50 old French first names

Are you looking for a first name for your little one? Let yourself be seduced by one of these 50 most popular old French names that are making a comeback.

Old French first names back in fashion

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The retro names , widely used in the 1950s and even 1900s, are now making a comeback. Having inspired many parents, they benefit from a growing popularity . It must be said that the repertoire of old French first names, both male and female, is rich. Some of them have a very distant origin, others are relatively recent. In this list of 50 old first names French, you will surely find an idea of ​​an original first name for your girl or your boy.

1 – John, popular male first name

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Jean is one of the most popular old French first names in the 1900s. Of Hebrew origin, it means ' God has given grace ”, or Yehohanan in Hebrew.

2 – Marie, a great feminine classic

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Marie is the most given old feminine first name in France with nearly 49,000 allocations in 1900 and 28000 in 1950. This first name is of Hebrew origin, its Hebrew equivalent being Myriam which would have the meaning “ sea ​​drop ».

3 – Louis, a first name with growing popularity

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Louis is the fourth old name the most given name in France in 1900. Louis is one of the top 100 most popular male first names in 2019. It comes from the Germanic first name Hlodowig, which means ' glory and fight ».

4 – Jeanne, old famous female name

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In third place on the list of the most popular old French first names in 1900 and 1930, Jeanne comes from the hebrew first name Yehohanan which means ' God has given grace » or « God forgive ».

5 – Pierre

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With nearly 7500 attributions  in 1900, the first name Pierre was also very popular in the 1930s and 1940s. This Latin first name means “rock”.

6 – Joseph

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The male name Joseph was given to more than 7200 babies in 1900 and it is also coming back into fashion. Of Hebrew origin, it means 'God will increase my descendants'.

7 – Jules

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This world-famous first name was given to more than 2,800 newborns in 1900. This Latin first name from Julius means ' descendant of jupiter ».

8 – Charles

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The masculine given name Charles can also be an Australian, English and Latin given name. It is taken from the first name Carolus which itself comes from the Germanic first name Karl.

9 – Paul

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From first name latin  Paulus, Paul means small.

10 – Lucien

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From the Latin first name Lucius, Lucien means light and it is often associated with the word lux.

11 – Auguste

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The boy name Augustus is derived from the Latin name 'Augustus' which means ' majestic ».

12 – Gabriel

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Gabriel is a biblical name and Hebrew composed from the terms “Gabar” and “el”, which translate to “to be strong” and “God”.

13 – André

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André comes from greek first name Andreas, itself derived from Andros, the etymological origin of the word man.

14 – Leon

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Derived from the Latin first name Leonis which itself comes from the word Léo or lion, Léon is symbol of courage and strength.

15 – Former feminine first name: Marguerite

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Marguerite is the third most given name to little girls in 1900. Marguerite comes from the Greek name Margarites or Latin Margarita which means ' purity » or « pearls ».

16 – Germaine, another classic female name

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Germaine is a first name of Germanic origin and simply designates a resident of Germania.

17 – Henri, old masculine given name of German origin

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Henri comes from the German first name Heimric meaning 'house' and 'king'.

18 – Louise, German feminine given name

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Louise is a given name derived from germanic first name Hlodowig meaning etymologically 'glory and fight'.

19 – Marcel, a Latin first name

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Marcel comes from Marcelus, a Latin first name which would be inspired by the Greek first name Martikos and meaning ' consecrated to the god Mars ».

20 – Georges, derived from a Greek first name

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Georges comes from the Greek first name Geôrgios meaning ' earth workers or farmers.

21 – Yvonne, old feminine first name

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Yvonne is a first name of Celtic origin. It is derived from the word “Yv” which translates to “shrub” or “yew”.

22 – Madeleine, old first name of Hebrew origin

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Madeleine is one of the most popular old female names. It is derived from 'Mygdal' which in Hebrew translates to 'tower'.

23 – Suzanne, first name of Hebrew origin

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Suzanne is an Old French given name derived from Shoshana, a Hebrew given name meaning rose.

24 – René, Greek first name

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The first name René is derived from the Latin word Renatus which translates as ' reborn a second time '. The feast of Saint-René takes place on November 12.

25 – François, Latin masculine given name

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François comes from the Latin name Franciscus meaning free man.

26 – Emile, Latin first name

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One of the most popular old French names, Emile comes from the Latin name Aemilius meaning 'rival'.

27 – Maurice, first name of Latin origin

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“Maurice” comes from the Latin name Mauritius, itself derived from the word Maurus meaning “dark” or “gloomy” and designating the people of the Moors.

28 – Arthur, a very old French first name

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The origin of the first name Arthur dates back to the Middle Ages and it is one of the oldest French, English and Celtic first names. Arthur comes from 'Arzhur', a Breton first name meaning 'bear'.

29 – Gabin, the strength of an old first name

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Gabin is derived from the Hebrew given name Gabies which means ' force ».

30 – Victor, Latin first name synonymous with victory

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The first name Victor comes from the Latin verb Vincere meaning 'overcome'. Saint Victor's Day is celebrated on July 21.

31 – Martha, first name of Aramaic origin

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Martha is an Aramaic feminine given name, formed from the words 'Mar' and 'Marta' which mean 'lord' and 'lady mistress'. St Martha's Day is celebrated on July 20.

32 – Marcelle, a Latin feminine given name

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Marcelle is a feminine first name that is one of the most given in the 1900s . It is derived from Marcellus, a Latin name that designated a Roman family in ancient times.

33 – Albert, Germanic first name

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Albert is a declension of the Germanic first name Adalberht which means 'brilliant', 'illustrious' or 'noble'. St. Albert's Day is celebrated on November 15.

34 – Maria, Hebrew name

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Maria comes from the Hebrew first name Myriam, from which the first name Mary is also derived. The meaning of Myriam would be 'dear' or 'beloved'. Saint Mary's Day is celebrated on August 15.

35 – Anne, female Hebrew given name

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Anne comes from the Hebrew name Hannah which translates as 'grace'. Saint Anne's Day is celebrated on July 26.

36 – Eugene, a Greek first name

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Eugene is derived from the Greek first name Eugenios formed from the word 'eugenes', which means 'well born'.

37 – Josephine, first name of Hebrew origin

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Josephine (feminine of Joseph), is derived from the Hebrew name Yoseph, which translates as 'God will increase my offspring'.

38 – Alice, a wonderful name

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Alice is a girl's name of Germanic origin that comes from Adalhaid, 'Adal' meaning noble. Sainte-Alice is celebrated on December 16.

39 – Antoine, Greek first name

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Antoine comes from the Latin first name Antonius whose Greek root 'anthos' means fleur .

40 – Angèle, a feminine first name of Greek origin

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Angela is another Greek given name derived from Angelos and Aggelos meaning 'angel' or 'messenger'. The feast of Saint Angela is celebrated on January 27.

41 – Catherine, a pure female name

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The name Catherine is derived from the Greek name Aikaterinê which includes the root “Kathara” meaning “pure”.

42 – Jacques, Hebrew first name

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Jacques is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov which incorporates the root aqev meaning 'heel'. The feast of St-Jacques takes place every May 3rd.

43 – Mathilde, first name of Germanic origin

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Mathilde is a first name of daughter which comes from the Germanic first name Mathild which consists of the words math and hild meaning respectively strength and power . Saint Mathilde's Day is celebrated on March 14.

44 – Edward, English first name

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Edward, old first name tendency , comes from the first name of English origin Eadweard. The roots “ead” and “weard” mean “wealth” and “protect” in the order. Saint Edward is honored on January 5.

45 – Emilie, Roman first name

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Emilie comes from the Latin term aemulus meaning ' emulates » or « rival '. It is also a German first name meaning 'worker'.

46 – Robin, Germanic first name

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Of German origin, the first name Robin means ' glory » or « bright '. Saint-Robin's Day is celebrated on April 30.

47 – Alexander, Greek first name

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“Alexander” comes from the Greek first name Alexandros which consists of “alexein” and “andros”. These terms mean “repel” and “man” respectively.

48 – Leah, Hebrew first name

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The first name Leah comes from the Hebrew first name Le'ah which would mean 'tired'. However, this first name can also mean ' lion since it's the female version of Leo.

49 – Stephen, Greek first name

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Étienne is a retro French given name of Greek origin. It is derived from the Greek word 'stephanos' meaning ' the crowned one Saint-Étienne is celebrated every December 26th.

50 – Adrian, Latin first name

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Adrien is the derivative of name Adria which designates a city in Veneto, explaining the origin of the name of the Adriatic Sea. Saint-Adrien's feast day is September 8.