Whether you’re in love with French pastry or you’re a fashion buff, giving your dog a French name is always a good choice. As long as you are more imaginative than Novak Djoković, the tennis star who named its dog Pierre, you will be proud of your dog’s nom.
French dog names that are outright cute
Apart from Spanish and Italian, French is the language of love, so there are plenty of names that are plainly put, cute.
- Just imagine how well the name Petite goes with a small dog breed like the Bichon Frise.
- Bonbon is a name that suits a sweet pup, while
- Bijoux
- Bisous, and
- Brindille are perfect for a dog that is the jewel of your life. Then we have:
- Peu
- Jolie (for a jolly mutt)
- Papillon
- Soirée
- Escargot
- (Mon)Cherie
- Chouchou (doesn’t it sound lovely?)
- Libellule
Apart from Spanish and Italian, French is the language of love, so there are plenty of names that are plainly put, cute.
French dog names for boys…
Sharing your living quarters with a four-legged monsieur means you need a good male name.
- Albert is a royal name
- Florian would a pup that loves flowers, and
- Sébastien is a loving pup.
Names like:
- Antoine
- Claude
- Curtis
- Durant
- Gaston
- Fabien
- Henri
- Hubert, and
- Jacques
are as French as they get. The list goes on:
- Absolon
- Hugo
- Beaumont
- Corbin
- Luc
- Luouse
- Julien
- Gabriel
- Phillippe
- Paul
- Raphael
- Martin
- Marc
- Laurent
- Matisse
- Noel
- Maurice
- Oliver
- Pascal
- Raphael
- Stéphane
- Victor
- Timothée
…and French dog names for girls
If a mademoiselle stole your heart, then name her:
- Amélie after the main protagonist of the 2001 movie Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain.
- A beautiful lady should be named Bella or
- Isabelle.
For shopaholics, Zara comes naturally, but like with males, the list of potential names is virtually endless:
- Adeline
- Clara
- Chloé
- Bernadette
- Charlotte
- Cecile
- Bridgette
- Renée
- Camille
- Roxanne
- Sabine
- Éloise
- Sylvie
- Patrice
- Violetta
- Geneviѐve
- Giselle
- Odette
- Margeaux
If a mademoiselle stole your heart, then name her Amélie after the main protagonist of the 2001 movie Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain.
French sport as inspiration
Having won the FIFA World Cup in 2018, France just confirmed that it is the land of sport. Over the years, their athletes have become role models for millions, so their names sound familiar enough for you to name your pup after them.
Firstly, there are so many active and retired football stars, from:
- Pogba and
- Thierry, across
- Griezmann and
- Platini, all the way to
- Zinedine Zidane and
- Lillian Thuram
The list of French athletes goes on:
- Joakim
- Gobert
- Deschamps
- Roussimoff
- Mbappé
- Mauresmo
- Manaudou
- Longoo
- Yannick
- Moscato, and
- the NBA star, Tony Parker
Joakim, Gobert, Deschamps, Roussimoff, Mbappé, Mauresmo, Manaudou, Longoo, Yannick, Moscato, and the NBA star, Tony Parker are some athlete names you may consider.
Place names as inspiration for French dog names
France is a large country with numerous tourist destinations that have a ring to them.
- Paris is the most obvious naming option but romantic places include:
- Lyon
- Geneva (albeit in Switzerland)
- Marseille
- Toulouse
Franc and Frank are naming options for people with French heritage and (La) Rochelle honors the French expeditions to the New World. Then there are:
- Nice
- Eiffel
- Arc
- Triomphe
- Toulouse
- Louvre
- Notre Dame (it would go well with a Great Dane)
- Fontaine
- Pompidou
- Versailles
French dog names for small breeds
Even though the size of your animal and French names aren’t directly correlated, we can all agree that small dog breeds are ideal for such sweet names.
Here is a list of French dog names for your fur ball:
- Tulipe
- Crepe
- Savarin
- Macaron
- Mont Blanc & Crème (ideal for a show-white puppy)
- Palmier
- Tarte
- Éclair (for a black-and-brown dog)
- Croissant
- Madeleine
- Soufflé
- Financier
- Suzette
- Brioche
- Galette
- Tatin
- Praline
Small dog breeds are ideal for sweet French names.
Fashionable French dog names
Deemed by many as the fashion capital of the world, Paris is a city where high-end fashion meets daily life.
Numerous French fashion brands can serve as inspiration for your dog’s name that it will “wear” with pride. We’ve all heard of:
- Chanel
- Dior
- Cardin
- Givenchy, and
- Vuitton
but there are many more brands that are suitable for pup names:
- Gaultier and Yves Saint Laurent are perfect for a posh pooch, while
- Hermès
- Garnier
- L’Oreal
- Celine
- Louboutin, and
- Lacroix
will add an air of mystery to your four-legged pal.
Numerous French fashion brands can serve as inspiration for your dog’s name that it will “wear” with pride.
French dog names that have a deeper meaning
Giving your dog a French name literally sounds good but after you move from the phonetics of the language, you might want to consider the deeper meaning these names have.
- For instance, Yvette means “an archer” is a great alternative to the English name Archie which has become too common.
- Agathe, meaning “good” is well-suited for an obedient pup, while
- Adrienne/Adrian is a solid naming option for a black dog.
- Céline is a good alternative to Luna and
- Caroline is ideal for a strong female dog.
- Bebe is another way you can say Babs or Babe.
- Amaury would be a work dog,
- Frédéric a peaceful ruler (of your heart), and
- Julien is best suited for a puppy (meaning “young”).
- Chanceux is another way to say Lucky,
- Pascal is a mischievous hound, while
- Odie, meaning “mountain,” befits a large male dog.
Unique dog names coming from French cuisine
From soufflé to ratatouille, French cuisine is among the most respected on the planet.
We will not hide the fact that many of the names listed here are French food names but there are many more original dog names we have French cuisine to thank for:
- For cheese lovers, Brie is a savory naming option
- but Pistache is a name you’ll go nuts for as well.
- Ganache is a delicious chocolate glaze, while
- Fondue “melts” inside your mouth when you pronounce it.
- Cassoulet is a sausage and bean soup that would suit well a Dachshund.
Perhaps you can find your dog’s name among the famous Frenchmen and Frenchwomen’s names.
Famous Frenchmen turned canine
No, Napoleon wasn’t a dog but the French ruler’s name could serve as inspiration for naming your mutt (George Orwell certainly made good use of it in Animal Farm).
Then we have the former French president Charles de Gaulle, whose name is suitable for a strong-willed pup that rules your everyday life.
Other famous Frenchmen and Frenchwomen whom you can name your canine after include:
- Descartes
- Matisse
- Gérard Depardieu
- king Louis (any of them)
- Jacques Torres
- Marie-Curie
- Paul Cezanne
- Marie Antoinette
- Édith Piaf
- Victor Hugo
- Voltaire
- Claude Monet
Although there are numerous dog breeds originating in France, like the French bulldog or the Bloodhound, every dog breed can be given a French name. It all comes down to whether you like famous Frenchmen or the country’s cuisine; the choice is yours (and Jacques’).
