150+Catchy and Old French Names With Meanings

Every parent is looking for the right name for their baby. But in doing so, many go for names that aren’t popular for whatever reason.

However, this is a costly mistake because you can’t change the name later.

We’ve all heard stories where parents name their child something that the child ends up growing up to hate it. How can you avoid that? 

Do some research and check out some popular old french names to get better idea.

Algernon- “mustachioed”

Bellamy – “handsome friend”                    

Boden- “herald”                              

Boswell – “forested town”

Cable – “rope”

Case  – “chest”                  

Chancellor – “secretary”

Chaney – “oak- “wood”                 

Chapin  – “clergyman”                   

Chase – “hunter”                          

Cheney – “from the oak forest”                 

Corbin   – “raven, black hair”

Crescent – “one who creates”   

In the past, some parents have named their child after celebrities or fictional characters. 

Sometimes the parents themselves will choose a name that is not typical. Other times they will choose a name that is not common at all.

Some parents are so overwhelmed with the task of naming their child, they opt for a one-word baby name. 

And although this has been a popular choice, it’s not always the best decision.

In many cultures around the world, a name is considered an important part of a child’s identity. 

Besides, it’s a good idea to avoid naming your child the same as their father, which might lead to confusion.

So, what should the perfect baby’s name be? Let’s dive into the list of awesome old french names.

Delano  – “of the night”                 

Elaine – “light”

Flannery – “sheet of metal”

Forest – “out of the woods”

Foster   – “forest keeper”                            

Franklin  – “free man”

Fraser – “strawberry”

Garland – “wreath”

Gay – “merry”

Gaylord – “brave strength”

Old French Names

These are catchy old French names:

Ruby – “red gem”

Sargent – “officer, to serve”

Sumner – “summoner”

Sydney – “from city of St. Denis”

Talbot – “reward”

Taylar – “to cut”

Tempest – “storm”         

Tiffany  – “appearance of God”

Travis – “crossing”

Tyson – “son of a German”          

Vail – “from the valley”

Varden – “from the green hill”

Audrey – “Noble strength”

Audrey – “Tatou”

Brigitte – “Magnificent and great”

Brigitte – “Bardot”

Coraline – “Coral”

Charlotte – “Diminutive of Charles”

Charlotte – “Gainsbourg”

Chloé – “Young green shoot”

Old French Names

Unique old French Names

Here are the unique French names:

Catherine – “pure and clear”

Charlotte – “feminine version of Charles”

Christine – “follower of Christ”

Claire – “clear and bright”

Colette – “one who is victorious”

Danielle – “God is my judge”

Dominique – “belonging to the Lord”

Denise – “the god of wine”

Édith – “blessed with riches”

Émilie – “excelling in all things”

Françoise – “France or free one”

Geneviève – “a race of women”

Isabelle – “God is my oath”

Joséphine – “God will add”

Juliette – “youthful”

Old French Girls Names

These are the few old French girls’ names:

Lille – “lilly”

Lucie – “light”

Madeleine – “magnificent”

Mathilde – “strength in battle”

Michelle – “one who is like God”

Monique – “wise”

Nathalie – “born on Christmas day”

Pauline – “humble and small”

Renée – “reborn or born again”

Simone – “one who hears”

Sophie – “having wisdom and is skillful

Sylvie – “from the forest”

Thérèse – “to reap or to gather”

Tips to Naming Your Babies

There are millions of baby names out there, and while most parents decide on a name and stick with it for the rest of their lives.

There are some who wish the best for their future child, but don’t have a clue how to choose a name. 

These parents may be confused about why they can’t come up with a name for their baby, or they may have tried several times and have given up on the idea.

If you are considering giving your child a name, there are some things you should know:

1.  Pick the name you love, even if it is popular.

It is popular and you love it. Anything else you need to think upon? Nope. Go for it. If you want to give it uniqueness, think of a great middle name.

Here are some popular old french names out there:

Maslin   – “little twin”

Musetta – “a ballad”

Neville  – “from the new farmland”

Oriel – “golden, angel of destiny”

Orville   – “from the golden village”

Percival – “pierce the veil”

Prewitt – “valiant one”

Quennel – “dweller by the oak tree”                      

Ranger  – “dweller in the field”

Roslin – “little red- “haired one”

2.  Do not skip lovely old french names even if they are unique, unusual, and different.

Sometimes, parents will not go for unusual, unique, and different baby names. 

They consider it weird. Let me tell you that being attractive and thought provoking is the game these days.

How would you like these old french names:

Chloë – “Sevigny”

Élise – “Oath of God or God is satisfaction”

Gabrielle – “God is my strength”

Gabrielle – “Union”

Jeanne – “Feminine version of John”

Jeanne – “d’Arc”

Juliette – “youthful, beautiful”

Madeleine – “Elevated and magnificent”

Madeleine – “L’engle”

Marie – “Lady of the sea”

3.  Be confident if you want to go toward personalized spellings for your baby’s name.

SURE. You should be confident when giving personalized spellings to your baby’s name. 

However, it is important that you do not make it weird. Adding or removing an alphabet would be enough here.

Try changing these baby names spellings into personalized ones:

 Marie – “Curie”

Mélanie – “Little dark- “haired girl”

Mélanie – “Laurent”

Noémie – “pleasant, lovely”

Noémie – “Lenoir “

Sylvie – “From the forest”

Sylvie – “Vartan”

Stéphane – ““crown of glory”

Stéphane – “Audran”

Adélaïde – “noble”

4.  Crossing your favorite old french names on the feedback on friends and family members.

Feedback is important. But it does not mean to listen to every other person’s opinion. 

You will hardly find old french names that everybody would like. Therefore, get feedback but still know your choice.

Consider getting feedback on these baby names from your friends and family members:

Geneva – “juniper berry”

Laverne  – “from the alder grove”

Leroy – “the king           “

Linus – “flaxen- “haired”                               

Lionel – “young lion”

Lyle – “island”

Marianne – “little Mary”

Marjorie – “pearl”

Marlon – “little hawk”

Marvelle – “miracle”

5.  Do a little research and find what is out there.

Research is important step for the first-time parents as well for those who do not know what sort of names people pick. 

You will be all good once you do a little internet research. 

You will also be able to find some great old french names that you might consider now or in the future.

Here are some common baby names examples to help you:

Amelie – “hardworking”

Aurelie – “golden”

Aveline – “little hazelnut tree”

Celeste – “Heavenly”

Clementine – “mild, merciful”

Coralie – “coral”

Cosette – “something small and tiny”

Delphine – “dolphin”

Élodie – “foreign riches”

Éloise – “healthy”

6.  Consider names of the subsequent children.

Maybe, you are first time parents and figuring out some cool old french name. It is a good idea to consider the names of subsequent children too.

7.  Avoid names with bad meanings.

Baby names with bad meanings can be a cause of embarrassment for you and your kid.

Be sure to know the meaning of the name you are gonna pick and be sure it is encouraging and positive.

Here are some of the cool old french names with meanings:

Esmée – “beloved one”

Fayette – “a little fairy”

Fleur – “flower”

Fosette – “dimpled”

Geneviève – “woman”

Giselle – “a pledge”

Inés – “chaste and pure”

Lilou – “ily flower”

Manette – “sea of bitterness”

Manon – “magnificent”

8.  Pick up good people names from history.

The name of person has effect on his/her personality, it is said. Maybe, that’s the reason why people choose names from history. 

You can consider this as well. I am sure you have heard about many legends from the past. 

I bet you’d find some awesome and useable old french names if you look into it.

We have a small list of old french names here for you to check out and know if you have heard them before:

 Margot – “pearl”

Meline – “little honey”

Mirabelle – “plum”

Nicollete – “victorious”

Noelle – “born on Christmas”

Noémie – “pleasant and lovely”

Risette – “pleasant little laugh”

Classic French Girl Names”

Adrienne – “from the city of Hadria”

Agnès – “pure or holy”

9.  Make sure the first and second name fit with each other.

This happens rarely that the first and seconds names do not fit and meet each other well. It is, however, something you would not want.

Check out old French names and try to make full names that fit each other nicely:

Alice – “Truth or reality”

Aline – “noble”

Amélie – “hardworking and industrious”

Anastasie – “resurrection”

Andrée – “brave”

Anne – “gracious”

Antoinette – “highly praiseworthy”

Bernadette – “Brave as a bear”

Carole – “A strong woman”

Caroline – “strong”

10. Avoid names with too many syllables.

Baby names with too many syllables are complex. They are hard to remember. They should be avoided.

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About Maryam Irfan

Maryam Irfan is a BS commerce student. She is a hardworking person. Though new to writing, she still manages to do great work. In her free time, she watches movies and plays games.