In France, some of the most popular names are Jade, Louise, Emma, Alice, Ambre, Lina, Rose, Chloe, Mia, Léa. Today, some of the top French girl names around the world include Charlotte (popular across Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and the UK), Annabel, and Sophie. Other citizens residing in France do not have to abide by French baby name laws. Please note that only French citizens have to abide by French baby name laws. There is no official list of banned names in France, though there is a law that allows French authorities to prevent people from naming their child something rude or offensive, such as a swear word, something that would cause the child to be bullied, or after a dictator.Ĭhildren are also not allowed to have the last name of one of their parents as a first name. This was as long as the name would be in the best interest of the child and would not harm other third parties. In 199″, under French President François Mitterrand, baby name laws were changed once more, allowing for even more freedom when choosing a French baby name. People were also allowed to name their babies names from languages other than French, and mythological names were also finally allowed.

In 1966, following intense legal battles, the law was changed and parents were allowed to give their children names from regional dialects of France, as well as shortened nicknames. If a child was not given one of the permitted names, then they would not be allowed to hold ID cards, vote, and they would find it hard to take part in modern life. The laws were racist and did not even allow for the names of regional dialects within France such as Breton and Occitanie. In fact, you were only allowed to name your child after a Saint from the Roman Catholic Calendar of Saints or for a historical person (as long as that, too, wasn’t offensive). You see, between 1803- 1966 there were very strict rules about what you were allowed to call your child in France. There is a cultural (and even legal!) reason for this, and that is baby name laws (which are often restrictive and sometimes racist). Though we’re much more used to hearing unique or rare names in the English language (such as Kim Kardashian’s daughter ‘North’ or Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter ‘Apple’), the majority of baby girl names in French are classic and find their roots in even more ancient languages such as Greek and Latin. The law in France surrounding French names

Girl unique names