Thanks for this informative article. I would never have known that the post-revolutionary government felt that regulation of first names was necessary. But after reading and hearing some of the most strange and unique names here in the US, I sometimes wonder if we should have done that. But then I tell myself 'Not'!
"Prénoms français" has been shared to the blog from the French reading exercises section of the learning library where you can find a large selection of interactive texts to help you with your reading skills. This article also has audio for you to practice your French listening skills; you can find many more listening activities in the French listening practice section.
French parents are not completely free to choose their child’s first name – learn about some surprising restrictions in this bilingual audio article. After listening, click any phrase for the English translation and related grammar lessons.
- What's this?
Learn more
- Cours de droit des personnes, famille
- Des prénoms, contexte légal en France
- Ligue des officiers État civil
- Ils inventent un nom inédit pour votre bébé
Author info
Laura is a French expert and Kwiziq's Head of Quality Control. Online educator since '99, Laura is passionate about language, travel, and cooking. She's American by birth and a permanent ex-pat by choice - freelancing made it possible for her to travel extensively and live in several countries before settling permanently in Guadeloupe. Laura is the author of Lawless French, Lawless Spanish, and other websites and books on French, Spanish, Italian, English, and vegetarianism. She spends most of her spare time reading, playing with food, and enjoying water sports.
Aurélie is our resident French Expert. She has created most of the wonderful content you see on the site and is usually the person answering your tricky help questions. She comes from a small village near Chartres in Central France, country of cereal fields and not much else. She left (in a hurry) to study English at the world-famous Sorbonne in Paris, before leaving France in 2007 to experience the “London lifestyle” - and never looked back! She's worked as a professional French teacher, translator and linguist in the UK since. She loves to share her love of languages and is a self-professed cinema and literature geek!
Comments: 3
Interesting that I just read this http://www.thelocal.fr/20161118/france-moves-to-stop-baby-getting-terrorists-nameshortly after reading your article on Prénoms francaise. En 2016, le champ serait enlargir pour incluire les prelims de les terroristes?
"Les noms de marques (Nutella, Mercedes,... ) sont refusés".
Mais Mercedes est un nom féminine que s'utilise dans des pays où l'on parle l'espagnol !
("las mercedes" signifie "les miséricordes")
Si les noms Mireille où Lourdes devient des marques, est-ce que cette loi les va à refuser ?