Old French Origin Names

This is a list of names in which the origin is Old French. Old French was the form of the French language that was spoken in medieval times.
gender
usage
origin
Amice f Medieval English
Medieval name derived from Latin amicus meaning "friend". This was a popular name in the Middle Ages, though it has since become uncommon.
Amis m Medieval English, Medieval French
Medieval name, a masculine form of Amice. It appears in the medieval French poem Amis and Amiles, about two friends who make sacrifices for one another.
Amyas m English (Rare)
Meaning unknown, perhaps a derivative of Amis. Alternatively, it may come from a surname that originally indicated that the bearer was from the city of Amiens in France. Edmund Spenser used this name for a minor character in his epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590).
Anabel f Spanish
Spanish form of Annabel, also commonly used as a contraction of Ana Isabel.
Anabela f Portuguese
Portuguese form of Annabel.
Annabel f English, Dutch
Variant of Amabel, with the spelling altered as if it were a combination of Anna and French belle "beautiful". This name appears to have arisen in Scotland in the Middle Ages.
Annabella f Italian, English (Modern)
Latinate form of Annabel. It can also be interpreted as a combination of Anna and Latin/Italian bella "beautiful".
Annabelle f English, French
Variant of Annabel. It can also be interpreted as a combination of Anna and French belle "beautiful".
Arabella f English
Medieval Scottish name, probably a variant of Annabel. It has long been associated with Latin orabilis meaning "invokable, yielding to prayer", and the name was often recorded in forms resembling this.... [more]
Beau m & f English, Dutch (Modern)
Means "beautiful, handsome" in French. It has been used as a given name since the middle of the 20th century. In Margaret Mitchell's novel Gone with the Wind (1936) this is the name of Ashley and Melanie's son.... [more]
Beauden m English (New Zealand, Modern)
Elaboration of French beau "beautiful" using the popular phonetic suffix den, found in such names as Hayden and Aidan. This name has become popular in New Zealand due to rugby player Beauden Barrett (1991-).
Beckett m English (Modern)
From an English surname that could be derived from various sources, including from Middle English bec meaning "beak" or bekke meaning "stream, brook".
Bella f English
Short form of Isabella and other names ending in bella. It is also associated with the Italian word bella meaning "beautiful". It was used by the American author Stephenie Meyer for the main character in her popular Twilight series of novels, first released 2005, later adapted into a series of movies beginning 2008.
Bellamy f & m English (Modern)
From an English surname derived from Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".
Belphoebe f Literature
Combination of Old French bele "beautiful" and the name Phoebe. This name was first used by Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene (1590).
Bonnie f English
Means "pretty" from the Scottish word bonnie, which was itself derived from Middle French bon "good". It has been in use as an American given name since the 19th century, and it became especially popular after the movie Gone with the Wind (1939), in which it was the nickname of Scarlett's daughter.
Boone m English
From an English surname that was either derived from Old French bon meaning "good" or from the name of the town of Bohon, France.
Deforest m English
From a French surname meaning "from the forest". It was originally given in honour of American author John Deforest (1826-1906).
Esmae f English (Modern)
Feminine form of Esmé.
Esme f & m English
Variant of Esmé.
Esmé f & m English
Means "esteemed" or "loved" in Old French. It was first recorded in Scotland, being borne by the first Duke of Lennox in the 16th century. It is now more common as a feminine name.
Esmée f English (British), Dutch
Feminine form of Esmé.
Esmee f English (British), Dutch
Feminine form of Esmé.
Fae f English
Variant of Fay.
Fay f & m English
In part from the English word fay meaning "fairy", derived from Middle English faie meaning "magical, enchanted", ultimately (via Old French) from Latin fata meaning "the Fates". It appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's chronicles in the name of Morgan le Fay. In some cases it may be used as a short form of Faith. It has been used as a feminine given name since the 19th century.... [more]
Faye f English
Variant of Fay.
Forest m English
Variant of Forrest, or else directly from the English word forest.
Forrest m English
From an English surname meaning "forest", originally belonging to a person who lived near a forest. In America it has sometimes been used in honour of the Confederate Civil War general Nathan Bedford Forrest (1821-1877). This name was borne by the title character in the movie Forrest Gump (1994) about a loveable simpleton. Use of the name increased when the movie was released, but has since faded away.
Foster 1 m English
From an English surname that has several different origins: see Foster 1, Foster 2, Foster 3 and Foster 4.
Frank m English, German, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, French
From an Old German name that referred to a member of the Germanic tribe, the Franks. The Franks settled in the regions now called France, Belgium and the Netherlands in the 3rd and 4th century. They possibly derived their tribal name from a type of spear that they used, from Proto-Germanic *frankô. From medieval times, the various forms of this name have been commonly conflated with the various forms of Francis. In modern times it is sometimes used as a short form of Francis or Franklin.... [more]
Frankie m & f English
Diminutive of Frank or Frances.
Franklin m English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English frankelin "freeman". A famous bearer of the surname was Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), an American statesman, inventor, scientist and philosopher. The name has commonly been given in his honour in the United States. It also received a boost during the term of American president Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945).
Garnet 2 m & f English
From an English surname that either referred to a person who made hinges (Old French carne) or was derived from the Norman name Guarin.
Garnett m & f English
Variant of Garnet 2.
Giffard m English (Rare)
From the English and French surname Giffard. Walter Giffard was one of the Norman companions of William the Conqueror.
Grant m English, Scottish
From an English and Scottish surname that was derived from Norman French grand meaning "great, large". A famous bearer of the surname was Ulysses Grant (1822-1885), the commander of the Union forces during the American Civil War who later served as president. In America the name has often been given in his honour.
Granville m English
From an English surname that was derived from a Norman place name Grainville.
Grenville m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Granville.
Jewel f & m English
In part from the English word jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French jouel, which was possibly related to jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname Jewel or Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Jolie f English
Means "pretty" in French. This name was popularized by American actress Angelina Jolie (1975-), whose surname was originally her middle name. It is not used as a given name in France.
Juvela f Esperanto
From Esperanto juvelo meaning "jewel".
Lamar m English, African American
From a French and English surname, originally from a place name in Normandy, which was derived from Old French la mare meaning "the pool". In the second half of the 20th century this name has been well-used in the African-American community, probably because of its popular phonetic components la and mar.
Liv 2 f English
Short form of Olivia.
Livia 2 f English
Short form of Olivia.
Livvy f English
Diminutive of Olivia.
Livy 2 f English
Diminutive of Olivia.
Mariabella f English (Rare)
Combination of Maria and Bella.
Neville m English (British)
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "new town" in Norman French. As a given name it is chiefly British and Australian.
Noll m Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of Oliver.
Norm m English
Short form of Norman.
Norma f English, Italian, Literature
Created by Felice Romani for the main character in the opera Norma (1831). He may have based it on Latin norma "rule". This name is also frequently used as a feminine form of Norman.
Norman m English, Germanic
From an old Germanic byname meaning "northman", referring to a Scandinavians. The Normans were Vikings who settled on the coast of France, in the region that became known as Normandy. In England the name Norman or Normant was used before the Norman Conquest, first as a nickname for Scandinavian settlers and later as a given name. After the Conquest it became more common, but died out around the 14th century. It was revived in the 19th century, perhaps in part due to a character by this name in C. M. Yonge's 1856 novel The Daisy Chain. Famous bearers include the American painter Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) and the American author Norman Mailer (1923-2007).
Normand m French (Quebec)
French form of Norman.
Normina f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Norma.
Norris m English
From an English surname, either Norris 1 or Norris 2.
Oli m English
Short form of Oliver.
Olivér m Hungarian
Hungarian form of Oliver.
Oliver m English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Catalan, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Czech, Slovak, Carolingian Cycle
From Old French Olivier, which was possibly derived from Latin oliva "olive tree". Alternatively there could be an underlying Germanic name, such as Old Norse Áleifr (see Olaf) or Frankish Alawar (see Álvaro), with the spelling altered by association with the Latin word. In the Middle Ages the name became well-known in Western Europe because of the French epic La Chanson de Roland, in which Olivier is a friend and advisor to the hero Roland.... [more]
Oliverio m Spanish
Spanish form of Oliver.
Olivers m Latvian
Latvian form of Oliver.
Olivette f Literature
Feminine form of Oliver. This was the name of the title character in the French opera Les noces d'Olivette (1879) by Edmond Audran.
Olívia f Portuguese, Slovak, Hungarian
Portuguese, Slovak and Hungarian form of Olivia.
Olivia f English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch
This name was used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy Twelfth Night (1602). This was a rare name in Shakespeare's time that may have been based on Oliva or Oliver, or directly on the Latin word oliva meaning "olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman wooed by Duke Orsino. Instead she falls in love with his messenger Cesario, who is actually Viola in disguise.... [more]
Olívie f Czech
Czech form of Olivia.
Olivie f Czech
Czech variant form of Olivia.
Olivier m French, Dutch, Carolingian Cycle
French and Dutch form of Oliver. This is also a French word meaning "olive tree".
Oliviero m Italian
Italian form of Oliver.
Olīvija f Latvian
Latvian form of Olivia.
Olivija f Lithuanian, Slovene, Croatian
Lithuanian, Slovene and Croatian form of Olivia.
Oliviya f Russian, Ukrainian
Russian and Ukrainian form of Olivia.
Oliwer m Polish
Polish form of Oliver.
Oliwia f Polish
Polish form of Olivia.
Oliwier m Polish
Polish form of Oliver.
Olle m Swedish
Swedish diminutive of Olaf or Oliver.
Olli m Finnish
Finnish variant of Olavi, based on Swedish Olle.
Ollie m & f English
Diminutive of Oliver, Olivia or Olive.
Olly m English
Diminutive of Oliver.
Page m & f English
From a surname that was a variant of Paige.
Paget f & m English (Rare)
From a French and English surname that meant "little page" (see Paige).
Paige f English
From an English surname meaning "servant, page" in Middle English. It is ultimately derived (via Old French and Italian) from Greek παιδίον (paidion) meaning "little boy".... [more]
Renesmee f Literature
Invented by the American author Stephenie Meyer for a character in her novel Breaking Dawn (2008), the fourth book of her Twilight series. The character is the baby daughter of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, with her name combining the names of her grandmothers: Renée and Esme.
Tayla f English (Modern)
Probably a feminine form of Taylor influenced by similar-sounding names such as Kayla.
Tayler f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Taylor.
Taylor m & f English
From an English surname that originally denoted someone who was a tailor, from Norman French tailleur, ultimately from Latin taliare "to cut".... [more]
Viivi f Finnish, Estonian
Finnish and Estonian form of Vivi.
Vivi f Danish, Swedish, Norwegian
Scandinavian diminutive of names beginning with Vi, as well as Olivia and Sofia.
Wallace m English, Scottish
From a Scottish and English surname that was derived from Norman French waleis meaning "foreigner, Celt, Welshman" (of Germanic origin). It was first used as a given name in honour of William Wallace, a Scottish hero who led the fight against the English in the 13th century.
Wallis m & f English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Wallace. Wallis Simpson (1895-1986) was the divorced woman whom Edward VIII married, which forced him to abdicate the British throne.
Wally m English
Diminutive of Walter or Wallace.