French Girl Names to Fall in Love With

There’s just something elegant and sophisticated about French girl names. Whether you have French heritage and want to pay homage to your ancestry, have sentimental ties to the country, or simply want to give your daughter a name that stands out in a sea of American names, you can’t go wrong with one of the beauties on this list!

If you’re looking for a French girl name that’s currently popular in the actual country of France, you won’t find many with that quintessentially elegant vibe we find so appealing. A lot of today’s popular French girl names are arguably non-French sounding: Jade, Emma, Rose, Alma, and Alice are all in their top 10, per Insee, France’s bureau of statistics. And funnily enough, many of the French names we consider perfectly contemporary and timeless here in the States are off the radar in France; names that end in -ette, like Josette, are considered vintage “old lady” names there (with the exception of Juliette, which is still on France’s popularity charts). Although who’s to say they won’t make a comeback there, just as names like Ruby and Hazel have done here?

A couple of things to note before you decide on a French girl name: first, many of them contain accents over the letters (such as Ana?s and Zélie). These are called diacritical marks, and are not allowed on birth certificates in some states; you can check to see if yours is one here. Secondly, if you are dead set on using the French pronunciation but live in a predominantly English-speaking area, your daughter may find herself either constantly correcting people or silently accepting that almost everyone is going to say her name wrong. But if you’re OK with, say, Théa (pronounced TAY-ah) being largely pronounced as the English-speaking THEE-ah, carry on! Most of the French girl names we’ve curated on this list are fairly straightforward to pronounce, though — even if you don’t speak French! — and simply gorgeous, any way you say them.

For more baby name inspo, check out the SheKnows Baby Name Database!

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Chloé

Pronunciation: KLO-EH

Chloé means “green shoot” in Greek — as in a young plant sprout. A beautiful name any time of year, but especially fitting for a springtime baby!

Théa

Pronunciation: TAY-ah

Théa is the French version of the name Thea, which is typically pronounced differently. It has no specific meaning, as Thea itself is a diminutive of names like Dorothea and Theresa.

Lilou

Pronunciation: LEE-LOO

Another name with no discernible meaning, Lilou is simply a nickname that has been used as a given name in recent years. In France, it comes from names that end in the sound -li or -lee, with the addition of -lou as a sign of affection. With names like Lila and Lily being so popular, Lilou is a distinctive-but-similar option.

Adélie

Pronunciation: AH-DEH-LEE

This one comes from the name Adela, which itself was a short form of names beginning with the element adal (i.e., Adalheide), meaning “noble.”

Marjolaine

Pronunciation: MAR-ZHAW-LEHN

Foodies might be especially drawn to this name — it’s the French word for the minty herb marjoram!

Joséphine

Pronunciation: ZHO-ZEH-FEEN

The French feminine form of Joseph, which comes from the Hebrew name Yusef, meaning “to increase.”

Bijou

Pronunciation: BEE-ZHOO

This one is a sparkling choice — it literally means “jewel” in French!

Josiane

Pronunciation: ZHO-ZYAN

Surprisingly enough Josiane is a diminutive form of Joséphine, so it also means “to increase.”

Esmé

Pronunciation: EHZ-may

You’re going to dote on your baby girl, so this French girl name is the perfect choice: it means “esteemed” or “loved.”

Ana?s

Pronunciation: AH-NA-EES

Sadly, the meaning of this beautiful name is unclear; it may be a form of Anne or Agnes, or derived from a longer name like Athéna?s.

Coraline

Pronunciation: KAW-RA-LEEN

This name was invented by French composer Adolphe Adam for his 1849 opera Le Toréador. But he likely based it on the name Coralie, which means “coral.”

Vivienne

Pronunciation: VEE-VYEHN

This gorgeously sophisticated-sounding name is derived from the Latin vivus, meaning “alive.”

Eléa

Pronunciation: Eh-LAY-ah

Eléa is a diminutive form of the name Eleanor, derived from the name Alienòr — which literally means “other Aenor,” and was used to distinguish 12th-century queen Eleanor of Aquitaine from her mother, named Aenor.

Aveline

Pronunciation: AV-eh-leen

Though scholars know this name was derived from the Old German awi, they don’t know what that element means. But it’s the same root word that brings us other names like Ava and Eileen.

Veronique

Pronunciation: VEH-RAH-NEEK

The French version of Veronica (and decidedly more chic), Veronique comes from the Greek name Pherenike, meaning “bringer of victory.”

Emmeline

Pronunciation: EHM-ah-leen

An Old French name, this beauty means “unceasing” or “brave.”

Zélie

Pronunciation: ZEH-lee

Zélie is a short form of Azélie, which comes from the same root word as Adélie: amal, meaning “noble.”

Manon

Pronunciation: MA-NAWN (the last N is more of a nasal sound than a hard N)

Manon is actually a French diminutive of Marie, which itself comes from Mary. Meanings are debated; some sources say it means “bitterness” or “rebelliousness,” while other sources say it means “wished-for child” or “beloved.”

Sandrine

Pronunciation: SAHN-DREEN

The French form of Sandra, which comes from Alessandra — ultimately from the male name Alexander — meaning “defender of men.”

Anouk

Pronunciation: ah-NOOK

They may not sound very similar, but Anouk is the French diminutive version of Anna — meaning “favor” or “grace.”

Sabine

Pronunciation: SAH-BEAN

Sabine is the feminine version of Sabinus, which was a Roman surname meaning “a Sabine” — referencing the Sabines, a people who lived in ancient Italy.

Amélie

Pronunciation: AH-MEH-LEE

Amélie is the French version of Amelial, and it has something in common with Emmeline, mentioned earlier; they both come from the root amal, meaning “brave” or “unceasing.”

Colette

Pronunciation: KAW-LEHT

Colette is a short form of Nicolette — a diminutive of Nicole, the French form of Nicholas (are you still following?), meaning “victory of the people.”

Ma?lys

Pronunciation: MA-EH-LEES

Ma?lys is the feminine form of the name Ma?l, a Breton name meaning “prince” or “lord.”

élodie

Pronunciation: EH-LAW-DEE

élodie is the French form of the name Alodia, which is said to mean “all wealth” or “all riches.”

Alizée

Pronunciation: A-LEE-ZEH

A beautiful name derived from the French word alizé, meaning “tradewinds.”