Unusual French names. Female French names and meanings - choosing a beautiful name for a girl

French surnames are endowed with extraordinary charm and beauty. The French language differs significantly from the languages ​​of neighboring European states. While English and German surnames are more likely to be pronounced correctly, even well-known ancestral names in France are not always obvious. So, for example, the common surname Le Pen in Russian will sound like “Le Pen”, while its real pronunciation is “Le Pen”. The same thing happens with the prefix De.

In French culture, the most distorted surnames can also be found, the reading of which is possible with knowledge special rules. A large number of French sounds do not coincide with Russian at all, resulting in misunderstandings. For example, the French names Charles and Henri from Russian lips will sound like Karl and Heinrich.

An appeal to a French citizen should begin with the pronunciation of the title - "monsieur / monsieur" or "madame / mademoiselle".

In addition, there are specific rules for addressing the French, since gallantry is in the blood of this people. The first option is placed before the appeal to a man, and the second - to a woman. Moreover, Madame is addressed to a wise woman, and Mademoiselle is addressed to a young lady.

How it all started

As in other states of the world, the first French surnames were bestowed on the highest nobility in the 11th century. Until the second quarter of the 16th century, only a few people had ascribed nicknames. Everything changed in 1539, when by royal decree it was ordered to give a hereditary nickname to every French person. Since then, every person living in France had a surname, which was entered into church metrics from generation to generation. It was impossible to change such a postscript.

Napoleon slightly changed the legislation and allowed in special cases to change generic names. It was permissible to change old nicknames to new ones in cases where the former had an offensive meaning. Today it also remains possible in some cases to change hereditary names, especially if they somehow offend its bearer or have an obscene meaning. Of course, the process of changing a surname is quite complicated, but the list of modern French surnames, thus, can lose about half of the historical ones.

According to historical information, in the Middle Ages, the child was given the surname of the father, the maternal nickname was not reflected in any way on the hereditary name. The exception was the absence of a father, then the child bore the name of the mother. Today, parents have the right to choose whose surname the child will take, or whether it will be double.

First name to last name

French surnames, distinguished by beauty, are more derived from proper names. However, some beautiful family names came from the name of the occupations to which the ancestors devoted their lives. There are several attractive surnames based on place names and distinctive features of a person. A striking example of a beautiful generic toponymic name is Romainville, the meaning of which is the owner of the villa Romanus.

It is worth noting that the preposition de before the toponymic surname speaks of its ancient noble origin. Most beautiful generic names come from proper names. Thus, the male family names Bernard in honor of St. Bernard, Robert on behalf of Robert and the famous surname Richard (Richard).

The dictionary of French surnames contains such an example as Duran. Many may assume that the root of the word is also the name, but this is not so. Durandus is translated from Latin as "to temper, strengthen." The beautiful generic name Lefebvre comes from the Old French word "blacksmith", and Moreau - from the designation "black / black".

Women's Diversity

The generic names of girls are the same as their male counterparts. History ordered that female and male generic names do not differ from each other in any way. The dictionary of French surnames contains all the surnames that have ever existed in the state, which are arranged alphabetically, there is no division in it. Beautiful generic names of girls are based on a proper name, such as Bernard. The surname received the greatest fame after the bright appearance on television of the actress Sarah Bernhardt.

Among others, the surnames Leroy (king), Michel from a similar name, Bonnet, which means “good and kind”, as well as Francois stand out. It is these beautiful surnames that are most often found among French girls. The history of cinema preserves other rare but unusual generic names - Binoche, Marlo, Bardot, Bouquet, Frachon and others. It is worth noting that they are all very short and melodic.

What does the surname mean?

The surnames of men tell about some features of this genus. So, for example, the most popular generic names, which are kept by the Dictionary of French Surnames, come from the name of the founder of the family. Thus, you can easily find out about it. The surnames Gerard, David, Simon, Laurent and others convey that the founders of the clans were men with these names. The surname may also be based on other information, for example, information about the house or area where the clan was born, about the professional data of the forefather or his appearance.

So, the surnames Borde and Laborde convey that the men originally had a dwelling on the edge of something. Lafayette translates as "beech", and Chenal as "channel". The generic names Sueur mean that the forefather worked as a tailor, and Fournier as a baker. Common French surnames can tell not only about the family tree, but also tell the story of the family.

Forefather with a large body, or funny surnames

The most unusual generic names come from interesting nicknames that were bestowed on the forefathers. In the genus of owners of the hereditary names Fauvel or Faveau, the progenitor was distinguished by a reddish hair color, and Blond / Leblond - light. Brun/Lebrun and other variations are reminiscent of a brunet father. The origin of French surnames was often based on the external proportions of a person. Thus, Dubufe/Dubut come from the large body of the founder of the genus.

Among other unusual names are Chaperon, that is, "ancient cap", Watebled ("spoiled wheat"), Cacheleu ("wolfhound") and Bercheux, that is, "a sharp shooter, a good hunter." Often based male surnames there was a character trait, such as Renard or Leloup. The first is translated as "fox", the second - as "wolf".

The surname Talon was given to a person with large feet.

Simple common surnames

The most popular generic names tend to be the simplest, based on proper names. History has preserved many famous French figures, whose names are on the list of the most common today. Among them:

• Bertrand;
• Robert;
• Tom;
• Martin;
• Simon;
• Bernard and others.

Many celebrities today bear the names of Garcia, Vincent, Francois, Andre, Dubois and others. The most common generic name is Martin. In France, there are more than 235 thousand of its speakers. The second most popular surname is Bernard (more than 100 thousand people). Other surnames are less common. The least known name is Martinez, that is, the son of Martin. There are less than 50 thousand people with this surname.

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french names

French male names and their meaning

french names, that is, the names common in France, basically combined Roman (Latin), Greek and Anglo-Saxon names.

IN currently before use french names and surnames the following titles are given:

Mademoiselle (mademoiselle) - an appeal to an unmarried woman, a girl.

Madame (madame) - an appeal to a married, divorced or widowed woman. The plural is Mesdames ("honey").

Monsieur (monsieur) - an appeal to a man.

French male names

Adrian- from Adria

Alain- Beautiful

Gigolo- noble and ready

Anatole- eastern

Andre- courageous

Henri- courageous

Apollinaire- destroyer

Arman- courageous person

Armel- stone prince

Arno- power of the eagle

Astor- vulture hawk

basil- king

Barthem (Barthelamue)- the son of the plowed land, the son of the fields

Bastian

Bernard- bear

Boniface- good luck

Valerie- healthy

Vivien- alive, living

Gaitan- from Caita

Guy- forest

gascon- from Gascony

Gaston- from Gascony

Gauthier- head of the army

Gregoire- watchful, vigilant

Dion- Dedicated to Zeus

Damian- tame, subdue

Desiree- desired

Danny– dedicated to Dionysus, Bacchus, the god of wine and winemaking

Jeremiah- ordained by God

Joe- pigeon

Joseph- multiplying

Joss- God is salvation

Didier- desired

Dominic- belonging to the lord

Donat- given by God

Jacques- displacer

jean- God is good

Germain- native, half-brother

Jerome- saint

Gilles- child, goat

Girald- ruler of the spear

Girard- brave spear

joseph- increase, profit

Georges- farmer

Geoffroy- peace of God

Joel- Yahweh - God

julian- soft-bearded, young

Jules- sheaf

Julien- from the genus Julius

just- fair

Camille- on duty (at the temple)

Cyprian– from Cyprus

Claude- lame

Cola- conqueror of nations

Christoph- from Christ

Lance- Earth

Leon- a lion

Leonard – strong lion

Leopold- brave

Lawrence, Lorenzo- crowned with laurels

Laurent- crowned with laurels

Laurentin- crowned with laurels

Louis- glorious warrior

Luca- bright, luminous

Luke- bright, luminous

Lucian- light, light

Maximilian- descendant of the greatest

Marin- from the sea

Mark- hammer

Marcellinus- warlike

Martin- belonging to or dedicated to the god of war Mars

Mathis- God's gift

Matthew (Matthew)- God's gift

Michelle- godlike, divine, who is like God

Maurice- dark-skinned, Moor

Morris- dark-skinned, Moor

Napoleon- Lion of Naples

Narsis- insensitive, sleep

Nicolas- conqueror of nations

Nichel- champion

Noel- God's birthday

Oberon- bear

Augustine- venerable

Auguste- majestic, holy

Odilon- rich

Audric- ruler

Olivie- elf army

Otes (Otis)- rich

Papillion- butterfly

Pascal- easter baby

Patrice- nobleman

Percival- the valley into which they penetrate

pons- sailor

Reiner- wise warrior

Raymond- wise protector

Raul- wise wolf

Raphael- God has healed

Remy- rower

Renard- wise and strong

Robert- bright, shiny

Roger- famous spear

Romain– Roman

Sebastian- from Sebeist (a city in Asia Minor)

Severin- strict

Serafin- flame, burning

Serge- Roman family name V-I centuries BC.

Sylvester- from the forest

Silestin- heavenly

cyril- lord

Stephen- crown

Theo- God's gift

Theodore- God's gift

Theophilus- friend of God

thibault- brave

Timothy- worshiping God

Tom– twin

Toussaint- saint

Thierry- king of nations

Urban- city dweller

Fabrice- master

Fernand- ready to travel

Ferrand- ready to travel

ferrant- ready to travel

Filbert- very bright, famous

Florentine- blooming

forest- living in the forest

Franc- free

Francois- free

Charles- courageous, courageous

Evrard- strong as a hog

Edgard- rich spear

Edmond- protector of prosperity

Edward (Eduard)- guardian of possessions, property

Eugene- beautiful, noble

Aymeray- house ruler

Amery- house ruler

Aymeric- house ruler

Alison- nobility

Eloi- chooser

Emelien (Emilian)- affectionate, friendly, cheerful

Emery- power

Emeric- house ruler

Emil- competitor

Hercule- Glory to Goddess Hera

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French names. French male names and their meaning

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French names are beautiful and original, they have their own complex but interesting history. Among them are especially popular, containing fashionable options today, as well as the names of saints. The latter are not only attractive, but are also talismans that protect their owner throughout life.

4.09.2016 / 09:18 | Varvara Pokrovskaya

French names for girls and men are especially popular in many countries of the world. Therefore, you can often meet people with beautiful names originally from France, no matter what country or city you are in. These names sound harmonious and melodious, give their owner a touch of exoticism, romance and elegance.

Features of French names

Names in France appeared a very long time ago - the period is calculated in tens of centuries. Over time, the names have changed, which was influenced by both historical events and fashion trends. In France, during the time of Gaul, among the nicknames there were a large number of Greek and Celtic ones, later Jewish names also appeared on the territory of the state.

In the Middle Ages, when the German conquerors came to the country, Germanic nicknames appeared, and already in the 18th century a law was created requiring parents to call babies the names of people who somehow belonged to the church. Soon, foreign nicknames lost their relevance, as citizens preferred to give Catholic or truly French ones. Today, such laws have lost their force, and the French give their babies any names.

Choosing a name today, parents adhere to European rules: a person can have one or two names and a single surname. Many citizens continue to observe traditions and prefer the nicknames of saints. Often a child receives two personal names. This is done in order to give the baby the patronage of two saints at once. However, in life, a person uses only one name that he likes the most. This approach is considered practical - that's what the French say. If a citizen after the age of majority decides to change a commonly used nickname, he can use any of his names. Thus, he can avoid paperwork and a long process of replacing documents.

Another interesting feature of French names is polite treatment. A title is often used for this. If your interlocutor is a man, you should say “Monsignor”, ​​but if the appeal is directed to an unmarried lady, you can tactfully say “Mademoiselle”, if we are talking about a divorced or married woman - “Madame”. However, today everything is much simpler, and the young girl is always addressed as “Mademoiselle”, and to the older ladies “Madame”. By the way, addressing a person only by name in France is a sign of ignorance and illiteracy. This is only allowed in the circle of family or friends.

State law also states that every citizen can have two names. The first is used as a personal, for use at school, work and in other areas of life. The second fits into the documents.

But according to the traditions of the country, children are given three names:

1. The first-born male will be named after the grandfather by the father's family, then the second name is given, in honor of the grandfather by the mother's family, then the name of the saint is used (chosen and given on the day of baptism).
2. The first-born females are called by the name belonging to the grandmother in the female line, then - the second grandmother in the male gender, the third nickname is chosen from the names of the saints.
3. The second boy in the family is named in honor of the great-grandfather by the father's family, then the maternal great-grandfather, the third invariably - in honor of the saint.
4. The youngest girl is given the name of her great-grandmother by mother, the second - by her great-grandmother by father, the third - by the name of a saint.

French female names

The names of French women are distinguished by their beauty and melody. In Catholic families, a woman necessarily has three names, the last of which refers to the saint commemorated on the day of baptism. Parents believe that the third nickname gives the daughter a protector who will accompany her throughout her life and help her avoid difficulties and problems.

If a woman has three names, this does not mean that she will be called differently. It will be called the main one, recorded in the identity document. When a girl becomes an adult, she can change her primary name to whatever her parents gave her.

IN modern France Russian names are in fashion again. The most popular include: Adele, Elvira, Camilla, Violeta. In turn, the French offer everyone their beautiful names, which are called babies all over the world:

• Amelie;
• Veronica;
• Irene;
• Carolina;
• Claire;
• Katherine;
• Monica;
• Morion;
• Celine;
• Sylvia;
• Jeannette;
• Emma.

The above list contains not only French names. So, the name Jeannette has Jewish roots, Veronica - Greek. There are a lot of borrowed names, all of them are used by many modern parents.

French names for men

Men, just like women, receive three names at birth: the main, the second and the nickname of the saint. Boys are called by the names of their fathers and grandfathers - traditions are rarely observed, and not all parents want to give European, American and other names to their sons.

The most popular names for the representatives of the strong half include:

• Gin;
• Michelle;
• Philip;
• Alain;
• Patrick;
• Pierre;
• Nicolas;
• Christoph;
• Christian;
• Daniel.

Also popular are Bernard, Eric, Frederic Laurent, Stefan, Pascal, David, Gerard, Julien, Olivier, Jacques.

In the country, many people use double names, for example, Jean-Pierre, Paul-Henry, Anna-Laura, Marie-Louise. Both words are written with a hyphen and belong to the same gender. But there are times when two words are used, masculine and feminine. For a man, the first name is masculine, for example, Jean-Marie, for a girl - feminine - Anna-Vincent. It is worth knowing that if the name of your interlocutor consists of two parts, this is how you should address him: Jean-Pierre, Anna-Laura, etc.

Many names for the weaker sex are formed from male ones, to which the suffixes "ette", "ine" and others are added. Often such additions affect the pronunciation: Armand - Armand, Daniel - Danielle.

A little about surnames. They first appeared in the 16th century. Then the king ordered all citizens to choose their own surnames. She could be the name of the father of the family (Bernard, Robert, Henry and others). A second word was added to the name, denoting a character trait, features of appearance, a settlement (large, low, dark, swarthy).

french boy names

The French language is considered one of the most melodic and beautiful among all existing ones. The names for young male citizens are also distinguished by euphony. This is due, first of all, to the origin of the names, which was influenced by historical events, the Catholic faith and other factors.

Some of the most popular boy names today are:

Alphonse Aler Georges Amadoer Jules Ambroise Henry Louis Anselm Luke Antoine Lucian Apollinaire mathis Armel Maurice Astor Napoleon Athanase Noel Basil Auguste

Benezet Pascal Baudouin Patrice Vivienne Percival Guyon Pierre Gilbert Raul Gauthier Roland Didier Silestin Jacques Timothy Jean Thierry Gerard Fernand Germain

french girl names

The French are believing Catholics, giving children several names, one of which has a church connotation. This applies to both boys and girls. The chosen patron is especially important for the latter, because women are considered weak and tender, so more men need the strength of a protector.

Traditionally, girls are called a way: the first name is from grandmothers in both the female and male lines. The second is dictated by the day when the baby was baptized.

The second girl in the family receives the names of great-grandmothers plus the name of the saint. Despite the fact that this tradition is many years old, today's youth adheres to it with pleasure. However, among the parents there are also fashion lovers who are ready to reward their daughter with any name they like. Both Russian and European unusual names are popular, for example, Dylan, Kilian, Ocean, Ains.

Beautiful French names and their meaning

France is the owner of hundreds of beautiful, euphonious names. Every year the list is updated with new options.

Beautiful female names:

• Emma is one of the top names that has not left the first place for ten years. In France, every 7th newborn girl is called this way.
• Lolita or Lola - formed from Luisa. A beautiful, playful name, not suitable for little girls, but most welcome - for adults, business women.
• Chloe - came into fashion during the popularization of Negro culture.
• Lea - at first glance, an inexpressive name, but despite this, it is in demand among the French.
• Mano - derived from Mari. A noble name by French standards.
• Louise is a "retro" name that sends us back half a century.
• Zoya - used not only in Russia, but also in France. It translates as "life".
• Leela or Lily - interesting name, causing associations with a fabulous country.
• Lena is a familiar name that the French call their babies today.
• Sarah - Jewish name, which has been in fashion for more than a decade.
• Kamiy is a name for all times, winning in all situations.
• Lina - formed from Angelina.
• Eve is the name of Adam's girlfriend, and therefore always remains in demand.
• Alice - has a number of options: Alicia, Alice, etc.
• Rima is the ruler of Rome.

Beautiful male names:

• Nathan - a leading place in the hit parade of male names. More than ten children are in the first places. If your name is Artem and you are going to France, know that they will call you Nathan there!
• Enzo is a nickname that owes its popularity to the famous film masterpiece from Luc Besson - the film "The Blue Abyss".
• Louis - brevity and royal charm in one nickname.
• Gabrielle is a new fashion trend that many couples who have become parents use today.
• Jules is a proper name that belonged to Julius Caesar. But today this nickname is associated with France.
• Arthur is the name of a great king and is now popular among boys.
• Timeo - names ending in "o" - the squeak of fashion.
• Raphael is a beautiful name for little boy, adult males with this name are called Rafs.
• Mael - the nickname means something like "boss", "royal person".
• Adam - especially for Eve.

Popular French names

In recent years, Russians do not choose native Russian names, but prefer foreign ones, including French ones. They can be heard more and more often in educational institutions, kindergartens, and medical institutions. Among the popular ones are Daniel, Adele, Anabel, Anais, Ismina, Marcel, Margot, Marietta, Mathieu, Thomas, Emil.

When choosing a name for the baby, do not be too lazy to get acquainted with its meaning, because both the French and we believe that popular name will bring good luck to the baby, and the nickname, denoting a bright character trait, a magic symbol, natural forces, will give happiness, health and well-being!

It all began (or ended?) in 1539. Then the royal ordinance assigned to each Frenchman his family name, nickname, nickname, and under this name (and under no other) he and his descendants from now on and forever had to be recorded in the church parish books. It was forbidden to change it at will.

6 fructidor 2 years of the Republic (in non-revolutionary - August 23, 1794) The Convention, having barely finished with the Jacobin dictatorship, altered the royal ordinance into a civil way and ordered that “no citizen can bear a different name or surname than those indicated in his birth certificate." Those who, under the guise of revolutionary events, changed them, were obliged to return, so to speak, to their primitive state.

As in many other cases, the dictatorship of Napoleon saved the excesses of the revolution. The first consul introduced concessions and compromises with an iron hand, and on Germinal 11, the same year of the Republic (April 1 (!) 1803), happy Frenchmen were allowed to change their surnames in exceptional cases (and personal names were officially allowed to change only in the mid-80s of our century, and then, as we will see, with great difficulty). On the other hand, it was forbidden to give children any names, except for those that appear in the republican and Catholic calendars (the First Consul knew how to reconcile opposites!), And even the names of historical characters. But here, as it should be in a well-organized state, much was left to the discretion of the authorities. For example, once parents were denied the right to name their daughter Kasandra: historical (or quasi-historical) characters had to be chosen correctly...

Maybe our numerous Electrons, Pervomai and Vanguards, as well as the not so numerous Dazdraperms (from "Long Live the First of May") and Lagshmivars ("Schmidt's Camp in the Arctic") would have welcomed the wise conservatism of the First Consul, who moderated the arbitrariness of parents: after all, not one young Frenchwoman was not named Murata or Talleyrana, and in 1806 there was not a single newborn Austerlitz. True, once in Guadeloupe, in full accordance with the Napoleonic decree, the baby was named something like Gos. etc. - exactly from the calendar, where this mark - "public holiday" - is accompanied by many dates (in French, this, of course, sounds different, but no more absurd). But, as you know, you can’t foresee everything, even if you are Napoleon Bonaparte.

With certain indulgences, all this Bonapartism still operates to this day. In any case, it is allowed to change surnames with sufficient grounds, but whether the grounds are sufficient is up to the officials (oh, these freedom, equality and fraternity!) or the court (after all, democracy!). And the procedure for such a decision - a Soviet person will not dream of in a nightmare. The State Chancellery, the Ministry of Justice and such a high body as the State Council are involved, which, before the abolition of the death penalty, often intervened even in matters of life and death. The case may even go to the highest court.

There are basically three valid motives for changing the surname among citizens. The first two are recognized by the state almost unconditionally: these are the dissonant, funny, offensive nature of the surname and its “foreignness”. The third common motive is the desire to ennoble one's quite decent, but rustic surname. Belle France also treats this with understanding, although not so unconditionally.

Considering (of course, not in the sense of “deciding” - where can we, but in the sense of “looking at”) statements on the first of the motives, one is amazed at how many not only funny or ridiculous - frankly obscene, humiliating, offensive surnames (former peasant nicknames). Experts believe that 500 years ago, when the royal ordinance "froze" the surnames, many of them had a different, more decent meaning, and that over the past 500 years they have not changed in better side. For example, the notorious surname Cauchon (“Pig”) in France - it was worn by the church prosecutor at the trial of Joan of Arc - apparently meant then something like a swineherd (also, however, not very respectable compared to a shepherd - a job that was considered much more sophisticated and skilled.) Some surnames reflected village gossip or assessments of character and moral character("witch", "bitch"). There are "Sausage with blood", "Cow dung", "Unfinished", "Mule", "Piglet" ... And their happy owners change them only now, and some are still in no hurry. Still, traditions, including family ones, in France, apparently, are an almost irresistible force: “This surname was good enough for my father, so it’s good for me too ...”

In general, a selective list of surnames, with which their carriers finally decided to part, could become the most interesting place in the article. But the author asks to be excused: from his professional youth, the habit of distinguishing the printed word from other, non-printing, words of the native language has become ingrained and, if possible, not to confuse them. One can only say that those very Pig, Bitch and Cow Dung would be on this list perhaps the most innocent. A comparatively modest example is something like "Log in the anus" (the celebrated elegance French allows you to say it in one word). Further - silence ...

Justifying a request to change such a name, citizens often refer to the difficulties and misunderstandings that arise when they have to introduce themselves by phone, calling an ambulance, police or fire brigade. Apparently, there are no stronger arguments for changing such surnames.

Sometimes, however, the bearers of such surnames are even forced to change their surname against their will. For example, when a family wants to adopt a child. Lasted several years trial due to the fact that a family with a relatively innocent, by French standards, surname (something like "Stump") was not allowed to adopt a child, explaining that it was impossible to doom an innocent child to lifelong ridicule because of such funny last name. The newspapers were especially indignant at such hypocrisy: many prominent judges wear surnames like "Rags", "Spawn", "Cuckold" - and are in no hurry to change them.

This, perhaps, is the strangest (or most interesting) thing. In total, the French submit no more than 500 applications for a change of surname per year. For comparison, only in the city of Seattle (USA), where such surnames, in general, are not found, 5,000 people change their surnames a year. Those are the cultural differences!

But out of these five hundred, only a third of the names are changed because of dissonance. Much more often (almost in half of all cases) it is changed because of the “non-French” sound (these are mostly Jewish surnames, today Arabic ones are more and more often added to them). Apparently, a foreign spirit offends more than obscenity. But, on the other hand, if in Russia a change of surname for such a motive brings ridicule at best, and sometimes even contempt, in France this is perceived as an act of sincere patriotism and is the most respectful motive in the eyes of the state. The French, indeed, greatly value the external signs of cultural identity and unity - it is they who in many ways make the amazingly diverse France a mono-national country.

Many simply want to take a “nobler”, “more famous” surname, like “Chanel” or “Rothschild” (in France, apparently, it has already ceased to sound like a foreign one). This vanity in the eyes of the court and the State Council looks quite innocent, although it is far from always indulged. Someone wants to take the name of one of the relatives who distinguished himself in the Resistance and, in general, under some circumstances, fell for France. Quite respectfully and to the extent possible satisfied.

Sometimes something completely incomprehensible happens. For example, Jean Blanc ("White") suddenly decides to become Jean Naur ("Black"). But usually such whims, as well as aesthetic preferences, are treated with all severity. As a rule, the authorities consider them an absolutely disrespectful motive for changing their surname. As quite officially explained, aesthetic tastes change with each generation, and even faster. If you follow their lead - what will remain of the traditions and the same " national identity»?!

And the surest way to fail is to complain that your last name sounds bad in another language, especially in English. Such a rootless cosmopolitan bears the brunt of French patriotism.

But this is with surnames. Behind personal names much tighter control. And no wonder: after all, both the owners themselves and their parents have much wider opportunities for arrogant arbitrariness. The Napoleonic decree regulating the possible choice of names is still in force. And all for the sake of preserving that same cultural identity! Families are denied the right to give their children traditional provincial names. One Breton family sued the state for 20 years for the right to name a child by a Breton name. Meanwhile, nameless children remain deprived of all civil rights, including the right to inherit property or marry. IN Lately, however, here too there was an indulgence: it is allowed to give traditional local names “as an exception”. The order of exclusion is determined by the same authorities. During polls, 25% of the French considered that children from Muslim families, if they want to be French citizens, should not be allowed to have Muslim names (not surnames) - let them, like other good Frenchmen, draw from the same two calendars and Plutarch and Homer .

But these are, so to speak, ideological conflicts. And there are also purely bureaucratic ones - the legacy of the same Napoleonic decree. For example, a girl can be called Cerise (“Cherry”) without any problems - such a name is recorded in the revolutionary calendar. And they call. But Vanilla (Vanilla) - you can't. And this despite the fact that vanilla is much more respected by the French than simple cherry, - there is even a special league of gourmets fighting for the inviolability of this product and the prohibition of any surrogates like vanillin. But a product is a product, and a list is a list. Native cherry is listed in the revolutionary calendar, but vanilla, an exotic, colonial product obtained by slave labor, is not. Nothing will prevent giving the child the most bizarre name of the two calendars (and the same revolutionary calendar does not occupy bizarre and, for the usual taste, simply ridiculous names). But in order to name the girl by the Anglo-Saxon name Vanessa, one family had to sue for a year and a half. So the cause of the Convention (as well as its enemy - the Roman Catholic Church) lives on and wins.

But if the French somehow manage to protect the “gene pool” of names and surnames from alien invasions, then there is no way to protect it from impoverishment. Such, apparently, is the genetic fate of all artificially or naturally isolated populations. And today, French patriots are worried about the regrettable, if not formidable, prospect: in two centuries, out of the current 250,000 French surnames, 150,000 may disappear forever. And the French want not only unification, but also diversity: the famous “unity in plurality” is the golden dream of enlightened patriotism. So, perhaps, by the way, that so many French people feel sorry for parting with their "Log in ...". At least, this is evidence of at least five hundred years of antiquity of the surname, which not every count can boast of ... And you can put up with misunderstandings over the phone: after all, an ambulance or a fire brigade is not called every day ...

But in France, the natural impulses of parents to name their offspring are severely restrained by the law and by the equally severe public opinion in a democratic country. And how do they behave where there is no such pressure?

Belgian researchers decided to find out what motives parents are guided by when giving names to their children.

In the maternity ward of one of the hospitals in Flanders (and not French-speaking Wallonia), they asked mothers in detail about everything that had to do with choosing a name for a newborn: where did they come up with this name, do they personally know people with such names as they are called themselves and do they know why they got these names, what are the names of their parents, why they chose this particular name, what names they would not want for their children, etc. By the way, there were few repeating names: for 69 boys and 66 girls there were as many as 111 names. There are no similar statistics for Russia, but everyone intuitively understands that we would have much more coinciding names.

Where does diversity come from?

The pressure of the Christian calendar on the choice of names is weakening in the West everywhere, except, perhaps, in France, where the only alternative to the saints are the enlightening fantasies of the Convention. And unlike conservative France, the Belgians, like many others in the West, want “new”, original names for their children (it’s not for us to laugh at them: we had this disease more than anyone else, just a little earlier). Most of all, the parents “learned” the names in the usual way: from personal contacts. More than a third of the names were chosen from special "name books" - books with lists of all kinds of personal names. 14% - from television, 5% - from books, 3% each - from magazines, newspapers and films. Only a few names were given in honor of the parents and a few "came up on their own." But in fact, the influence of television on the names of the young descendants of Ulenspiegel may be much greater than it seems to parents, and the influence of personal contacts is somewhat less. In any case, when asked who else they know with similar names, almost half of the mothers could name only the heroes of the TV screen.

But these are sources. And what about motives?

44% - a beautiful name (remember how this motif is condemned in France, which is proud of its aestheticism)

22% - short, simple (see above);

17% - consistent with the names of our other children (can you imagine such a motive in a French court?);

15% - original (again, see above)

14% - goes well with the surname;

11% - because of its value;

8% - easy and convenient to pronounce;

7% - sounds Flemish;

7% - you can't change it;

6% - this is the name of one of the family members;

6% - creates a favorable image;

5% - we like French names;

4% - not too modern.

Obviously, aesthetic motives not only prevail, but almost suppress all others when choosing a name for a child. Together they make up 80%.

And here a very curious gap between generations was revealed. Among young mothers, less than half knew the reasons that guided their parents when choosing a name for them, and less than a third - the reasons for choosing the name of their husbands. But for those who knew, it was most often family traditions, then the influence of the media - that very favorable image. And now - a solid ""make me beautiful." In decadent times, we will deign to live ...

No less curious are the reasons why names are rejected.

Anglo-American names - 21%

Old fashioned - 19%

Negative image in the media - 18%

Too common - 16% Foreign names in general - 14 (and somewhere else they are worried about our anti-Americanism! A loyal member of NATO, the European Community, the Atlantic civilization and what else - and a whole third more dislikes American names than just foreign ones!)

Long names - 14%

Flemish names - 12% (as we remember, only 7% preferred names that sound Flemish)

French names - 9% (for all the contradictions between the Walloons and the Flemings, French names are rejected not only less often than foreign names in general, but also less often than typically Flemish ones! We would have their national conflicts!)

Difficult to pronounce names - 9%

Traditional names - 8%

Names ending in "y" - 8% (in fact, the same Anglo-American names).

It is curious that purely aesthetic motives play a much smaller role in the rejection of names than in their preference. Another confirmation of the fact known to psychologists and sociologists that positive and negative choices are regulated by different psychosocial mechanisms.

It is curious that, as the survey showed, Anglo-American names, despite their general unpopularity, are very popular with the least educated parents. Here we can draw an analogy with our numerous Arnolds, Arthurs, Alberts in the past. True, these names were mostly popular not with uneducated parents, but rather with those who were called "intellectuals in the first generation." There was no television at that time, foreign films were also watched a little, and people with little education simply had nowhere to get these names from. To people who had just begun to join world culture, these names seemed both prestigious, aesthetic, and “unhackneyed”. Some time ago, the roll was given in the other direction. The author of these lines, his foreign acquaintances, who traveled a lot around Russia, assured that there are few places in the world today that the repertoire of names, especially female ones, is so small, and few places can be found in one room or one institution so many people with the same names. Today, it seems that this trend is breaking again, but not at the expense of foreign names, but mainly at the expense of names, for a long time considered "obsolete" or "common people". But, as far as one can judge, very few old names have been returned to circulation, and even those are still mostly male. They are afraid to “simplify” girls. And this difference is also a very curious characteristic of the current features of our culture.

• 1. Many surnames come from individual names, male: Bernard, Laurent, Martin (Martineau / Martinot / Martinon ...), Michel, Robert, Richard, Simon (most common), Andre, Benoit, Clair, Dominique, Paul, Pierre, Vincent ; less often female: Berthe, Blanche, Rose, etc. Martin- the most common surname. Lamartine indicates that the man's ancestor was someone named Martin: la Martine was the nickname of Martin's wife or widow. The surname Robespierre (Robespierre) was formed from the merger of "Robert" and "Pierre".
• 2. Surnames from the names of the area are widespread:
  • a) countries, provinces, cities, villages where a person comes from (toponyms and ethnonyms): Langlais/Langlois/Aragon (Englishman), Lespagnol/Pagnol (Spanish); France (France), Bourguignon (Burgundian), Dauvergne (from Auvergne), Lenormand (Norman), Lyonnais/Lelyonnais (Lyonese), Paris/Parisse/Pariseau/Parisy, Saint-Exupery/Saint-Upery/Sentubery/Saint-Exuperit/ Saint-Supery ... (Often found in the Hautes-Pyrenees - Hautes-Pyrenees. Saint-Supery and Saint-Exupery - communes named after a saint named Exupere - two martyrs and the Bishop of Toulouse.);
  • b) the place where they live, work, where the property is located, as well as the house, its position in the city, state: Delatour (from "tour" - tower), Delarue (from "rue" - street), Demont / Montagne (from "mont" - mountain), Dubois (from "bois" - forest, grove), Dupont (from "pont" - bridge), Fontaine (fountain), Laforet (from "foret" - forest); Casanova (= la maison neuve - new house), Dumas/Delmas (from "mas" - country house in the south of France);
• 3. From the designations of professions and crafts, titles: Boucher (butcher), Lemercier (dry goods seller), Meunier (miller), Mitterrand (grain hanger), Parmentier (tailor), Peugeot (resin seller); Noble / Lenoble / Noblet (noble, nobleman).
• 4. There are also a lot of nicknames here:
  • a) appearance of a person, body, including nicknames:
    • - hair color: Blanc/Leblanc (white, gray), Leblond/Lablond/Blondin (blond), Brun/Lebrun (dark), Legris/Grisel/Griset (grey, grey), Lenoir/Noiret (black, black), Roux /Leroux (red);
    • - height, weight: Grand/Legrand (big, tall), Petit (short), Gros (full), Gras (fat), Leger (light), Fort (strong); Bossu (hunchback), Louchard (cross-eyed), Pruneau (prune);
    • - body parts: Cheveux (hair), Nez (nose), Oreille (ear), Yeux (eyes), Dents (teeth), Coeur (heart), Ventre (stomach), Bras (arm), Main (hand), Jambes (legs), Doigt (finger);
  • b) character traits: Bon / Lebon / Labonne (kind), Ledoux (gentle), Mauduit (ill-mannered), Mauvoisin (bad neighbor);
  • c) tree names: Launay/Delaunay/Verne (from "auln/aune" - alder), Castagne (from "chataignier" - chestnut), Chesnier/Delcasse (from "chene" - oak), Nogaret (from "noyer" - walnut), Dupin (from "pin" - pine);
  • d) animal names: Lachevre (from "chevre" - goat), Leboeuf (from "boeuf" - bull), Lechat (from "chat" - cat), Lelievre (from "lievre" - hare); Colomb/Colon/Colombeau (from Old French colomb, dove), Merle/Lemerle (thrush), Rossignol/Roussigneux (nightingale); Poisson (fish);
  • e) family circle: Lepouze, Lemarie (from "epouse", "marie" - married, married), Lenfant / Lenfantin (from "enfant" - child), Garcon / Garcin (from "garcon" - boy), Lafille ( from "fille" - girl, daughter), Cadet (younger), Laine/Lainez/Laisne (from "aine" - senior), Frere/Lefrere/Frerot (from "frere" - brother), Jumeau/Jumel/Gemeau/Gimel (twin), Cousin/Cuzin/Cousinet (cousin), Neuveu/Leneuveu (nephew); Premier (first, firstborn), Second (second), Cinquet/Quentin (fifth);
  • f) time:
    • - seasons: Printemps (Spring), Chautemps (warm time), Hivert/Hyver/Yver/Hivernaud/Hivernat (winter);
    • - months: Janvier/Jener/Januel (January), Mars/Martial (March), Avril/Davril (April), Mai/May/Dumay (May), Juin/Juny (June), Juillet (July), Daoust/Daout /Davoust (August), the rest are very rare;
    • - days of the week: Jeudi/Jeudy/Dijoux/Dijous/Dijour (Thursday, afternoon), Samedi (Saturday), Dejour (night), Denuit (day);
  • g) from words related to religion: Chretiennot / Christin / Cretin (from “chretien” - (Christian); Tiphaine (from the holiday “Epifanie” - Epiphany), Careme (fasting), Toussaint (feast of all saints);
  • h) household items, food: Bonnet (cap), Botte/Bottin (boot), Laporte (from "porte" - door), Pain/Panet (bread).

Knowing the characteristic features of surnames helps in many cases to establish where a person comes from. Surnames starting with Le-(La-, Les-), as well as De-, Du-, Del-, Dela-, Des-, are especially typical of Normandy and Northern France (In the Middle Ages, the prefixes A-, Ala- And Au-: Alarose- Rosa's children). Many surnames of Burgundy, Franche-Comté and Lorraine end in the suffix - ot (Amyot, Brunot), while suffixes - eau, -uc, -ic characteristic of the West of France (Poitou).

Le, la, de may appear and disappear: Croix, Lacroix, Delacroix, de La Croix. (The article is capitalized if it is not preceded by the given name + de: les fables de La Fontaine - Jean de la Fontaine. If the surname begins with the article le, and with le - integral part surname, then there is no merging of the preposition with the article: les tableaux de Le Nain, la music de Legrand(paintings by Lenain, music by Legrand).

Some surnames were formed from the merger of words: Beaulieu (beautiful place), Lebeaupin (beautiful pine). (In Russian: Krasnoslobodtsev (from the name "Red Sloboda"), Chernobrovtsev (from "black-browed".)

The surnames of Northern and Southern France are significantly different from each other, going back to the same original root. This reflects the differences between langue d "oil (langdoyle, the language of the northern regions of France), which formed the basis of the French literary language, and langue d" oc (Provençal). So, the surnames Bois (Dubois), Chaussee, Dupre, Roy, typical for the North of France, in the South will have the following correspondences: Bosc (Dubosc), Caussade, Delprat, Rey.

Sometimes the origin of a surname helps to establish its spelling. For example, the spelling Renault is typical for the middle Loire region, Renaut for the North, Renaud for Paris. However, even so, you should be careful. French people from Brittany whose last names end in -O And -es, and residents of the North, with surnames starting with - ez(Longo, Bouchez), mistakenly consider the Spaniards to be their ancestors. However, their resemblance to the real Spanish surnames Delgado, Martinez is purely coincidental. For example, Bouchez in other areas of France may be spelled Boucher, Bouchet, or Bouche.

Many French people have surnames of foreign origin. So, the surname of Emile Zola (Zola) is Italian (from "zolla" - a clod of earth). Father famous writer was an immigrant from Italy. A lot in France is typical German surnames from Alsace and Lorraine: Becker (baker), Klein (small), Neumann (novice), Wolf (wolf), and also Flemish: Depriester (priest). Eiffel is a nickname that has existed since the beginning of the 18th century and refers to the Eifel (woodland) in Germany. The family's real surname is Boenickhausen/Bonickausen, a toponym corresponding to a commune in North Westphalia. Picasso is a Spanish surname that comes from the old French "picasse" (pic) - hoe, pick.

The original meaning of surnames is not always transparent. For example, the surname Delors is only accidentally consonant with the combination de l "or (gold). In fact, it is associated with the designation of the place: de l" hort ("hort" - garden, vegetable garden).

Surnames that allegedly indicate the origin of the ancestors of a given person should also be treated with caution. Sometimes this can be true, for example, Lebelge is a person from Belgium. But most of the time it's easy to get it wrong. So, the high prevalence of the surnames Langlois (from the old French l "Anglois) and Lallemand (from l" Allemand) suggests that it is unlikely that the ancestors of their carriers were real Englishmen and Germans. In this case, we are dealing with nicknames.

Similarly, the surnames Leveque (from l "eveque), Comte / Lecomte, Duc / Leduc, Roy / Leroy / Duroy, Lempereur do not at all indicate the origin of a person from a bishop, count, duke, king, emperor. For example, Leveque could be the nickname of a peasant who worked on the lands of the bishop.

The “image” of a surname largely depends on how people understand its original meaning.

So, in the fate of Charles de Gaulle (Charles de Gaulle) - one of the largest figures French history XX century - an undoubted role was played by the consonance of his surname de Gaulle with the ancient name of France - la Gaule (Gaul). From his youth, de Gaulle believed in his destiny, in the fact that his life was connected with the service of France. However, in reality, the surname of the general's ancestors has nothing to do with the name of ancient Gaul. The de Gaulle family comes from Flanders, in Flemish this surname sounded Van de Walle, which meant approximately "living near the fortress wall (by the rampart)". Sometimes there are French people with a similar surname - Gaule or Gaulle, but their surname is most often of a different origin: it is associated with the word gaule (pole, rod). So they could call a person who traded poles, or a tall and thin (like a pole) person.

Proper names are constantly played up, rethought, remade by speakers, as well as writers, journalists, politicians.

For example, for a Frenchman, Dupont is not just a “some” surname. This is a typical French surname (similar to Russian Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov). In addition, Dupont is a symbol of the "average" Frenchman. Cartoonists sometimes portray him jokingly as a "superman" named Super-Dupont with indispensable attributes: a beret, a long loaf (baguette) under his arm and cheese (sometimes a bottle of red wine in his pocket).

Duchateau symbolizes an “average” rich family (this surname sounds aristocratic, because chateau is a castle; a palace; a manor’s house is associated with wealth, nobility), and Durand is an ordinary family with a small income.

Here is a case, very typical for the French linguistic consciousness, of comprehending the name of the time of the Great french revolution. A certain de Saint-Cyr (de Saint-Cyr) was brought to the court of the revolutionary tribunal, whom the chairman asked about his name and surname.

• “My name is de Saint-Cyr,” answered the defendant.
• - There is no more nobility, - the chairman objected (the aristocratic particle de before the names of the nobles was canceled).
• “In that case, then I am Saint-Cyr.
• - The time of superstition and holiness has passed, - there are no more saints (saint - saint).
• - So I'm just - Sir.
• - The kingdom with all its titles fell forever, - the answer followed again (Sur sounds like Sire - an appeal to the king).

Then a brilliant thought comes into the defendant's head:

In that case, he exclaimed, I have no surname at all, and I am not subject to the law. I am nothing but an abstraction - an abstraction. You will not find a law punishing an abstract idea.

The tribunal found the defendant not guilty and pronounced the following sentence: "The Citizen of Abstraction is invited to choose for the future a republican name if he does not wish to incur further suspicion."