Looking for a baby name for 2021? If you’re not into the baby names deriving from the COVID-19 pandemic like Corona, let us present you with some French baby names options. Between classic baby names, vintage baby names and trendy names, French people are all about short names.
It is never easy to choose a name for a baby. It might sound obvious but, yes, your baby will have to grow up with the name you chose! Some parents like to have several options of baby names for girls and boys. So if you’re looking to make a list, here are some of the French baby names that might be popular for 2021.
French Baby Names for Girls in 2021
Are you expecting a baby girl for 2021? Or are you looking for a name for your future baby? It’s always interesting to see what the popular names are in other countries. What are the baby names for girls that are trending in France? Here are 20 popular names that could be trending in 2021…
Jade
Jade is still a very popular name in France! It comes from the Spanish word “piedra de la ijada”, which means “stone of the sides”. More than a beautiful stone, it was supposed to have medicinal virtues. The name Jade was among the most popular French baby names last year.
Alice
Alice comes from the Old French name Aalis, which is a short form of Adelais and a short form of the Germanic name Adalheidis (Adélaïde).
Mia
It’s difficult to really coin the origin of this name. It’s the diminutive form of Maria, but can also come from Miriam, Amelia, Emilia or even Maya. Mia means “mine” in Italian and Spanish.
Chloé
This beautiful name comes from the Greek and means “young plant”. It’s the perfect baby name for nature lovers! And it was the nickname of Demeter, the Greek goddess of the Earth.
Léna
Nowadays, French parents love short baby names. You can choose a classic name and decide to go with the short version. Léna comes from Lena, which is the abbreviation of several names ending in -ena and -ene : Helena, Magdalena.
Suzanne
If you’re looking for a more classic name, Suzanne might be for you. It comes from the Hebrew name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshannah), derived from the Hebrew word שׁוֹשָׁן (shoshan) meaning “lily”. In modern Hebrew, this also means “rose”.
Sofia
This name is of Greek origin and means “wisdom”. Sofia is a variation of the Greek name Sophia, which was derived from “sophia”, the Greek word for wisdom. Several queens of Russia and Spain were named Sofia. If you’re looking for a variant, Sonya is the Russian form of Sofia.
Rose
The good thing about this name is that the meaning remains the same in French and in English! The name Rose is derived from the Latin “rosa”, which referred to the flower. If you’re looking for something more unique, you might like the fact that in Old English, this name was translated as Roese and Rohese.
Lina
Do you know any Lina among your friends, or do you use it as diminutive for other names like Angelina, Apollina, Carolina, Evangelina, Melina or Rosalina? Anyway, it’s a name with multiple origins. For example, in Arabic “Lina” (لينة) refers to a young palm tree. It means “tender” or “tenderness”. But in Chinese, “Li” (丽) means “pretty” and “Na” (娜) means “elegant”.
Ambre
If you like the name Amber but want to add a French twist to it, just use Ambre. The word refers to the fossilized tree resin that can be used in jewelry.
Nicole
Did you know that Nicole is the feminine version of Nicolas? And the name Nicolas is of Greek origin, formed as a compound of the words for “victory” and “people”.
Jeanne
In 2021, the trend for baby names is all about vintage and classic names, like Jeanne. But do you know where it comes from? Jeanne is the feminine form of Jean, from the Hebrew first name Yehohanan and can be translated as “God forgives”.
Inaya
Inaya is a name of Arabic origin. It means help, care, concern or protection. It was very popular in France in 2011 and 2013, and could become even more popular in 2021.
Nour
Nour, Noor or Nur comes from the Arabic نور:, meaning light and “The Divine Light”. It’s a gender neutral and unisex name, but it can also be feminized at Nura or Noora. Also, in the Norse mythology, Nór was the name of the founder king of Norway.
Iris
Most people only know the name Iris because of the flower. It comes from the Greek Ἶρις meaning “the messenger of the gods among themselves” and ἶρις, the “rainbow”.
Agathe
Looking for a French baby name with a beautiful meaning? Agathe comes from the latinized form of the Greek name Αγαθη (Agathe) or derived from Greek αγαθος (agathos), which means “good”. There is also a stone called “agate”, which is full of colors.
Madeleine
Sure, “une madeleine” is a delicious sweet cake from France. But as a name, Madeleine is a modern rendering of the epithet Magdalene, meaning “of Magdala”.
Romy
Even if the name Romy is more used for girls, it’s a gender neutral name. It comes from the Latin word “rosemary”, meaning “dew of the sea, or rosemary (herb)”. This name is well known thanks to the actress Romy Schneider.
Giulia
French people might be over the names Juliette or Julia… So they decide to use the Italian variant: Giulia! In Italian, it means “youthful”.
Victoire
In French, “Victoire” means “victory”. It’s a powerful name to give to someone. It’s a good alternative to Victoria.
French Baby Names for Boys in 2021
Let’s talk about boys’ names. Even though many classic and vintage names are trending again, French people like to mix it up with baby names from other countries. If you’re looking for a baby name with more panache, try Zéphyr.
Louis
Derived from the Germanic name Hlodowig, this name is composed of the elements “Hlod” and “wig” (which means “glory” and “fight”). It’s a very well-known name in France since it was the name of several kings.
Ernest
It’s not very complicated to find out the meaning of this name, since “ernest” means “serious” in English. It was a very popular name in the beginning of the 1900s, maybe thanks to the play from Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, in which one of the characters is called Ernest. With the newfound love of French people for old and classic names, Ernest might do a comeback.
Alfred
Did you know that the name Alfred means “elf counsel”? It’s derived from the Old English name Ælfræd, composed of the elements ælf “elf” and ræd “counsel”. It might seem funny when you think about the famous Alfreds, like Alfred Hitchcock or the fictional butler of Batman.
Emile
Emile comes from the name Emil, which itself comes from the Roman family name Aemilius. It’s derived from Latin aemulus meaning “rival”. The French version of this name would be Emilie or Emilia.
Octave
For most people, the name “Octave” surely has something to do with the musical term “octave”. But no, the name Octave is the short version of Octavius, which is a Roman family name derived from Latin octavus meaning “eighth”.
Jacques
“Frère Jacques is a French lullaby, and the name Jacques is the French form of Jacob and James, both of which are derived from the Hebrew Biblical name יַעֲקֹב (Ya’aqobh). It translates to “at the heel” or “one that takes by the heel”, referring to his story in the Bible. Jacob was the second-born twin to Isaac and Rebecca and was born “with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob.” (Genesis 25:26).
Gabriel
Do we still need to present this name? It seems to always be among the favorite French baby names. It comes from the Hebrew words “gabor” and “el”, meaning “God’s strength”. In Hebrew tradition, Gabriel is an archangel and messenger of God. In the Old Testament, he’s sent to interpret the visions of the prophet Daniel, while serving as the announcer of the birth of Jesus to Mary in the New Testament.
Raphaël
It comes from the Hebrew word “rephael”, meaning “God has healed”. Some parents prefer the Spanish version Rafael…
Léo
That’s an easy one! Léo comes from the Latin word “leo”, which means “lion”. It can be a name on its own or the diminutive for Léon and Léonard.
Lucas
Looking for a boy baby name with a nice meaning? Lucas comes from the name Luc, which in Latin, comes from the word “lux” (“light”).
Lucien
Just like Lucas, this name is derived from the Latin word “lux”, meaning light. If you want to go deeper, the name Lucien comes from the Latin name Lucianus, which itself comes from Lucius. It’s seen as an “old” name that was popular amongst our grandparents’ generation, but is trending again.
Mohammed
Mohammed (which can also be written as Mohamed) is an alternate transcription of Arabic محمّد , Muhammad, which means “praised, commendable”. It became really popular in France around the 1950s and remains in the list of popular baby names for 2021.
Dylan
Are you considering giving the name Dylan to your baby because of the TV show Beverly Hills 90210? You should also know that this name comes from the Welsh elements “dy” meaning “great” and “llanw” meaning “tide, flow”. In Welsh mythology Dylan was a god associated with the sea.
Will
Yes, French people love English names too! Will is the short version of William, which is a name usually linked with the British royal family. But it comes from the Germanic name Willahelm meaning “will helmet”: “wil” meaning “will, desire” and helm meaning “helmet” and “protection”.
Orion
Mythology can be a great source of inspiration for parents looking for baby names. Orion comes from the Greek mythology: he was the legendary hunter who pursued the seven daughters of Atlas, but then was slain by the goddess Artemis. After his death, he was placed as one of the brightest constellations in the night sky by Zeus. It’s a great name for parents who love astronomy.
Zéphyr
After baby names inspired by constellations, here is a baby name inspired by nature. In French, the “zéphyr” is a nice and soft wind. In Greek mythology, Zephyr (in ancient Greek Ζέφυρος / Zephuros) is the personification of the west or northwest wind.
Syrius
Alternative version of Sirius, Sirius comes from the Latin and means “burns brightly”. Sure, it’s a nice meaning, but most parents might think about the character of Sirius Black first. Any Harry Potter fans here?
Marceau
Marcel Marceau was a French actor and mime artist most famous for his persona, “Bip the Clown”. And guess what, Marceau is an old French variant of Marcel, which itself comes from Marcellus, meaning “belonging to Mars”.
Amir
Amir is an Arabic name, written أمير. It means “commander, prince” in Arabic. Originally, it was a title, which has come into English as the Arabic loanword “emir”.
Jules
This classic name comes from the Latin Iulius, legendary founder of the Roman Empire. It means “descendant of Jupiter”. You might also like the variant Julien.
In short, we can see that baby names trending in France are not all of French origin. French people love baby names for girls and boys that come from other countries. So feel free to get inspired by this list, or to look into other international names. But don’t forget: old, classic and vintage names are definitely in fashion for 2021.
Psssst, if you want more ideas, here are the trendiest baby names for 2022.
