These names are widely used in contemporary France and might make exotic choices for a baby in Los Angeles or London.

GIRLS

Amandine — The French Amanda, John Malkovich introduced this lovely name to the wider world when he used this for his now-grown daughter.

Apolline — The Apollo relative was used by J.K. Rowling for a Frenchified character.

Capucine — Once associated with a hypersexy French actress, this ancient name is newly chic.

Clemence — Actress Clemence Poesy has popularized this French version of our Clementine, pronounced clay-mahns.

Faustine — Most English-speakers would pronounce the first syllable with an “ow” sound, as in house, but in France they pronounce it to rhyme with frost or cost: much prettier.

Lilou — This pet form of the Lilian family of names stems from Occitan, a language spoken in Provence, and is pronounce lee-loo.

Maelys — The feminine form of the Breton saint’s name Mael, Maelys usually takes a dipthong over the e – which can be challenging to enforce. The first syllable may be pronounced like mail or can be forced into two syllables – mah-el – and the dominant second syllable may end with either an s or a z sound: mayl-EESE, mah-el-EEZ, or something in between.

Manon — A diminutive of Marie, Manon can be a fresh way to honor Grandma Mary. Homeland actor Damian Lewis has a daughter named Manon.

Romane — Part of the Roman family, pronunciation is row-men, with equal emphasis on each syllable.

Solene — This relative of Solange is pronounced so-LEHN.

Victoire — Another name used in Harry Potter, this French twist freshens up Victoria – though the veek-twahr pronunciation may be challenging.

BOYS

Baptiste — Stylish in Paris though may feel a bit old-school religious for many outside of France.

Bastien — Sebastian has been in the Top 100 in the U.S. for over a decade, but Bastien both simplifies it and makes it newer.

Corentin — Corentin is an ancient saint’s name very popular in France but virtually unknown beyond. Pronunciation is cor-en-TAN.

Jules — One of the simplest of the fashionable French names, Jules might be a newer way to say Julian.

Marius — Marius is one of those names that feels familiar and exotic at the same time. Much chicer than Italian cousin Mario.

Mathis — Very popular in France and pronounced mah-TEES like the painter, this name may update or honor Matthew.

Maxime and Maxence — Looking for a fresh route to Max? Consider one of these French long forms.

Thibault — Cool but pronunciation challenged: It’s tee-bo.

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Nameberry is a baby-naming site produced by Pamela Redmond Satran and Linda Rosenkrantz, co-authors of 10 bestselling baby name guides, including the newest, “Beyond Ave and Aiden: The Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby.” See more at http://nameberry.com

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