70+ Popular And Classic French Last Names That Scream 'Ooh La La'

Last names are great bridges between a family’s past and present and while baby name trends come and go, last names are forever. Like the country they stem from, French last names have a certain sophistication to them. French names can come from either the mother or father’s side of the family. So, if someone is given the name August Landry, it also means, “August, son of Landry.” Like most cultures, surnames also originate from family occupations or an ancestor’s trade. Common names that reflect that include Fabron, which means blacksmith, and Pelletier, which translates to fur trader. Other surnames focus on where the family is from or their status and may include the prefix, “de,” “des,” “du,” and “le.” For example, De la Cour means “of the court,” and Delisle means, “of the island.” There are also many French names of Germanic origin due to a history of invasions, which caused the two cultures to mix. Keep in mind that having a name of German origin does not necessarily mean you’re of German descent.

A lot of people all over the world have French names and surnames, and because of colonization they can be found in African and Arabic surnames as well, but in English-speaking countries, they’re usually pronounced in an Anglicized way. Fear not: If you have a French last name, we’re here to help put the flaveur into your pronunciation of it. Oh, and you’re not the only one curious about French last names and their meanings. In fact, according to the latest search data available, that query is searched for nearly 40,500 times per month.

Say bonjour to our list of popular and classic French last names with their meanings and phonetic spellings. Voilà!

If you’re interested in the last names and meanings of other countries, check out our package on last names from around the world. See how many you recognize: Irish, Korean, Spanish, Brazilian, Portuguese, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, and African last names, among others.

Popular French Last Names

1. Lavigne

Pronunciation: La-veen-ye

Meaning: Vine.

2. Monet

Pronunciation: Mon-ay

Meaning: A form of the name Simon, meaning to be heard.

3. Blanchet

Pronunciation: Blan-shay

Meaning: Blanket or fair-haired person.

4. Garnier

Pronunciation: Gar-nee-yay

Meaning: Keeper of granary.

5. Moulin

Pronunciation: Moo-lan

Meaning: Mill/Miller.

6. Toussaint

Pronunciation: Too-san

Meaning: All saints.

7. Laurent

Pronunciation: Lor-onn

Meaning: Laurel, which is the name of a leaf powerful leaders wore in their crowns during ancient times.

8. Dupont

Pronunciation: Dew-pon

Meaning: Of the bridge.

9. Martin

Pronunciation: Mar-tan

Meaning: Derives from Mars, the Roman god of warfare.

10. Boucher

Pronunciation: Boo-shay

Meaning: Butcher.

11. Allard

Pronunciation: Al-arr

Meaning: Noble or hardy.

12. Chevrolet

Pronunciation: Shev-ro-lay

Meaning: Goatherder.

13. Moreau

Pronunciation: More-row

Meaning: Dark-skinned.

14. Corbin

Pronunciation: Cor-ban

Meaning: Little crow or raven.

15. Dubois

Pronunciation: Dew-bwah

Meaning: Of the forest.

16. Leroy

Pronunciation: Leer-wah

Meaning: The king.

17. Cartier

Pronunciation: Cart-ee-yay

Meaning: A carter or transporter of goods.

18. Duplantier

Pronunciation: Dew-plon-tee-yay

Meaning: Of the plantation or someone who lives near a plantation of trees.

19. Fournier

Pronunciation: Four-nee-yay

Meaning: Baker.

20. Beaufort

Pronunciation: Bow-four

Meaning: Beautiful or fair fortress.

21. Bonnet

Pronunciation: Bon-nay

Meaning: A person who makes or wears hats.

22. Rousseau

Pronunciation: Roo-so

Meaning: A red-haired person.

23. Lyon

Pronunciation: Lee-yon

Meaning: A person from the city of Lyon, France.

24. Granger

Pronunciation: Gran-jay

Meaning: Farm bailiff.

25. Fontaine

Pronunciation: Fon-ten

Meaning: Fountain.

26. Chastain

Pronunciation: Shas-tan

Meaning: From the chestnut tree.

27. Beaumont

Pronunciation: Bow-mon

Meaning: Fair mountain.

28. Dufort

Pronunciation: Dew-forr

Meaning: Of the fortress.

29. LaRue

Pronunciation: La-roo

Meaning: Of the street or of the road.

30. Renaud

Pronunciation: Ren-oh

Meaning: Rule.

31. Vernier

Pronunciation: Ver-nee-yay

Meaning: Near the alder tree.

32. Allemand

Pronunciation: Aa-le-mond

Meaning: German.

33. Couture

Pronunciation: Kou-tur

Meaning: Tailor.

34. Abadie

Pronunciation: Ah-bah-dee

Meaning: Abbey or family chapel.

35. Auclair

Pronunciation: Oh-clare

Meaning: Clear.

36. Bassett

Pronunciation: Bass-set

Meaning: Of lowly origin.

37. Archambeau

Pronunciation: Are-shem-bow

Meaning: Bold or daring.

38. Adrien

Pronunciation: Aa-dree-ehn

Meaning: Rich or dark.

39. Aguillard

Pronunciation: Ag-gee-yah

Meaning: Needle.

40. Aries

Pronunciation: Air-Reese

Meaning: Constellation.

41. Abreo

Pronunciation: Aub-rio

Meaning: A wise counselor.

42. Alarie

Pronunciation: All-lar-ree

Meaning: All-powerful.

43. Barbier

Pronunciation: Bahr-bee-er

Meaning: Barber.

44. Baudelaire

Pronunciation: Bohd-l-air

Meaning: Small sword or dagger.

45. Cadieux

Pronunciation: Cad-jou

Meaning: Little fighter.

46. Abbe

Pronunciation: A-bey

Meaning: Head of the monastery.

47. Acord/Achard/Achart

Pronunciation: A-kord

Meaning: Edge of a sword.

48. Acy

Pronunciation: As-see

Meaning: Estate of Acius.

49. Agard

Pronunciation: Ag-gyar

Meaning: Edge of a sword, hardy, or bold.

50. Blondin

Pronunciation: Blon-da

Meaning: Blonde.

51. Blouin

Pronunciation: Blue-ah

Meaning: Blue or an unusually pale complexion.

52. Bloyer

Pronunciation: Bruh-yay

Meaning: Name for someone who separates the fibers of hemp or flax.

53. Bobier

Pronunciation: Boob-yay

Meaning: A stutterer or stammering.

54. Boche

Pronunciation: Bosh

Meaning: Cabbage head or square head.

55. Bodin

Pronunciation: Boo-dah-ng

Meaning: Shelter or one who brings new information.

56. Bohen

Pronunciation: Boo-an

Meaning: Victorious.

57. Boileau

Pronunciation: Boy-loh

Meaning: To drink or water.

58. Boire

Pronunciation: Bwar

Meaning: To drink.

59. Bois

Pronunciation: Bwah

Meaning: Bush, shrub, or undergrowth.

60. Boisclair

Pronunciation: Bewh-glare

Meaning: Clear wood or light.

61. Boisseau

Pronunciation: Bweh-so

Meaning: Bushel or measure of grain.

62. Archambeau

Pronunciation: Ar-shom-boo

Meaning: Bold, daring.

63. Anouilh

Pronunciation: Ah-noo-ee

Meaning: Slow worm.

64. Barbeau

Pronunciation: Bar-bo

Meaning: A type of fish; fisherman.

65. Chalamet

Pronunciation: Shall-ah-may

Meaning: Reed; blowtorch.

66. Cellier

Pronunciation: Sell-yer

Meaning: Storeroom.

67. Castillon

Pronunciation: Kaast-ih-yohn

Meaning: Castle.

68. Chapdelaine

Pronunciation: Chaep-dih-lane

Meaning: Hooded cloak, cape, hat.

69. D’aureville

Pronunciation: Dor-vill-e

Meaning: Golden village.

70. Lambert

Pronunciation: LAM-bərt

Meaning: Land.

71. Tremblay

Pronunciation: Trem-blay

Meaning: Someone who lives near a group of Aspen trees.

French Phrases

Want to sound like a true French native? Check out these French phrases that will help you fit right in!

• Battre le fer pendant qu’il est chaud. (Strike the iron while it is hot.)
• Vouloir, c’est pouvoir. (To want to is to be able to.)
• Les murs ont des oreilles. (The walls have ears.)
• Tout est bien qui finit bien. (All’s well that ends well.)
• Au petit bonheur la chance. (To little happiness, luck.)
• Les chiens ne font pas des chats. (Dogs don’t make cats.)
• Donner sa langue au chat. (To give one’s tongue to the cat.)
• Se creuser la tête. (Rack one’s brains.)