100 chic French baby names for girls and what they mean

Elise Solé
Updated ·2 min read

Say "bonjour" to French names for girls beyond classics like "Marie," "Charlotte" and "Louise."

American parents fell in love with French girl names in the 1960s, according to Laura Wattenberg, the creator of Namerology.

"The Beatles’ song 'Michelle' helped set the trend," Wattenberg tells TODAY.com. "For the next three decades, most of the top French-American names followed the 'Michelle' pattern — they were stressed on the last syllable, and many were feminine forms of classic male names."

The author of “The Baby Name Wizard" says "Michelle" is the feminine version of "Michael," like Danielle is to Daniel and Nicole is to Nicholas.

"Today, parents are looking for freshness, so the hot new names tend to break away from that mold," says Wattenberg. "Elodie, Sylvie and Margot are all rising fast."

100 French baby girl names

Here are 100 French names and their interpreted meanings. Pick one for your petite fille!

  • Vivienne — Alive

  • Simone — To listen

  • Belle — Beauty

  • Henriette — Ruler of the home

  • Beatrice — Person who is blessed

  • Chloe — Fertile and blooming

  • Odette — Rich

  • Zoe — Life

  • Margot — Pearl

  • Dominique — The lord

  • Manon — Queen

  • Valentine — Good health

  • Mireille — To admire

  • Mallory — Unhappy or unlucky person

  • Aurelie — Golden

  • Blanche — White

  • Monique — Wise advisor

  • Anais — Gracious, merciful

  • Violette — Violet or purple

  • Chanel — Channel

  • Valerie — Healthy and strong

  • Laure — Laurel tree

  • Patrice — A noble person

  • Celine — Heavenly

  • Sophia — Wise

  • Francesca — Free

  • Marceline — Young warrior

  • Elle — She

  • Colette — Winner

  • Cecile — Blind

  • Eloise — Healthy

  • Coco — Term of endearment

  • Nathalie — Born on Christmas Day

  • Celeste — Heavenly

  • Nicole — Victorious person

  • Simone — To be heard

  • Adelle — Noble

  • Pauline — Small

  • Mathilde — Strong to battle

  • Sylvie — Forest

  • Celeste — Heavenly

  • Amelie — Hardworking

  • Capucine — Nasturtium, a plant species

  • Camille — Young attendant of a religious ceremony

  • Avril — April

  • Corinne — Maiden

  • Emma — Universal

  • Jade — Jade stone

  • Nicolette — Victory

  • Marguerite — Pearl

  • Charlotte — Free

  • Rose — The rose flower

  • Marie — Beloved

  • Ella — Fairy

  • Mignon — Cute

  • Claire — Clear

  • Antoinette — Valuable

  • Juliette — Youthful

  • Lourdes — The town of Lourdes in France

  • Fleur — Flower

  • Noelle — Christmas

  • Corinne — Maiden

  • Filicia — Happy

  • Jolie — Pretty

  • Solange — Solemn

  • Brigitte — Strong

  • Clementine — Mercy

  • Martine — Strong

  • Elaina — Light

  • Nadine — Hope

  • Genevieve — White wave

  • Constance — Reliable

  • Julia — Youth

  • Aveline — Hazelnut

  • Lea — Meadow

  • Coralie — Coral

  • Esme — Loved

  • Chantal — Stone

  • Francine — Person from France

  • Nannette — Grace

  • Inès — Pure

  • Caroline — Free person

  • Elodie — Wealthy

  • Lilou — The Lily flower

  • Melanie — Dark

  • Eden — Paradise

  • Clara — Bright

  • Renee — Rebirth

  • Gisele — Devotion

  • Audrey — Strong

  • Elise — Promise to God

  • Thea — Goddess

  • Georgette — Farmer

  • Lisette — A promise to God

  • Mauve — Purple

  • Bijou — Jewel

  • Marion — Beloved

  • Seraphine — Fire

  • Angelique — Angel or God’s messenger

This article was originally published on TODAY.com