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Be it a baby girl or a boy child, the expectant mother is always on tenterhooks wondering and scouring name barriers for names that are French, sound exotic, mean the baby is born in a particular month, named after her favourite colour, or a personality trait that she wants the baby to be blessed with. It is not uncommon to name the baby after places, flowers or gemstones too! And yes, most Frenchmen will have a first name, middle name and family name. So, French mothers actually have to find a balanced name by choosing two names for one precious baby boy. Let us help with a list.
List of French Baby Boy Names with Meanings
Globally, French first male names are quite the rage! Every mother wishes for her son’s name to be lucky and unique. Why not explore such typical French names and tweak them to suit your parameters? Based on your family name, match the chosen names and explore the meaning, rhyming and rhythm to ensure you find one that suits your baby best. After all, it will define his personality and last a lifetime.
Unique French Baby Boy Names
Let us make a start by enumerating some typical but unique French boy names that start with A and then run through the alphabet list to help you find and explore possibilities of finding that perfect name for your handsome baby boy. Some unique French names to name your baby boy can be Warrane or the game warden, Bailey the fortification or bailiff, Wyatt or Wiatt the guide, Bellamy the handsome buddy, Bernard the brave and bear-like, Bell or handsome, Bruce from Brys, Corbett or raven-haired, Dillon or Dylan meaning lion-like, Denis or Dennis of the Dionysus, Dix or number ten, Gary the watchful, Iven the little archer, Joy the rejoicer, Lancelot the King’s lanceman, Leandre or Leander like the lion, Linus or Lineaus or flaxen-haired, Lionel the young lion, Luc or enlightened, Marlo the young hawk, Marque the God of War are all a good choice.
| Name | Meaning |
| Andie | The name means ‘courageous and valiant’. Very masculine! Can also be spelt Andy and a short form of Andrew. |
| Arman | Yes, it sounds Indian and is typically French. It means ‘of the army’. In Hindi it means ‘a long-awaited wish’. |
| Abrielle |
Abrielle is a gorgeous name that combines the grace of Gabrielle with the spunkiness of Ariel. It has both French and Italian uses, making it a beautiful, European choice. |
| Barry | This name means ‘a marksman or a spear thrower’ and is as traditional as it gets. |
| Baron/Byron | Want your son to have a title? Choose the sign of nobility. Many variants are available like the Indian Bhyron. |
| Beau | Short and beautiful, it would suit a handsome debonair man with inward beauty. Names like Beaufort, Beauvais, Beaumont, and Beaugard are common compounding of names in France. |
| Carl | Modern? No, the name is traditional and means manly and strong. Carlo is another name to try. |
| Carlos | This name is popular and indicates a strong and valiant manly young man. |
| Desi | The name is all about your cravings and desire to have a son. In Hindi, it means ‘native to the nation’. |
| Denver | No, the name is not American. It is French and means ‘from the Anvers’! |
| Desire | Yes! This is an English word with French roots and makes a wonderful unisex name for a boy who grows up desired! |
| Ed | There are many English persons named Ed or variants of the name like Edwards. However, the French meaning is ‘a warrior who is always prosperous’. |
| Fabien | Typically French, and means ‘a bean grower’ or ‘farmer’. |
| Gerard | The name means ‘to have excellent spearmanship’ and refers to the strong spear. |
| Germain | Typically, in French, it means ‘from Germany’ or ‘an ally worthy friend’. |
| Herbert | This name is popular and means ‘the famous warrior of the times’. |
| Hamilton | The name is used by the car racer Lewis Hamilton and means ‘from the mountain regions’. |
| Jacques | The French meaning of this name is ‘an excellent supplanter of plans’. |
| Jeanne | The name is unisex but more preferred for baby boys. It means ‘God has been merciful to me. Try Jean as another variant. |
| Karl | A hugely popular name all over Europe and meaning ‘manly’ or ‘attractive and masculine’. |
| Lance | This name is from the old ages and means ‘one who wields the Lance’. |
| Marshall | The English word seems to have originated here. The name means ‘the horses and horse force keeper’. |
| Maurice | The French description of the dark Moors. Interesting variants are Maurizio, Mauricio, and Maury. |
| Napolean | The name means ‘he who originated from Naples’ and is inspired by the famous Napoleon Bonaparte himself! |
| Raimond | This name is meaningful and implies ‘the man is one who is guarded and wise too’. |
Cute French Baby Names for Boys
All babies are cute and there is no doubt that the name needs to be cute too! Moms-to-be, love the fact that the nicknames are part of the first name when naming their newborn son. It need not be too long especially when your family name is long and a compound word. Ex: Yves St Laurent. Again, you can also pick out the middle name so it rhymes and is not too long. Ex: Fabrice Andre Grolaire. And, yes there are no common names when it comes to naming your baby right. Your baby is unique and special too. So, let us explore some of those cute and typical French baby boy names, shall we?
| Name | Meaning |
| Ancel | This name has multiple meanings. It could be ‘a parcel of land or the Knight’s attendant’. |
| Blais | Also with variations like Blaize and Blaise, it means ‘to stutter or lisp when speaking’. |
| Bo | The unisex name means ‘beautiful character and handsome’. It can also be used as the nickname for Bogart which means ‘of bow’s strength’ and ‘Bono or Boone which mean good’. |
| Brett | This name in French means ‘from Britanny’ and can also be used as Bret. |
| Chappel | This name means ‘from the precincts of the chapel’ and can also be spelt as Chappell. |
| Charles | This masculine name means ‘of great manly strength’. |
| Colin | This name means ‘the victory of the people’. Variants are Charly and Charlie. |
| Darcel | This name can be spelt as Darcy, Darcell and means ‘from Arcy in France’. |
| Fontane | Literally, the word means a mountain in French. |
| Francois | Also covers Francis, Franco, Frank, Franklyn, Franklin, Fremont, Franky and means ‘a free-spirited man’. |
| Friedrich | Also spelt Friederich, and covers Fred, Freddy, it means ‘to be free’. |
| Geoffrey | Also spelt as Geffrey, Jeff, Jeffry, it means ‘to be filled with divine peace’, ‘peaceful’. |
| Gil | Also spelt Gill, Gillian means ‘to be youthful’. |
| Gustave | Shortened to Gustav, it is very popular and means ‘the royal staff of the ruler’. |
| Guy | A short and sweet name for a friend, mentor or guide. |
| John | This popular name means ‘filled with God’s mercy’ and has variations like Johnie, Johny, Jonnie, Johnn, Jonn, John-Paul. |
| Julian | This name means ‘child born of love’ or ‘love child’. Variations include Julien, Julius and Jill. |
| Vernon | A popular name that means ‘from the grove of Alders’. It has many variations like Vern, Verna, Varnal, Vernay, Verne, Vernia, and Verney. |
| Verrill | The name means ‘to be true’ and is used in English as Verily. Other similar names are Verrell, Verrill, and Verrall. |
| Vial | The name means ‘lively’ and also is used as Viau. |
| William | The name used by many kings, means ‘a protector who is completely resolute in his role’. Willie, Will, and Wil make good nicknames. |
| Xavier | This popular name is used for the boy born in January and means ‘enlightenment’. Remember St Francis Xavier? |
| Yves | The very fashionable French name means ‘an archer’. So do Yvon, Ivan, Yvet and Evon. |
| Vicky | Vic, Vick, Vicq all mean ‘from the village’. |
| Warren | This name means From La Varenne in France. |
Old Fashioned French Names
Did someone say that traditional French boy names are passé? No, they are not! As a matter of fact, you will find inspiration in those names that have stood the test of times and yet continue to impress and motivate the newborn to follow in the footsteps of the saint or idol they are named after. Like Marquis a noble rank, Maxime the greatest, Miquel or like God, Norris from the North, Orvil also spelt Orwell hailing from the golden village, Parfait or perfect, Pierce or a rock, Percival or piercing through the veil, Perry or Pierre the rocky stone, Quin the 5th born, Rainier the wise counsellor, Remi the powerful, Ray, Roy or Roi the king or light beam, Rene the reincarnated, Romaine or Roman from Rome of course, Paul the little master, Sid from St Denis, Sommer or born in Summer, and Valiant or Brave.
| Name | Meaning |
| Andre | This name is masculine and means ‘the courageous valiant man’. Variations of the name are Andreas, Andree, Andres, and Andrei. To name girl babies one can use Andrea. |
| Audric | This name is like Sage and can be used to emulate the wise and old ruler. |
| Caspar | It is the name of the friendly ghost of comic strips and actually means ‘the treasurer’. |
| Christophe | This name means ‘you carry Christ in you’. It is also spelt, Christopher. |
| Damien | The name is as subtle and exciting as the meaning – in French, ‘the bearer is one who tames’. |
| Dax | This name is short and sweet. It is a French Town and like Paris, is an inspirational name for a boy. |
| Edgar | The name is all about power and fortune to the bearer of the name. A variation is Edgard. |
| Fernand | Like many who bear this name the thrill of explorations is never far from its meaning. |
| Freman | With variants like Freemann, Frieman, and others this name means and ‘suggests the free man’. |
| Gary | This French name is for ‘one who guards and is watchful’. |
| Gautier | Typically, French, the name means ‘a ruler who is powerful’. |
| Henry | The variant Henri is used as a unisex name and means ‘to rule over the household’. |
| Ignace | This name is for ‘one who is unstoppable and fiery’. |
| Jasper | Named after the precious stone of Jasper it could be the colour, value or precious that is meant by the name. |
| Jay | A short and sweet name for the free-flying blue jay. |
| Javier | This name means your son is ‘born in January’. |
| Lafayette | This is generally used as a French surname |
| Lamar | The name is about water and means ‘of the sea’. A variation in spelling as Lamarr can be considered. |
| Marcel | The French God of War was named so. Variations are Marcellino, Marcello, Marcellus, and Marcello. |
| Oliver | The name suggests the Olive tree. |
| Pascal | A name widely used for a baby boy born on Easter Day. A spelling variation is Pasquel. |
| Robert | This name has many variations like Robbie, Robb, Robby which all mean ‘the famed or bright one’. |
| Sage | An English word too that suggests the bearer is wise, old and all-knowing. |
| Valeray | In French, it means a ‘brave boy’. You can also use Val, Valerian, and Valerie. |
| Wyatt | This surname can also be used as a first name and means ‘water’. |
Some names like Christien meaning follower of Christ, Dennis or from Saint Denys, Justin the upright, Lee or kingly, Mark or the defender, Newton the kernel, Noel or Christmas season, Neville from the new village, Troy or curly-haired one, and Tyce or fiery spirited may suit the French better. But there’s no stopping you for putting your own spin on French names and modifying them to suit your needs. French boy names that start with a have been the rage for quite a while. When you choose French male names, it is well worth the effort to name your child meaningfully and define his personality at the earliest. Happy naming time and best wishes to you for a safe delivery!
