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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

French Girl names

88 replies

BlindSpotForCats · 05/11/2025 20:17

I'm watching Charlotte Gray and when Charlotte went under cover in France she was called Dominique.

I am a bit of a Francophile and so it made me wonder what my preferred French name would be. I love Mathilde. I loved Ghislaine until it became associated with Maxwell. I went to school with a Sandrine which I thought was magnificent.

So I am curious as to what your fave french names are?

I am not naming a baby, but thought this might be the best place to put the query in case I want to change my name by deed poll one day. Grin

OP posts:
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CoubousAndTourmaIet · 10/11/2025 09:40

Clearinguptheclutter · 10/11/2025 09:25

Mireille is a name.

never heard Miri-Elle but have heard Murielle.

Sorry but I was referring to the spelling. It is actually spelt Mireille not Mirielle, I hyphenated purely to emphasise the ei/ie.

NormaSars · 10/11/2025 09:38

RosesAndHellebores · 10/11/2025 09:32

Beautiful names have been mentioned that sound divine when said by a French speaker or pronounced as a French speaker would pronounce them.

Claudine, Elodie, Delphine, etc, probably don't work quite as well in Basildon, Bolton and Birmingham.

I agree, and would add Amélie, Manon, Alison, Jacqueline etc.

RosesAndHellebores · 10/11/2025 09:32

Beautiful names have been mentioned that sound divine when said by a French speaker or pronounced as a French speaker would pronounce them.

Claudine, Elodie, Delphine, etc, probably don't work quite as well in Basildon, Bolton and Birmingham.

CryMyEyesViolet · 10/11/2025 09:26

Anaïs or Ines

Matildahoney · 10/11/2025 09:26

Orianne
Maeva
Genevieve

Clearinguptheclutter · 10/11/2025 09:25

CoubousAndTourmaIet · 10/11/2025 09:21

And isn't it Mireille rather than Miri-elle?

Mireille is a name.

never heard Miri-Elle but have heard Murielle.

CoubousAndTourmaIet · 10/11/2025 09:21

NormaSars · 10/11/2025 09:11

...Mirielle. It means “miracle” and I think it’s a rather lovely name.
It doesn't.

And isn't it Mireille rather than Miri-elle?

NormaSars · 10/11/2025 09:11

...Mirielle. It means “miracle” and I think it’s a rather lovely name.
It doesn't.

Calliopespa · 10/11/2025 08:57

HaveANiceFuckingDay · 09/11/2025 23:47

Yes love Bertie for short

And as short for Albertine!

AliceMcK · 10/11/2025 00:56

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 06/11/2025 18:34

Mirielle
I have a distant French relation by marriage, in her early 90s, called Mirielle. It means “miracle” and I think it’s a rather lovely name.

I went to school with a Solange, which quite like.

I love Anaïs and Noa - there were half French twins in a baby group I went to 14 years ago called these names. I’d say still pretty unusual for rural West Yorks!

I use to work with a Mirielle in the early 00s she was the most arrogant, obnoxious, self entitled full of herself person I ever met, but I still love the name lol

One of my oldest friends is Giselle, very exotic in my small Northern town, I still remember meeting her and her saying “ my name is Giselle, it’s French” in her 10yo French accent. I still love it, but I find most names sound so much nicer in French.

CrazyGoatLady · 10/11/2025 00:31

Didn't end up having any girls, but one of my favourite girls' names when we were thinking of them was Elodie. Also like Ariane, Solène, and a soft spot for Claudine as I loved the St Clare's series as a kid!

Anouken · 09/11/2025 23:52

Andree

mathanxiety · 09/11/2025 23:52

Noemi
Lilou
Gabrielle
Estelle
Alizee
Maxine
Pauline, Paulette
Leonore
Helene
Celine
Sibylle
Agathe
Ines
Apolline

Mistyglade · 09/11/2025 23:52

I love Cleménce.

HaveANiceFuckingDay · 09/11/2025 23:47

Lemonem · 05/11/2025 21:17

Bertille

Yes love Bertie for short

Thewifefury · 09/11/2025 22:48

Magali

MyRoRe · 09/11/2025 22:40

Ludivine
Manon
Camille
Mireille
Romy (my dd)

Firebird83 · 09/11/2025 22:24

I like Apolline

deeahgwitch · 09/11/2025 09:44

I love Eloise and Aurelie.

BitOutOfPractice · 09/11/2025 09:43

Odette. I love it.

The French version of my name is so much nicer than my English one.

minipoodlemum · 09/11/2025 09:42

Adding Léontine and Célestine to the list. Oddly, some of the French children I know have names which we’d consider a bit dated like Jade and Ambre.

Chersfrozenface · 09/11/2025 09:41

ChocolateCinderToffee · 06/11/2025 05:09

Aude
Yann
Sidonie
Sabine

Yann is a Breton male name, the equivalent of John, Jean, Ian etc.

mamagogo1 · 09/11/2025 09:39

My name is french, but mainstream English too. Plenty are

Chichichochi · 09/11/2025 09:38

Love French names!

Anais
Lucille
Celine
Cecile / Cecilia

Mobley52 · 07/11/2025 22:21

Manon and Camille