and Lucas for Generation Z (1997 to 2012) (Insee Première 2127).
  • Far more variety. Jean went to 12.0% of boys born in 1946; Gabriel went to 1.4% in 2025. There were 994 different names per 10,000 boys in 2025, against 86 in 1946 (Insee Première 2127).
  • Jean is still the giant. Across 1900 to 2025 it was given to more than 1.9 million boys, more than twice as many as Pierre, the runner-up.
The most given boys' name in France, by period
YearsNo. 1 name
1900 to 1957Jean
1958 to 1966 (except 1965)Philippe
1965Thierry
1975 to 1979Sébastien
1983 to 1988Julien
1989 to 1994Kevin
1996 to 2001Thomas
2004 to 2007Enzo
2015 to 2025 (except 2020)Gabriel

Source: computed from INSEE's national file, births 1900 to 2025. Christophe, Stéphane, Nicolas, Lucas, Nathan and Léo each also had a turn at No. 1.

Spellings and the rules in France

  • Each spelling counts. INSEE counts every spelling separately and only the first given name, so Eric (35 boys in 2025) and Éric (10) are different names (Insee Première 2127).
  • Free choice, with a safety net. Parents in France choose the name freely. If a name seems against the child's interest, the registrar alerts the prosecutor, and a family judge can remove it; only the letters and accents French itself uses are allowed (Service-Public.fr).
  • In the US, the French names best known to English speakers are Leo (No. 19), Gabriel (No. 37), Beau (No. 60) and Theo (No. 82), while Julien (No. 709) and Lucien (No. 899) are still rare (Social Security data).

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is the most popular French boy name?

Gabriel was the most given boy name in France in 2025, with about 4,625 births, according to INSEE. Noah came second and Léo third.

What old French boy names are back in fashion?

Several vintage names are popular again in France. Léon ranked No. 8 for boys in 2025, according to INSEE, and names like Lucien, Émile and Augustin have the same old-world feel.

How do you pronounce French boy names?

Stress the last syllable and leave most final consonants silent: Louis is LWEE and Thibault is tee-BOH. The French u is an ee said with rounded lips (Hugo is ew-GOH), and the French r is made in the throat, but an English r is understood.

What are common French men's names?

Jean is the most given boy's name in France since 1900, with more than 1.9 million births, and it was No. 1 every year from 1900 to 1957, according to INSEE; it is often paired with a second name, as in Jean-Pierre or Jean-Luc. Pierre, Michel, André and Louis come next overall.

What are some Breton boy names?

Breton names come from Brittany in northwest France. Yann, Ronan, Tanguy, Malo and Maël are well-known examples, and several honor early Breton saints.

Is it Éric or Eric in France?

Both are used, and INSEE counts them as separate names. Eric is far more common: since 1900 it has gone to about 318,000 boys, against fewer than 3,000 for Éric. Many French people leave accents off capital letters.

Can French parents pick any name?

Mostly, yes. Parents choose freely, but if the registrar thinks a name is against the child's interest, they alert the prosecutor, and a family judge can strike it. Only the letters and accents French itself uses are allowed.

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