Choosing a French name for your soon-to-arrive baby boy is the first creative thing in naming. French is so rich that people from all over the world choose French names for their class, exotic nature, and chicness. These names come in different groups and they carry profound meanings. Names for boys have varying inspirations including months of the year, flowers, places, gemstones, and saint names.

Every parent wants their son’s name to be unique. In this post, there are many French names to choose from that will suit your baby best. And mind you, these names could define the baby’s personality. 

So, Here are Some of the Most Beautiful, Cute and Popular French Names for Boys

Unique French Boy Names

We start proceedings by listing some unique French names for boys that start with A and then run alphabetically to help you discover the perfect name for your lovely baby boy. Despite their cool composition, these unique names aren’t popular among natives. But it doesn’t stop anyone from naming their kids. 

Andie- meaning “courageous and valiant”. This is an incredibly masculine name and can be spelled Andy which is also a short form of Andrew.

Arman- Though it gives you Indian vibes, this name is very French. It means “of the army”.  

Abrielle- This is a beautiful name that is a portmanteau of Gabrielle and Ariel. It has both Italian and French origins.

Barry- It means “a marksman” or “a spear thrower”.

Baron/Byron- This one is a very noble name and it has quite many variants.

Beau- Beautiful and short. Names like Beauvais, Beaufort, Beaugard, and Beaumont are common compounding names in France.

Carl- This is one of the most popular in this category. It is a traditional French name that means strong and manly. It’s a variant of Carlo.

Carlos- This means a “valiant and strong young man”.

Denver- Nah! This name isn’t from America. It’s French and means “from the Anvers”.

Desire- Yes it is English but with French roots. It is a unisex name for a boy who matures to be desired.

Ed- You might have met many people from the English Isle who bears this. But it means “a warrior who is always prosperous” in French. 

Fabien- means “a farmer” or “bean grower”.

Gerard- It means “to have excellent spearmanship”. 

Germain- It means “from Germany” or “an ally worthy friend”.

Herbert- “the famous warrior of the times”.

Hamilton- “from the mountain regions”.

Jacques- “an excellent supplanter of plans”.

Jeanne- This is a unisex name but more preferred for baby boys. It means “God has been merciful to me”. Jean is a variant.

Karl- means “manly” or “attractive and masculine”.

Lance- originates from the old ages and it means “one who wields the lance”.

Marshall- the English word originated from French. It means “the horses and horse force keeper”.

Maurice- This name is the French description of the dark Moors. Mauricio, Maurizio, and Maury are variants.

Napoleon-  “he who originated from Naples”. The most popular person bearing the name is no one else but Napoleon Bonaparte.

Raimond- “the man is who is guarded and wise too”.

Cute French names for boys 

Every baby is cute and cute names must follow too. When choosing a French name for your baby, it doesn’t have to be long especially when you have a long family name or a compound word. Additionally, select a middle name that rhymes and isn’t too long. So, here are some cute French names for boys that you can explore.

Ancel- “parcel of land” or “the Knight’s attendant”

Blais– Blaise and Blaize are variations and it means “to stutter or lisp when speaking”.

Bo- this is a unisex name that means “beautiful character and handsome”. Sometimes it is used as the nickname for Bogart which means “of bow’s strength” and Bono or Boone which means “good”.

Brett- “from Brittany”. It can be written as Bret too.

Chappel- “from the precincts of the chapel”. It is also written as Chappell.

Charles-” of great manly strength”. 

Colin- “the victory of the people”. Charlie and Charly are variants.

Darcel- also spelled as Darcell and Darcy. It means “from Arcy in France. 

Fontane- means “mountain”.

Francois- Frank, Franco, Francis, Franklin, Fremont, Franklyn, Franky are variants and it means “a free-spirited man”.

Friedrich- Also written as Friederich with variants such as Freddy and Fred. It means “to be free”.

Geoffrey- Other spellings include Jeff, Jeffry, and Geffrey. It means “peaceful” or “to be filled with divine peace”.

Gil- Spelt as Gillian and Gill and means “to be youthful”.

Gustave- This is a shortened form of Gustav and it means “the royal staff of the ruler”.

Guy- It’s a name for mentor, guide, or friend.

John- “filled with God’s mercy”. Its variants include Johny, Johnie, Jonnie, Jonn, Johnn, John-Paul.

Julian- “Child born of love” or “love child”. Julius, Julien, and Jill are some of its variants. 

Vernon- “from the grove of Alders”. Its variants include Verna, Vern, Vernay, Varnal, Verney, Vernia.

Verrill- “to be true”. In English, it is written as Verily. Other variants are Verrill, Verrell, and Verrall.

William- “a protector who is completely resolute in his role”. Variants include Will, Willie, and Wil.

Xavier- this name is used for boys born in January. It means “enlightenment”. 

Yves- ”an archer”

Vicky- with its variants Vic, Vicq, and Vick all mean “from the village”. 

Warren- “from La Varenne in France”

Old Fashioned Beautiful French Names

If you don’t already know, old-fashioned French names aren’t really old school. In fact, you will draw inspiration from those timeless names. They are beautiful, and some have interesting stories behind their meaning.

Andre- “the courageous valiant man”. Variants include Andree, Andreas, Andrei, and Andres. Andrea is the female version.

Audric- “sage”

Caspar- “the treasurer”

Christophe- “you carry Christ in you.” Also spelled Christopher.

Damien- ”the bearer tames”

Dax– It is a French town and an inspirational boy name.

Freman- “the free man”. Its variants are Fireman, Freemann, etc.

Gary- “one who guards and is watchful”

Gautier- “a ruler who is powerful”

Henry- “to rule over the household”. Henri is a variant.

Ignace- ”one who is unstoppable and fiery”

Jasper- named after a precious stone

Javier- “born in January”

Lafayette- this is often used as a surname 

Lamar- “of the sea”. It’s also written as Lamarr

Marcel- the French god of war. Marcellino, Marcellus, and Marcello are variants

Pascal- It’s used for a baby boy born on Easter Day. Pasquel is a variant. 

Robert- “the famed” or “the bright one”. Its variants include Robb, Robbie, and Robby.

Valeray- “brave boy”. Valerian, Val, and Valerie are variants

Final Thoughts

You want to find a name that is not too popular, with rich meaning, but has something that is still chic and beautiful? This list of French names will do just fine for you to choose from. True that there is pressure to name a child. Your kid can even grow to hate you for it, but it shouldn’t be so. I’ve broken the names into categories to give you some context as to uniqueness, popularity, etc., to allay any worries.