Popular French Baby Names

The lure of the romantic sound of the French language inspires many parents to consider a traditional French name for the baby. Of course ethnic and religious customs are also rooted in choosing a French name. The sophistication and lyrical sound of French lends itself well to the search for a unique or unusual name.

Tradition and Culture

French people have traditionally named their girls by using the first name of both grandmothers for their girls, and the first name of both grandfathers for their sons. The French have long honored their ancestry by using a middle name that pays homage to the grandparents. This practice has been adopted in American culture and many children from different ethnic groups have middle names that reflect their maternal grandparents last name. French law in the times of Napoleon required Christian children to be named after a saint and Jewish children's name were selected from old testament biblical names. Parents were required to register their child and the registrar would reject a name that might cause the child ridicule. The use of French cities is also very popular probably due to the uniqueness of their sound and spelling.

Making It Work

In the quest for a uncommon and unique monikers parents find that French works well in creating name for their baby. By adding e-ette or ine a name can go from masculine to feminine with the French language

* Simon becomes Simone
* Paul becomes Paulette
* Jacques becomes Jacqueline
* Charles becomes Charline

Of course there are many more choices, parents can use their imagination to create a name of their own. The French also use hyphens to create unique names by combining two names that set their offspring apart from other children. The possibilities are without limits. Other popular choices are German, Russian and Indonesian.