400 French Dog Names {and their meanings!}

Share with fellow dog lovers!

Are you a Francophile with a new fur baby? Whether you’ve adopted a French dog breed, you want to remember a dream vacation or you want to celebrate that certain je ne sais quoi of your new pup, you may want to select one of these French dog names!

From French food to famous French artists, perhaps you’ll say “Oui!” to one of these dog names we’ve fetched for you!

Words Commonly Associated with France

• Bonjour– Greet your barking buddy every time you say his name!
• Cabaret– If your dog loves to perform for anyone who will watch, then the name of theatrical entertainment that is believed to have originated in French might be a good fit.
• Can-Can– Does your new furry family member love to prance around the house? Then you might want to name your dancing dog after this high-energy dance!
• Coucou– This informal word is another way to say “hello’ in French.
• Guignol– A French puppet show character.
• Madame– An elegant French dog name for a distinguished dog of mature years.
• Mademoiselle– A sweet, sophisticated name for a pup.
• Merci– Let your dog know how thankful you are they are in your life every time you call his/her name!
• Mime– A funny, ironic name for a “talkative” tail-wagger!
• Monsieur– A distinguished name for a mature male dog.
• Oui– Say “yes” to this short but one of the sweetest French dog names for your pup!
• Salut– Say “Hi!” to your dog each time you call his name!

French Dog Names (Female) and Their Meaning

• Adeline — Noble
• Adrienne — the feminine form of Adrien which means “man from Hadria”
• Alizée — trade wind
• Amandine — worthy of love
• Amélie — Industrious
• Angeline — Messenger of God
• Annabelle–Favored grace

• Babette– My God is plentiful
• Béatrice– She who makes happy
• Bernadette– Brave bear
• Berthe– Bright

• Camille– Helper to the priest
• Céleste– Celestial
• Celine– Heavenly
• Charlotte–Free man or petite
• Clémence– Merciful
• Cossette– Victorious

• élodie– Foreign riches
• Emelie
• Eulalie– Sweetly speaking

• Fleur– Flower

• Laetitia– Gladness
• Laure– laurel
• Léa– Delicate
• Louise– Renowned warrior
• Luce– light

• Manon– Beautiful queen; pet name of those named Marie
• Marceline– young warrior
• Margaux– Pearl
• Marguerite– Pearl
• Marianne– Star of the sea
• Marine– Of the sea
• Michelle– who resembles God
• Mirabelle– of wondrous beauty
• Mireille– to admire
• Monique– wise; warm
• Mylène– sea of bitterness; exalted one; beautiful

• Nathalie– Born on Christmas Day
• Nicolette– Victory of the people

• Océane- From the ocean
• Odette– Wealthy
• Ondine– Waves of water or little wave

• Perle– Pearl

• Rosalie– Rose

• Solange– Religious
• Suzanne– Graceful lily

• Véronique– True image; victory bringer

• Yvette– Yew

French Dog Names (Male) and Their Meanings

• Adrien– Rich, wealthy
• Alexandre– Defender of mankind
• Alphonse– Noble
• André– Masculine
• Auguste- -Great

• Constantin– constant

• Emile– Rival

• Florian– Flower
• Francis– Frenchman
• François– Frenchman

• Gabriel– God is my strength
• Gerard– Brave spear

• Henri– home ruler
• Hercule– Glory
• Hubert– Bright heart

• Jacques– Supplanter
• Jean– The French form of the name John
• Jean-Baptiste– God is gracious
• Jean-Luc– God is gracious
• Jules– Youthful

• Laurent
• Leon– Lion
• Louis– Famed warrior

• Marceau– Little warrior
• Maurice– Dark-skinned

• Pascal– relating to Easter
• Patrice– Noble
• Philippe–Lover of horses
• Pierre- Stone

• Remy– Oarsman
• Renard– Fox
• Ronan– Little seal

• Thierry– Ruler of the people

• Yves– Yew

Dog Names That Pay Homage to Famous Landmarks in France

• d’Orsay– Musée d’Orsay
• Eiffel — Eiffel Tower or Gustave Eiffel
• Elysées– Champs-Elysées
• Fontainebleau
• Garnier– Opéra Garnier (or Palais Garnier)
• Grévin– Musée Grévin
• Louvre
• Mont Blanc
• Montmartre
• Montparnasse– Montparnasse Tower
• Moulin Rouge
• Pompidou– Centre Pompidou
• Seine
• Sorbonne
• Triomphe– Arc de Triomphe
• Trocadéro
• Tuileries– Jardins des Tuileries
• Vendôme–Place Vendôme
• Versailles
• Vosges– Place des Vosges

Famous Cities and Villages in France

• Albi
• Amiens
• Annecy
• Biarritz
• Bordeaux
• Carcassonne
• Carnac
• Dijon
• Giverny
• Lille
• Limoges
• Lyon
• Marseille
• Metz
• Montpellier
• Nantes
• Nice
• Orléans
• Paris
• Reims
• Rouen
• Strasbourg
• Toulon
• Toulouse

French Dog Words

• Bulldog– Bouledogue
• Dachshund– Teckel
• Dog– Chien
• Poodle– Caniche
• Pug– Carlin
• Puppy– Chiot or Toutou

French Food and Drink

• Absinthe– Also known as “the green fairy,” this controversial concoction was a favorite with Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh and Picasso.
• Baguette- If your new pal with paws is long and lean, then this signature French bread might inspire the name of your dog!
• Biscuit– cookie
• Bonbon– candy
• Brioche– A slightly sweet-tasting, golden brown bread.
• Camembert– The “big cheese” among French fromage.
• Champagne– An apt name for a dog with a bubbly personality!
• Chouquette– This bite-sized, sugar-coated pastry could be the inspiration for the name of a pint-sized canine companion.
• Cognac– A type of brandy named in honor of Cognac, France.
• Crepe– A cute name for a Doodle, Poodle or any other dog with a wavy mane, the name of this wafer thin pancake comes from the Latin word crispa, which translates as “having curly hair.”
• Croissant– Meaning “crescent” or “crescent of the moon,” this French breakfast staple actually originated in Austria.
• Croquembouche– While this name may be a mouthful, this tasty dessert which is frequently served at celebratory events would be an apt name for a dog who makes your life a little sweeter.
• Eclair– The name of this tasty pastry means ‘flash of lightning”…the perfect name if Spot has swift feet.
• Escargot– This French delicacy (which is the French word for “snail”) could be a good name for a pup who enjoys life at a slow pace… or a funny, ironic name for a pooch with a perpetual case of the zoomes!
• Gateau– cake
• Macaron– While some say “macaRON” and others “macaROON,” no matter which way you slice it the name of this yummy confection would be a cute name for a canine companion.
• Petit four– Literally translated as “small oven,” petit fours are tiny appetizers.
• Profiterole– This sweet pastry is known as a cream puff in the United States.
• Reblochon– A cheese made from raw cow’s milk.
• Roquefort– A popular blue cheese made in Southern France.
• Souffle– The name of this delicate dessert would be equally cute for a tiny tail-wagger as it would for a muscular, colossal canine.
• Tuile– The French word for “tile,” these wafer thin cookies are formed in the shape of roof tiles that are found atop homes in the French countryside.

French Food-Related Words

• Bistro
• Bouffe– A common French word for food.
• Confiture– jam
• Cuisine– This word means both “kitchen” and “cooking.”
• Farine– flour
• Fromage– cheese
• Goûter– snack
• Poivre– pepper
• Sel– salt
• Sucre– sugar
• Tablier– The French word for “apron.”
• Toque– Originally an Arabic word, the toque or toque blanc is the tall hat worn by professional chefs.

Historical Figures

• Charles de Gaulle– The former President of France once famously stated; ‘The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.”
• Colette– The Nobel Prize-winning author was a proud pet parent of a French Bulldog called Toby Chien, and she coined the term “country gentleman” for the Beauceron breed.
• Jacques Cousteau– This world-renowned marine life researcher, who gained fame for making friends with the denizens of the deep, had two four-legged friends on land– his Dachshunds Bulle and Scaphandrier (French for “deep sea diver.”)
• Gustave Eiffel– The engineer known for Paris’ most prominent landmark, the Eiffel Tower.
• Jean-Paul Sartre– A name for the tail-wagging existentialist.
• Marcel Marceau– The master of mime.
• Marie Antoinette– During her days as archduchess of Austria, Marie Antoinette’s canine companion was a Pug named Mops, while a spaniel called Thisbe stayed by her side during her last days as the Queen of France.
• Napoleon Bonaparte– Did you know that while Napoleon was imprisoned, his wife (Empress Josephine) communicated with her husband by correspondence hidden away in the collar of her pug, Fortune?
• Robespierre– A key figure in the French Revolution, Maximilien Robespierre was fond of our four-legged friends, and was a pet parent of a hound named Brount.
• Victor Hugo– The author of Les Miserables once stated: “Look your dog into the eyes and you will not be able to affirm that he has no soul.”

Famous French Artists and Sculptors

• Berthe Morisot– Several dogs can be spotted in the works of this Impressionist, who was the sister-in-law of painter Edouard Manet.
• Camille Claudel– A sculptor who lived with many cats, the French muse of Rodin did sculpt a canine-themed work, “Dog Gnawing Her Bone.”
• Camille Pissarro– Best known for his paintings of landscapes, the name Pissarro would be a good fit for a pup who loves the outdoors.
• Edgar Degas– As Degas was an iconic Impressionist who often captured the beauty of ballet in pastels, his name would be a good fit for a graceful dog.
• Edouard Manet– Although best known for his portraits of people, several pets also posed for Manet, including his wife’s cat (Zizi), a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel; a Japanese Spaniel called Tama, and Bob (either a cairn terrier or a Griffon), who was the barking buddy of one of Manet’s friends.
• Eugene Delacriox– A “top dog’ of the Romantic movement, Delacroix is best known for his painting “Liberty Leading The People.”
• Claude Monet– the father of impressionism.
• Georges Braque– One of the fathers of Cubism.
• Georges Seurat– The French father of pointillism placed a couple of pups in his most well-known work, A Sunday Afternoon On The Island of La Grande Jatte.
• Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec– Pups appear in several works by the post-Impressionist, including Bouboule, the Bulldog of Madame Palmyre at La Souris and Margot.
• Henri Rousseau– Images of exotic animals often appeared on the canvases of this post-Impressionist.
• Paul Gauguin– Pups played a prominent role in several masterpieces by this post-Impressionist, including “The Red Dog,” “Still Life with Three Puppies” and “Two Tahitian Women with Dog.”
• Pierre-August Renoir– The Impressionist’s pup Bob appears in several Renoir masterpieces.
• Maurice Utrillo– The son of artist Suzanne Valadon, Maurice Utrillo gained fame in his own right for his cityscape paintings, including those of Montmartre, the area in the 18th arrondissement that acted as a haven for creative souls.
• Suzanne Valadon– As a model her image was immortalized by Toulouse-Lautrec, Theophile Steinlin, Berthe Morisot and Renoir, but as a painter Suzanne Valadon immortalized her own name in the art world. The name Suzanne (which, as she was born Marie-Clementine Valadon, she chose herself) can mean either ‘lily” or ‘rose.”

French Art-Themed Words

• Aquarelle– watercolor
• Chevalet– easel
• Crayon– pencil
• Croquis– sketch
• Dessin– drawing
• Tableau– painting
• Pinceau– paint brush
• Toile– canvas
• Vitrail– stained glass

Famous French Chefs

Would you like to name your barking buddy after a king or queen of French cuisine? The following names are *chef’s kiss*:

• Alain Ducasse– Fido-loving foodies will recognize this master of cuisine for his special guest appearance on MasterChef. The name Alain has a virtual smorgasbord of meanings, among them “little rock,” “harmony” and “handsome.”
• Guy Savoy– This master chef (who trained Gorden Ramsay) showed off his acting chops as the voice of sous-chef Horst in the French version of the animated hit Ratatouille.
• Jacques Pepin– Here’s a fun fact about this famous French chef, who has been a familiar face over the years thanks to his various PBS series: He is a proud pet parent of a Cockapoo named Bisous, which means “kisses”!
• Paul Bocuse– According to this gastronomic genius, his culinary creations inspired noted food journalist Henri Gault to coin the term nouvelle cuisine.
• Pierre Herme– If you are a new pet parent with a sweet tooth, you might consider naming your sweet fur baby after this famous French pastry chef and chocolatier. The name Pierre means “rock” or “stone.”

Famous French Dancers

• Jane Avril– The inspiration for Nicole Kidman’s character of Satine in the movie Moulin Rouge!, Jane Avril’s nickname on stage was “La Melinite,” (an explosive), due to her erratic rendition of the cancan. Art aficionados will recognize the dancer from several Toulouse Lautrec posters and paintings.
• Josephine Baker– Although born in America, no list of French dancers would be complete without the performer who was fondly known as the “Black Venus.” A star of the Folies Bergere in Paris, Ms. Baker’s love for the City of Light would lead her to help the French Resistance in World War II. Known for having a pet cheetah, the dancer’s fur family also included dogs, cats, fish, a parakeet, a pig and a goat.
• La Goulue– Meaning “The glutton,” La Goulue was the stage name of the popular Moulin Rouge entertainer Louise Weber, who was captured for posterity in several works of art by Toulouse Lautrec. Hailed as The Queen of Montmartre, the dancer gained fame for creating the French cancan.
• Marie van Goethem– The ballet student who posed for the Edgar Degas sculpture Little Dancer of Fourteen Years.

Terms of Endearment

• Mon amour – My love
• Ma chérie (feminine) / Mon chéri (masculine) – My darling
• Mon ange – My angel
• Mon trésor – My treasure
• Ma belle (feminine) / Mon beau (masculine) – My beautiful / handsome
• Mon cœur – My heart
• Mon lapin – My bunny (used similarly to “sweetie” or “honey” in English)
• Mon petit chou – My little cabbage (used affectionately, similar to “sweetie” or “honey” in English)
• Ma puce – My flea (used affectionately, similar to “darling” in English)
• Mon poussin – My chick (used affectionately, similar to “sweetie” or “honey” in English)

French Dancing Terms

• Arabesque– a ballet term to describe standing on one leg, with the other leg stretched behind
• Pirouette– to whirl
• Sissone– jumping from two feet onto one foot

Fashion Designers

• Christian Dior– The creator of the New Look paid homage to his dog Bobby by naming a skirted suit from each of his collections after his beloved barking buddy. In memory of Christian Dior’s tradition, in 2020 the fashion house launched the Bobby bag.
• Christian Lacroix
• Christian Louboutin
• Coco Chanel– A giant in the fashion industry, Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel had a larger than life friend in her Great Dane, Gigot!
• Emanuel Ungaro– The family of this French fashion great included a Jack Russell terrier named Olli.
• Guy Laroche
• Hubert de Givenchy–The designer who made fashion icons of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy was a proud pet parent over the years to many Afghan Hounds and Labrador Retrievers.
• Jean Lanvin
• Jean Paul Gaultier– The king of corsets, this bold couturier helped to create Madonna’s signature style during her Blond Ambition tour.
• Louis Vuitton
• Monsieur Vivier– While today’s two-legged trendsetters may not recognize the name, during the latter part of the 19th century Parisian salon of the French creator of canine attire was the place to be for the fashion forward Fido!
• Oleg Cassini– An animal advocate, before his passing this Paris-born fashion icon shared his estate in Long Island with more than 100 farm and domestic animals, including a miniature Poodle named Rambo and a Shitzu called Max.
• Pierre Balmain
• Pierre Cardin
• Simon
• Sonja Rykiel
• Thierry Mugler
• Yves Saint Laurent– YSL’s love of his French Bulldogs was immortalized in the 2010 documentary L’Amour Fou. The image of the designer’s first Frenchie (Moujik, the same name given to all of the fashion great’s subsequent fur babies) was even captured for posterity by artist Andy Warhol.

French Fashion-Themed Words

• Beret
• Bottes– boots
• Chapeau– hat
• Chausettes– socks
• Chaussures– shoes
• Chic
• Coton– cotton
• Cravat– tie
• Escharpe– scarf
• Feutre– felt
• Laine– wool
• Mannequin– fashion model
• Manteau– coat
• Mode– fashion
• Passerelle– catwalk
• Soie– silk

Famous Parisian Actors

• Audrey Tautou– The star of Amelie.
• Brigitte Bardot– Known equally for her acting as well as her animal activism, the movie star established the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which helps all of our friends with fur, fins and feathers, in 1986.
• Catherine Deneuve– Academy Award-winning actress.
• Gerard Depardieu– A Golden Globe-winning star of more than 250 motion pictures, including a 1979 French drama called The Dogs(
• Jean Reno– Popular French actor who has starred in such Hollywood hits as Mission: Impossible and The DaVinci Code.
• Jean-Paul Belmondo– Known as the French James Dean, Belmondo starred in Breathless.
• Juliette Binoche–Academy Award-winning star of The English Patient.
• Isabelle Adjani– The only actor to have ever garnered five Cesar Awards (the French equivalent of an Oscar.)
• Isabelle Huppert– A Golden Globe Award-winning actress.
• Lea Seydoux– French actress who has appeared twice as Bond girl Madeleine Swann, in both Spectre and No Time To Die.
• Leslie Caron– An entertainment icon who first danced into the hearts of film fans in An American in Paris.
• Sophie Marceau– The French actress, who shared the big screen with a canine co-star in the David Spade comedy Lost & Found, helped to shine a spotlight on the topic of dog abandonment when she paid a visit to the S.P.A. (Society for the Protection of Animals) shelter outside of Paris.
• Bonus Acting Word: Vedette means a star of the big or small screen!

Famous French Singers

• Edith Piaf– Arguably France’s most famous songbird, Edith Piaf was also known as “The Little Sparrow.”
• Johnny Hallyday– Known as”the French Elvis,” Johnny Hallyday (who even recorded a rendition of the king of rock ‘n’ Roll’s hit “Hound Dog,”) was a pet parent to a cow dog dubbed Cheyenne.
• Maurice Chevalier– The embodiment of French charm to American movie audiences, this actor/singer starred in such Hollywood hits as Gigi and Love in The Afternoon. Fans of felines can still hear him coon the opening tune of the animated Disney movie The Aristocats.) The name Maurice means “dark-skinned,” while Chevalier means “knight” or “chivalrous man.”
• Serge Gainsbourg– A chart topper from the 60s – 90s, the first name of this Paris-born singer/actor means “servant.”

Famous French Composers

• Georges Bizet– The composer who gave the world Carmen.
• Claude Debussy– Are you a fan of all things Twilight? Then you might know this French composer of one of Edward and Bella’s favorite pieces of classical music, “Claire de Lune.” Although the term is more closely associated with artists of his era, Debussy was considered by many to be an Impressionist composer. The name Claude means ‘limping.”
• Hector Berloiz– A classical composer best known for his Symphonie Fantastique.
• Maurice Jarre– The composer of the Academy Award-winning scores for Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India.
• Maurice Ravel– The French composer best known for Bolero, an orchestral piece that gained renewed fame in the saucy 1979 comedy 10.

French Music-Themed Words

• Ballade– ballad
• Chanson– song
• Chanteur/Chanteuse– singer
• Harmonie– harmony
• Berceuse– lullaby
• Mélodie– melody

Famous French Car Brands

Whether you consider yourself a gearhead or a petrolhead, here are some French car names for your dog:

• Alpine
• Bugatti
• Citroën
• Peugeot
• Renault
• Venturi

French Children’s Books/comic strips

• Becassine– A character that brought smiles to the faces of generations of French children.
• Madeline– Ludwig Bemelmans’ tale of a bold Titian-haired tot at an all-girl boarding school in Paris has charmed young readers since the first in the book series was published in 1939.
• Pif– Pif le Chien was a canine comic character who, along with Hercules the cat, began entertaining the readers of L’Humanite in 1948. Pif’s popularity eventually led to an animated TV series in 1989, and a movie in 1993.

French TV

• French In Action–Since the 1980s this lighthearted series has provided an introduction to French language and culture through the story of a French girl (Mireille) and an American student (Robert).
• Mireille– The female protagonist’s name means “to admire” and “peace.”
  Marie-Laure– The name of Mireille’s younger sister means ‘the one who brings up.”
  Robert– Pronounced “Roh-behr_ in French, the male protagonist’s name means ‘”bright fame.”
• Pierre Capretz– The creator of French in Action, the first name of the former Yale University professor (who starred in the series as the teacher) means ‘stone” or “rock.”

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir

• Adrian/Cat Noir– Meaning “rich,” student and model Adrien Agreste is the true identity of superhero Cat Noir, who protects the city of Paris in this popular animated series.
• Marinette/Ladybug– A pet name for those named Marine, student and fashion designer hopeful Marinette dupain-cheng is the true identity of superheroine Ladybug.
• Plagg– This camembert-loving, cat-inspired kwami helps mild-mannered model/ French student Adrian Agreste transform into Cat Noir.
• Tikki– This macaron-munching kwami gives Parisian teenage Marinette Dupain-Cheng the superpowers she needs to protect Paris as Ladybug.

Fans of the animated cartoon could also look to the show’s supporting cast for inspiration for their dog’s name. The series also includes the superheroes:

• Bunnyx (Alix)
• Carapace (Nino)
• Caprikid (Nathaniel)
• Minotaurox (Ivan)
• Pegasus (Max)
• Pigessa (Rose)
• Polymouse (Mylene)
• Purple Tigress (Juleka)
• Queen Bee (Chloe)
• Rena Rouge/Rena Furtive (Alya)
• Rooster Bold (Marc)
• Ryuko (Kagami)
• Vesperia (Zoe)
• Viperion (Luka)

French Animated Movie Characters

Beauty and the Beast

• Agathe
• Beast
• Belle
• Chip
• Clothilde
• Cogsworth
• Gaston
• Lumiere
• Madame Garderobe
• Maestro Cadenza
• Maurice
• Mrs. Potts
• Plumette

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

• Clopin
• Esmerelda
• Frollo
• Hugo
• Phoebus
• Quasimodo
• Victor

Ratatouille

• Anton
• Colette
• Django
• Gusteau
• Horst
• Larousse
• Mustafa
• Remy

You also might like:

• Most Popular French Baby Names
• Maltese Dog Names from Malta
• Shetland Dog Names from the Shetland Islands
• Cajun Dog Names

Is your dog French?

Is your dog a French dog breed — or does a DNA test reveal that he has a French dog breed in his ancestry? Here’s a list of the French dog breeds that just might prompt you to consider a French dog name!

• Affenpinscher
• Anglo-Français de Petite Vénerie
• Ariège Pointer
• Ariegeois
• Artois Hound
• Auvergne pointer
• Barbet
• Basset Artésien Normand
• Basset Bleu de Gascogne
• Basset Fauve de Bretagne
• Basset Hound
• Beagle-Harrier
• Beauceron
• Berger Picard
• Bichon Frise
• Billy
• Bloodhound
• Blue Picardy Spaniel
• Bouvier des Flandres
• Braque du Bourbonnais
• Braque du Puy
• Braque Français
• Braque Saint-Germain
• Briard
• Briquet Griffon Vendéen
• Brittany
• Chien de franche-comté
• Chien Français Blanc et Orange
• Chien Français Tricolore
• Chien-gris
• Corsican Dog
• Dogue de Bordeaux
• French Bulldog
• French spaniel
• French white and black hound
• Gascon Saintongeois
• Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen
• Great Gascony Blue
• Great Pyrenees
• Griffon Bleu de Gascogne
• Griffon Fauve de Bretagne
• Griffon Nivernais
• Little Lion Dog or Lowchen
• Papillon
• Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen
• Phalène
• Picardy Spaniel
• Poodle
• Pyrenean Sheepdog
• Talbot hound
• Wirehaired Pointing Griffon

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