That'll Do, Chien! 120 French Dog Names For That Cute New Petit Pup

You want to give your dog a French moniker, huh? We get it. There are roughly a million reasons why French dog names might appeal to a pet owner. Maybe your dog is from a French breed, like a French poodle, a French bulldog, or a bichon frisé. Or, you know, perhaps you just failed five years of French but still have an affinity for the Eiffel Tower. (No? Just us then?) It’s OK if the only thing you took away from French class was a bunch of corny French jokes and a love of crepes. French is a hard language to learn (at least that’s what we’re still telling ourselves). You can love all things French without speaking a lick of Francais. You can also give your family dog a French name for no reason at all. After all, if Elon Musk and Grimes can name their kid… whateverTF they named their kid, you can name your golden retriever any damn name that suits your fancy. All that really matters is you make sure you’re truly ready for a dog so that it doesn’t end up in a shelter.

If, after careful consideration, you decide you’re ready to bring a pet into your family, you have a ton of French dog name options for your new pup. You could go the way of choosing a quintessential French name, like the one you chose for yourself in French class. Or you can pick any French word that you feel makes a connection to your dog (or that you just find fun to say). You could even name your dog after a famous French locale.

Like we said: Tons of options. These, however, are our most favorite French dog names.

French Dog Names From French Words

When we give our dogs English names, they’re often not names at all but just words like “Fluffy” or “Beans.” In that vein, why not do the same thing, but choose a French word? “Pepper” was once a trendy dog name for black or black-and-white dogs. Poivre is the French word for Pepper, starts with the same letter, has the same amount of syllables, and has a similar vibe when yelled in annoyance because someone chewed up your favorite shoes. You could also go the way of naming your dog the French word for whatever color they are or as an expression of their size. As such, these are our favorite French words-turned-names for your dog.

1. Beans — Haricots
2. Bird — Oiseau
3. Black — Noir
4. Blue — Bleu
5. Brown — Brun (or Bruno!)
6. Cheese — Fromage
7. Dog — Chien/Chienne
8. Fat — Gras/Graisse
9. Flea — Puce
10. Fluffy — Duveteuse/Duveteux
11. Hairy — Poilu/Poilue
12. Horse — Cheval
13. Juicy — Juteux/Juteuse
14. Moon — Lune
15. Pepper — Poivre
16. Plump — Dodu/Dodue
17. Ravin — Corbin
18. Red — Rouge
19. Shaggy — Hirsute
20. Speedy — Rapide
21. Stinker — Salaud
22. Tiny — Peu (that actually means “little”)
23. White — Blanche/Blanc
24. Wrinkled — Ridé/Ridée

French Dog Names From French Places

Have you been to France? If so, where were your favorite places to visit? Perhaps a destination name is in order. All of these French destinations are especially popular and would make equally cute names.

1. Amiens

Meaning: River

1. Bordeaux

Meaning: Small farm or hailed from Bordeaux

1. Calais

Meaning: Son of the north wind or son of Boreas

1. Cannes

Meaning: A bulb or little light

1. Chapelle

Meaning: Chapel, shrine, or hat maker

1. Chartres

Meaning: Rock or stone

1. Dijon

Meaning: A gracious or wish-fulfilling God

1. Eiffel

Meaning: Plateau of oaks

1. Fontaine

Meaning: Fountain or water source

1. Geneva

Meaning: Juniper tree

1. Lille

Meaning: Flower or noble natured

1. Louvre

Meaning: Lupus

1. Lyon

Meaning: Lion

1. Marseille

Meaning: “A woman sweet as wine”

1. Mulhouse

Meaning: Millhouse

1. Nantes

Meaning: Bold protector

1. Nice

Meaning: Simple

1. Notre Dame

Meaning: Our lady

1. Paris

Meaning: A great lover

1. Pompidou

Meaning: Someone who is from Pompidou

1. Reims

Meaning: Door of Cortoro

1. Rochelle

Meaning: Little rock

1. Roubaix

Meaning: Gift of God

1. Toulouse

Meaning: One who belongs to the city Tolosa

1. Triomphe

Meaning: Achievement or success

1. Versailles

Meaning: Plowed land

French Boy Names for Dogs

Or, you know, just use a French human name for your dog. It works for names like Jack, Dug, and Walter. Why can’t it work for any of these French names?

1. Luc — French form of Luke, meaning "light."
2. Marc — French form of Mark, meaning "warlike," from the Roman god Mars.
3. Martin — Derived from Mars, the Roman god of war; means "warrior."
4. Matisse — French surname name honoring painter Henri Matisse.
5. Maurice — From the Latin "Mauritius," meaning "dark-skinned" or "Moorish."
6. Noel — French for "Christmas," traditionally given to babies born around the holiday.
7. Olivier — French form of Oliver, meaning "olive tree," a symbol of peace.
8. Pascal — Derived from the Latin "paschalis," meaning "relating to Easter."
9. Paul — From the Latin "paulus," meaning "small" or "humble."
10. Phillippe — French form of Philip, meaning "lover of horses."
11. Pierre — French form of Peter, meaning "rock."
12. Samuel — Hebrew for "God has heard" or "name of God."
13. Sébastien — French form of Sebastian, meaning "venerable" or "from Sebaste."
14. Stéphane — French form of Stephen, meaning "crown" or "garland."
15. Théodore — From the Greek meaning "gift of God."
16. Timothée — French form of Timothy, meaning "honoring God."
17. Yves — French name derived from the Germanic word for "yew," a tree associated with archery bows.

French Girl Names for Dogs

1. Adeline — A French form of Adelaide, meaning "noble" or "nobility."
2. Amélie — French form of Amelia, meaning "work" or "industrious."
3. Bernadette — Feminine form of Bernard, meaning "brave as a bear."
4. Bridgette — French variant of Bridget, meaning "exalted one."
5. Camille — A unisex French name meaning "attendant" or "noble birth."
6. Clara — Latin for "bright" or "clear."
7. Claudette — Feminine diminutive of Claude, meaning "lame" or "enclosure."
8. Dominique — A unisex French name meaning "belonging to God."
9. Éloise — French name meaning "healthy" or "wide," related to Louise.
10. Ésmee — Old French for "esteemed" or "loved."
11. Fleur — French for "flower."
12. Gabrielle — Feminine form of Gabriel, meaning "God is my strength."
13. Geneviѐve — French name meaning "woman of the people" or "tribe woman."
14. Giselle — From the Germanic "gisil," meaning "pledge" or "hostage," made famous by the ballet of the same name.
15. Isabelle — French variant of Isabel, meaning "God is my oath."
16. Josephine — Feminine form of Joseph, meaning "God will increase," made famous by Empress Joséphine.
17. Juliette — French diminutive of Julia, meaning "youthful."
18. Lisette — French diminutive of Elizabeth, meaning "God is my oath."
19. Louise — Feminine form of Louis, meaning "famous warrior."
20. Lucille — From the Latin "lux," meaning "light."
21. Margeaux — A stylized variant of Margot, itself a form of Margaret meaning "pearl," also evoking the Bordeaux wine region.
22. Marie — French form of Mary, meaning "wished-for child" or "bitter."
23. Noelle — Feminine form of Noel, meaning "Christmas."
24. Odette — French diminutive meaning "wealthy," also the swan princess of *Swan Lake*.
25. Patrice — French unisex form of Patrick, meaning "noble" or "patrician."
26. Renée — French for "reborn."
27. Roxanne — From the Persian "Roshanak," meaning "little star" or "bright."
28. Sabine — Referencing the ancient Sabine people of Italy.
29. Simone — Feminine form of Simon, meaning "one who hears," notably philosopher Simone de Beauvoir.
30. Sylvie — French form of Sylvia, meaning "of the forest" or "wood."

More French Boy Names for Dogs

1. Absolon

Meaning: Father of peace

1. Albert

Meaning: Noble, bright or famous

1. Andre

Meaning: Warrior

1. Antoine

Meaning: Beyond praise or highly praise-worthy

1. Armand

Meaning: Bold or hardy

1. Beaumont

Meaning: Fair or lovely

1. Blaise

Meaning: Lisp or stutter

1. Claude

Meaning: Limping or stuttering

1. Curtis

Meaning: Refined or accomplished

1. Durant

Meaning: Enduring

1. Fabien

Meaning: Bean farmer

1. Florian

Meaning: Blossoming or flower

1. Frederic

Meaning: Peaceful ruler

1. Gabriel

Meaning: “God is my strength”

1. Gaston

Meaning: Guest or stranger

1. Henri

Meaning: Powerful ruler

1. Hubert

Meaning: Heart or spirit

1. Hugo

Meaning: Mind

1. Jacques

Meaning: Supplanter

1. Javier

Meaning: Castle or new house

1. Jean

Meaning: God is gracious

1. Laurent

Meaning: The bright one, shining one

1. Louis

Meaning: Famous warrior