French names
Encyclopedia
This article describes the conventions for using people's names in France
, including the norms of custom and practice, as well as the legal aspects.
During the Ancien Régime, a laywoman was always addressed "Mademoiselle", even when married, "Madame" being reserved to women of high aristocracy, even not married. This practice ceased after the French Revolution
.
A traditional address to a crowd of people is Mesdames, Messieurs or Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles, Messieurs — whose order of words represents decreasing degrees of respect. An informal variant is Messieurs-Dames; it is considered as ill-mannered by purists.
It is normally impolite to address people by their given name
s unless one is a family member, a friend or a close work colleague of comparable hierarchic importance. One also does not address people by their last name only unless in a work environment. Also, contrary to English or German usage, it is considered impolite to address someone as Monsieur X when talking to that person: a mere Monsieur should be used, Monsieur X being reserved for talking about M. X to another person.
When speaking of someone, Monsieur/Madame given name family name
, by far the most polite form of address, is generally reserved for the most solemn occasions. Monsieur/Madame family name or given name family name is polite and used in normal formal occasions, as well as in the formal quality press (Le Monde
, Le Monde Diplomatique
, for example). By contrast, in colloquial usage the family names of personalities are used alone. Formally, a married or widowed woman can be called by the given name of her husband (Madame (given name of husband) family name or Madame veuve (given name of husband) family name); this is now slightly out of fashion.
In the workplace or in academic establishments, particularly in a male-dominated environment, it is quite common to refer to male employees by their family name only, but to use Madame or Mademoiselle before the names of female employees.
and the Air Force
are addressed as Mon
As a punishment by Napoléon Bonaparte, Navy
officers have not been addressed as "mon" since the Battle of Trafalgar
. Confusingly, the title used does not always match the rank. "Lieutenant" is the form of address for an enseigne de vaisseau, "capitaine" for a lieutenant de vaisseau and "commandant" for a capitaine de corvette, frégate or vaisseau.
In everyday written contexts, ranks are abbreviated.
and never of Jacques René Chirac; and Henri Philippe Pétain is always referred to as Philippe Pétain
(or Marshal Pétain), because Philippe was the given name that he used in daily life. Middle initials are not used. For example, although English-speaking scientific publications may cite Claude Allègre
as Claude J. Allègre, this is never done in France. Typically, second and further given names may be somewhat old-fashioned, given in honour of the child's grandparents etc., though such practice has now become less common. As with English, however, a person may choose to use any one (or several) of their names, relegating the unused names to the birth certificate. Although using more than one name is nowadays out of fashion, using two or even three of the given names as a compound name was fairly common until the early 20th century.
Traditionally, most people were given names from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints. Common names of this type are Jacques (James
), Jean (John
), Michel (Michael
), Pierre (Peter), or Jean-Baptiste (John the Baptist
) for males; and Marie (Mary
), Jeanne (Jane
), Marguerite (Margaret
), Françoise (Frances), or Élisabeth (Elizabeth
) for females. In certain regions such as Brittany
or Corsica
, more local names (usually of local saints) are often used (in Brittany
, for instance, male Corentin or female Anne; in Corsica
, Dominique (suitable both for males and females). However, people from immigrant communities often choose names from their own culture. Furthermore, in recent decades it has become common to use first names of foreign origin, such as Kevin, Enzo or Anthony for males; for females, Jessica, Jennifer, Karine or Sonia. Also, females were given names that are feminine to the common French names like Jacqueline
and Gérald
ine.
The prevalence of given names follows trends, with some names being popular in some years, and some considered definitely out-of-fashion. As an example, few children born since 1970 would bear the name Germaine, which is generally associated with the idea of an elderly lady. However, as noted above, such old-fashioned names are frequently used as second or third given names (middle name
s).
Almost all traditional given names are gender-specific. However, a few given names, such as Dominique (see above: completely gender-neutral), Claude (traditionally masculine) and Camille (traditionally masculine, now mostly feminine), are given to both males and females; in medieval times, a woman was often named Philippe (Philippa), now an exclusively masculine name (Philip), or a male Anne (Ann), now almost exclusively feminine (except as second or third given name, mostly in Brittany). From the middle 19th-century into the early 20th-century, Marie was a popular first name for both men or women, however, before and after this period it has been almost exclusively given to women.
Compound given names, such as Jean-Luc, Jean-Paul, or Anne-Sophie are not uncommon. These are not considered to be two separate given names. The second part of a compound name may be a given name normally used by the opposite sex. However, the gender of the compound is determined by the first component. Thus, Marie-George Buffet
has a given name considered as female because it begins with Marie. The feminine component in male compound names is mostly Marie, as in Jean-Marie Le Pen
. In the past, some Frenchmen would have Marie or Anne as first name (example: Anne du Bourg
), which is still nowadays in practice in traditional catholic families (but then the man will have other given names and one of those will be used in everyday life). Second or third given names, which usually are kept private, may also include names normally used by the opposite gender. For instance, in 2006, 81 Frenchmen have Brigitte among their given names, 97 Catherine, 133 Anne and 204 Julie. In addition to the above-described custom of using Marie for males, this is due to the habit of traditional catholic French families to give children the names of their godmother and godfather: if there is no counterpart of the opposite gender for the name of the godparent who is not of the same sex as the child, generally the name of the godparent will be left as such. For instance, a male child born to a traditional catholic family choosing for him the name Nicolas and whose godparents are called Christian and Véronique could be called Nicolas Christian Marie Véronique.
First names are chosen by the child's parents. There are no legal a priori constraints on the choice of names nowadays, but this has not always been the case. The choice of given names, originally limited only by the tradition of naming children after a small number of popular saints, was restricted by law at the end of the 18th century. Officially, only names figuring on a calendar, or names of illustrious Frenchmen/women of the past, could be accepted. Much later, actually in 1966, a new law permitted a limited number of mythological, regional or foreign names, substantives (Olive, Violette), diminutives, and alternative spellings. Only in 1993 were French parents given the freedom to name their child without any constraint whatsoever. However, if the birth registrar thinks that the chosen names (alone or in association with the last name) may be detrimental to the child's interests, or to the right of other families to protect their own family name, the registrar may refer the matter to the local prosecutor, who may choose to refer the matter to the local court
. The court may then refuse the chosen names. Such refusals are rare and mostly concern given names that may expose the child to mockery.
To change a given name, a request can be made before a court (juge des affaires familiales), but except in a few specific cases (such as the Gallicization of a foreign name), it is necessary to prove a legitimate interest for the change (usually that the current name is a cause of mockery).
, separated by a hyphen.
The ratio of the number of family names to the population is high in France, due to the fact that most surnames had many orthographic and dialectal variants (more than 40 for some) which were registered as separate names around 1880 when “family vital records booklets” were issued. According to the French Institute for Statistics INSEE
, more than 1,300,000 surnames have been registered in the country between 1891 and 1990, and about 200,000 disappeared meanwhile (mainly orthographic variants). It is believed that the number of family names at any time since 1990 hovers between 1,200,000 and 800,000. However, not all family names are of French origin.
According to different estimations, 50 to 80 percent of French citizens would be the bearers of rare family names (fewer than 50 bearers alive at the census time).
In France, until January 1, 2005, children were required by law to take the surname of their father. From this date, article 311-21 of the French Civil code
permits parents to give their children either the name of their father, mother, or a hyphenation of both - although no more than two names can be hyphenated. In cases of disagreement, the father's name applies. This brought France into line with a 1978 declaration by the Council of Europe
requiring member governments to take measures to adopt equality of rights in the transmission of family names, a measure that was echoed by the United Nations in 1979. Similar measures were adopted by Germany
(1976), Sweden
(1982), Denmark
(1983) and Spain
(1999).
Some French last names include the word de ("of") or du (contraction for de and le = "of the"). This is known as a particle. A particle de should not be alphabetized in name lists, whereas a particule du should be because it results from the contraction of an article. The particule generally indicates some land or feudal
origin, but this is not always the case. The name de Gaulle
, for example, is not a traditional French name with a particule, but a Flemish name evolved from a form of "De Walle" meaning "the wall".
A popular misconception is that a particule always indicates membership of the nobility
. Almost all nobility titles are of the form <particle> <name of the land>: for instance, <i><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("33258",this,"louis-philippe_of_france.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("33258")' href="/topics/Louis-Philippe_of_France">Louis, duc d'Orléans</a><span class="hp" id="m33258"><div class="hpHeader">Louis-Philippe of France</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i33258"></div>Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...</div><br></span></i> ("Louis, <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("58572",this,"duke.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("58572")' href="/topics/Duke">duke</a><span class="hp" id="m58572"><div class="hpHeader">Duke</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i58572"></div>A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...</div><br></span> of <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("9201",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("9201")' href="/topics/Orléans">Orléans</a><span class="hp" id="m9201"><div class="hpHeader">Orléans</div><div class="hpContent">-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...</div><br></span>"), or simply <i>Louis d'Orléans</i>. However, many non-noble people also have <i>particules</i> in their names, simply because they indicate some geographic origin or property. An example from current political life is <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("34515",this,"dominique_de_villepin.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("34515")' href="/topics/Dominique_de_Villepin">Dominique de Villepin</a><span class="hp" id="m34515"><div class="hpHeader">Dominique de Villepin</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i34515"></div>Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin is a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007....</div><br></span>. Former president <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("85143",this,"valry_giscard_destaing.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("85143")' href="/topics/Valéry_Giscard_d'Estaing">Valéry Giscard d'Estaing</a><span class="hp" id="m85143"><div class="hpHeader">Valéry Giscard d'Estaing</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i85143"></div>Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...</div><br></span>'s father had his surname legally changed from "Giscard" to "Giscard d'Estaing" in 1922, claiming the name of a family line extinct since the <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("35772",this,"french_revolution.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("35772")' href="/topics/French_Revolution">French Revolution</a><span class="hp" id="m35772"><div class="hpHeader">French Revolution</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i35772"></div>The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...</div><br></span>. <br />
<br />
Adding a <i>particule</i> was one way for people of non-noble origins to pretend they were nobles. In the 19th century wealthy laymen buying nobility titles were derisively called <i>Monsieur de Puispeu</i>, a pun on <i>depuis peu</i> meaning "since recently". Similarly, during the <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("61086",this,"french_revolution.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("61086")' href="/topics/French_Revolution">French Revolution</a><span class="hp" id="m61086"><div class="hpHeader">French Revolution</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i61086"></div>The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...</div><br></span>, when being associated with the nobility was unfashionable and even risky, some people dropped the <i>de</i> from their name, or omitted the mention of their feudal titles (see image). <br />
<br />
In some cases, names with <i>particules</i> are made of a normal family name and the name of an estate (or even of several estates). Thus, Dominique de Villepin is <i>Dominique Galouzeau de Villepin</i>; Hélie de Saint Marc is <i>Hélie Denoix de Saint Marc</i> (in both cases, omitting second or other given names). As in these examples, most people with such long family names shorten their name for common use by keeping only the first estate name (such as Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, assuming in everyday life the name of Philippe de Villiers) or, in some cases, only the family name. Whether the family name or the estate name is used for the shortened form depends on a variety of factors: how people feel bearing a <i>particule</i> (people may for instance dislike the connotations of nobility that the <i>particule</i> entails; on the other hand, they may enjoy the impression of nobility), tradition, etc. For instance, Valéry Giscard d'Estaing is never referred to as "d'Estaing", probably because his <i>particule</i> is a recent addition to the family surname by his father. On the contrary, he is often simply referred to in the press as <i>Giscard</i>.<br />
<br />
Traditionally, the <i>particule</i> <i>de</i> is omitted when citing the name of a person without a preceding given name, title (<i>baron</i>, <i>duc</i> etc.), job description (<i>général</i>, <i>colonel</i>, etc.) or polite address (<i>monsieur</i>, <i>madame</i>, <i>mademoiselle</i>). Thus, one would say <i>Monsieur de la Vieuville</i>, but if calling him familiarily by his last name only, <i>La Vieuville</i> (note the initial capital letter); the same applies for <i><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("12971",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("12971")' href="/topics/Gérard_de_la_Martinière">Gérard de la Martinière</a><span class="hp" id="m12971"><div class="hpHeader">Gérard de la Martinière</div><div class="hpContent">Gérard de la Martinière is a French businessman.A graduate of École polytechnique and ENA, he was a general inspector of Finances, working in the Ministry of Finances from 1969 to 1984....</div><br></span></i>, who would be called <i>La Martinière</i>. Similarly, <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("63599",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("63599")' href="/topics/Philippe_de_Villiers">Philippe de Villiers</a><span class="hp" id="m63599"><div class="hpHeader">Philippe de Villiers</div><div class="hpContent">Viscount Philippe Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers, born on 25 March 1949, is a French politician. He was the Mouvement pour la France nominee for the French presidential election of 2007. He received 2.23% of the vote, putting him in sixth place. As only the top...</div><br></span> talks about the votes he receives as <i>le vote Villiers</i>. However, this usage is now losing ground to a more egalitarian treatment of surnames; it is, for instance, commonplace to hear people talking of <i>De Villiers</i>. <br />
<br />
Note that English language medial capital spellings such as <i>DeVilliers</i> are never used in France.<br />
<H3>Changes of names</H3> <br />
Contrary to popular belief, and also contrary to the practice of some other countries, French women do not legally change names when they marry. However, it is customary that they take their husband's name as a "usage name". This is not a legal obligation and not all women decide to do so. However, if they do, they may retain the use of this name, depending on circumstances, even after a divorce. In some cases, the wife, or even both spouses, choose to adopt a double-barreled surname made from joining the surnames of both partners. Thus, both partners' surnames coexist with whatever usage name they choose.<br />
<br />
This distinction is important, because many official documents use the person's maiden or legal or true surname, rather than their usage name.<br />
<br />
People may also choose to use other names in daily usage, as long as they are not impersonating others, and as long as their usage name is socially accepted. One example of this is the custom of actors or singers to use a <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("15485",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("15485")' href="/topics/Stage_name">stage name</a><span class="hp" id="m15485"><div class="hpHeader">Stage name</div><div class="hpContent">A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...</div><br></span>. However, identity documents and other official documents will only bear the "real name" of the person.<br />
<br />
In some cases, people finally change their real name to their stage name; for example, the singer <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("66112",this,"patrick_bruel.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("66112")' href="/topics/Patrick_Bruel">Patrick Bruel</a><span class="hp" id="m66112"><div class="hpHeader">Patrick Bruel</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i66112"></div>Patrick Bruel is a French singer, actor, and professional poker player of Algerian Jewish descent.-Biography:...</div><br></span> changed his name from <i>Benguigui</i>. Another example of aliases being turned into true name: during <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("42055",this,"world_war_ii.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("42055")' href="/topics/World_War_II">World War II</a><span class="hp" id="m42055"><div class="hpHeader">World War II</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i42055"></div>World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...</div><br></span>, some <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("43312",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("43312")' href="/topics/French_Resistance">Resistance</a><span class="hp" id="m43312"><div class="hpHeader">French Resistance</div><div class="hpContent">The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...</div><br></span> fighters (such as <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("68626",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("68626")' href="/topics/Lucie_Aubrac">Lucie Aubrac</a><span class="hp" id="m68626"><div class="hpHeader">Lucie Aubrac</div><div class="hpContent">Lucie Samuel born Lucie Bernard , and better known as Lucie Aubrac, was a French history teacher and member of the French Resistance during World War II....</div><br></span>) and Jews fleeing persecution adopted aliases, and some kept the alias as a legal name after the war or added it to their name (<a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("19255",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("19255")' href="/topics/Jacques_Chaban-Delmas">Jacques Chaban-Delmas</a><span class="hp" id="m19255"><div class="hpHeader">Jacques Chaban-Delmas</div><div class="hpContent">Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a French Gaullist politician. He served as Prime Minister under Georges Pompidou from 1969 to 1972. In addition, for almost half a century, he was Mayor of Bordeaux and a deputy for the Gironde département....</div><br></span>' name was <i>Delmas</i>, and <i>Chaban</i> was the last of his wartime aliases).<br />
<br />
Truly changing one's last name, as opposed to adopting a usage name, is quite complex. Such changes have to be made official by a <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("69883",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("69883")' href="/topics/Decree"><i>décret en Conseil d'État</i></a><span class="hp" id="m69883"><div class="hpHeader">Decree</div><div class="hpContent">A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...</div><br></span> taken by the <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("20512",this,"prime_minister_of_france.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("20512")' href="/topics/Prime_Minister_of_France">Prime Minister</a><span class="hp" id="m20512"><div class="hpHeader">Prime Minister of France</div><div class="hpContent"><div class="hpImage" id="i20512"></div>The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...</div><br></span> after approbation by the Council of State. Requests for such changes must be justified by some legitimate interest: for instance, changing from a foreign name difficult to pronounce in French to a simpler name, or changing from a name with unfavorable connotations.<br />
<H2>See also</H2> List of common French given names at the <a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("49596",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("49596")' href="/topics/French_Wikipedia">French Wikipedia</a><span class="hp" id="m49596"><div class="hpHeader">French Wikipedia</div><div class="hpContent">The French Wikipedia is the French language edition of Wikipedia, spelt Wikipédia. This edition was started in March 2001, and has about articles as of , making it the third-largest Wikipedia overall, after the English-language and German-language editions...</div><br></span>
<ul>
<li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("76166",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("76166")' href="/topics/German_name">German name</a><span class="hp" id="m76166"><div class="hpHeader">German name</div><div class="hpContent">German names consist of one or several Vornamen and a Nachname . The Vorname is usually gender-specific.-Forenames:...</div><br></span></li>
<li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("1481",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("1481")' href="/topics/Dutch_name">Dutch name</a><span class="hp" id="m1481"><div class="hpHeader">Dutch name</div><div class="hpContent">Dutch names consist of one or more given names and a surname. The given name, as in English, is usually gender-specific.-Dutch given names:The given name is given to a child by the parents shortly after, or before, birth. It is common to give a child several given names, particularly among...</div><br></span></li>
<li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("52109",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("52109")' href="/topics/Germanic_name">Germanic name</a><span class="hp" id="m52109"><div class="hpHeader">Germanic name</div><div class="hpContent">Germanic given names are traditionally dithematic; that is, they are formed from two elements, by joining a prefix and a suffix. For example, King Æþelred's name was derived from æþel, for "noble", and ræd, for "counsel". Many of these names are still used today, while others have fallen out of use...</div><br></span></li>
<li><a class='greylink1' onMouseover='ShowPop("2738",this,"noimage.gif", event)' onMouseout='HidePop("2738")' href="/topics/French_honorifics">French honorifics</a><span class="hp" id="m2738"><div class="hpHeader">French honorifics</div><div class="hpContent">French honorifics include "Monsieur" for a man, "Madame" for a married woman and "Mademoiselle" for an unmarried woman. Feminist movements are pushing for "Madame" being used for all women, on the basis that it would be sexist to have only one word for men, whether they're married or not, but...</div><br></span></li></ul>
<br />
<H2>External links</H2>
<ul>
<li><a rel='nofollow' class='greylink1' href="http://frenchbabynames.org">More French Baby names</a></li></ul>
<div class="article-reference">The source of this article is <a class='greylink1' href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_names">wikipedia</a>, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the <a class='greylink1' href='/gfdl'>GFDL</a>.</div>
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France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, including the norms of custom and practice, as well as the legal aspects.
Madame, Mademoiselle, Monsieur
In normal polite usage, a person's name is preceded by an honorific:- Monsieur, for males (etymologically, Monsieur means "my Lord", cf. English "Sir"); pronounced məsjø; plural: Messieurs, pronounced mesjø; abbreviation: singular M.; plural: MM.. The singular form Mr is very often found, but is considered as incorrect by purists, although it appears (together with its rare plural form Mrs) in some dictionaries.
- Madame, for married, divorced, widowed or elderly females (etymologically, Madame means "my Lady", cf. English "Dame"); pronounced [madam]; plural: Mesdames, pronounced [medam]; abbreviation: Mme; plural: Mmes. Madame must also be used in the case where one does not know whether the addressed woman is married or not.
- Mademoiselle, for an unmarried female (cf. English "Damsel"); pronounced [madmwazɛl] or [mamwᵊzɛl]; plural: Mesdemoiselles, pronounced [medmwazɛl] or [memwᵊzɛl]; abbreviation: Mlle or Mle; plural: Mlles or Mles. Etymologically, this means "my Damsel". This form of address is now tending to be less used in favour of "Madame" by some groups such as women's rights movements, because they consider the usage to be discriminating and disrespectful. However, one tendency that remains fairly common is the addressing of young-looking females Mademoiselle, and older females Madame. Actresses are usually always styled Mademoiselle, especially in film or theatre credits, regardless of their age or personal situation; one would thus read Mademoiselle DeneuveCatherine DeneuveCatherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
est habillée par Soandso. - Mondemoiseau is an archaic term historically used for a gentleman that had not yet reached the status of chevalierKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
, and was used in a similar fashion as the modern mademoiselle; plural: Mesdemoiseaux. The term has not been in common use since the 17th century, but it can be found in works of classic French literature, such as MolièreMolièreJean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière, was a French playwright and actor who is considered to be one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature...
's L'avare.
During the Ancien Régime, a laywoman was always addressed "Mademoiselle", even when married, "Madame" being reserved to women of high aristocracy, even not married. This practice ceased after the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
A traditional address to a crowd of people is Mesdames, Messieurs or Mesdames, Mesdemoiselles, Messieurs — whose order of words represents decreasing degrees of respect. An informal variant is Messieurs-Dames; it is considered as ill-mannered by purists.
It is normally impolite to address people by their given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
s unless one is a family member, a friend or a close work colleague of comparable hierarchic importance. One also does not address people by their last name only unless in a work environment. Also, contrary to English or German usage, it is considered impolite to address someone as Monsieur X when talking to that person: a mere Monsieur should be used, Monsieur X being reserved for talking about M. X to another person.
When speaking of someone, Monsieur/Madame given name family name
Family name
A family name is a type of surname and part of a person's name indicating the family to which the person belongs. The use of family names is widespread in cultures around the world...
, by far the most polite form of address, is generally reserved for the most solemn occasions. Monsieur/Madame family name or given name family name is polite and used in normal formal occasions, as well as in the formal quality press (Le Monde
Le Monde
Le Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, Le Monde Diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique
Le Monde diplomatique is a monthly newspaper offering analysis and opinion on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first created mainly for a diplomatic audience as its name implies...
, for example). By contrast, in colloquial usage the family names of personalities are used alone. Formally, a married or widowed woman can be called by the given name of her husband (Madame (given name of husband) family name or Madame veuve (given name of husband) family name); this is now slightly out of fashion.
In the workplace or in academic establishments, particularly in a male-dominated environment, it is quite common to refer to male employees by their family name only, but to use Madame or Mademoiselle before the names of female employees.
Military
Military officers are addressed by their rank (not "monsieur"). Male officers of the ArmyFrench Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
and the Air Force
French Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
are addressed as Mon
As a punishment by Napoléon Bonaparte, Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
officers have not been addressed as "mon" since the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. Confusingly, the title used does not always match the rank. "Lieutenant" is the form of address for an enseigne de vaisseau, "capitaine" for a lieutenant de vaisseau and "commandant" for a capitaine de corvette, frégate or vaisseau.
In everyday written contexts, ranks are abbreviated.
Given names
French people have one, two or more given names. One of them, almost always the first, is used in daily life (but someone can also have an usage name that was not given); the others are solely for official documents, such as birth, death and marriage certificates. Thus, one always speaks of Jacques ChiracJacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
and never of Jacques René Chirac; and Henri Philippe Pétain is always referred to as Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
(or Marshal Pétain), because Philippe was the given name that he used in daily life. Middle initials are not used. For example, although English-speaking scientific publications may cite Claude Allègre
Claude Allègre
Claude Allègre is a French politician and scientist.- Scientific work :The main scientific area of Claude Allègre is geochemistry....
as Claude J. Allègre, this is never done in France. Typically, second and further given names may be somewhat old-fashioned, given in honour of the child's grandparents etc., though such practice has now become less common. As with English, however, a person may choose to use any one (or several) of their names, relegating the unused names to the birth certificate. Although using more than one name is nowadays out of fashion, using two or even three of the given names as a compound name was fairly common until the early 20th century.
Traditionally, most people were given names from the Roman Catholic calendar of saints. Common names of this type are Jacques (James
James (name)
The name James is derived from the same Hebrew name as Jacob, meaning "Supplanter" ....
), Jean (John
John (given name)
John is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Latin Ioannes, Iohannes, which is in turn a form of the Greek , Iōánnēs. This Greek name is a form of the Hebrew name , , which means "God is generous"...
), Michel (Michael
Michael
Michael is a given name that comes from the , derived from the Hebrew question מי כמו אלוהים? meaning "Who is like God?" In English, it is sometimes shortened to Mike, Mikey, or, especially in Ireland, Mick...
), Pierre (Peter), or Jean-Baptiste (John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
) for males; and Marie (Mary
Mary (given name)
Mary is a feminine given name, the English form of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Both New Testament names were forms of the Hebrew name מִרְיָם or Miryam.The usual meaning given by various...
), Jeanne (Jane
Jane (given name)
Jane is a feminine given name. It is the English form of the Old French name Jehanne, which was an old feminine form of the male name Johannes or Ioannes , a Latin form of the Greek name , which is derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן , a short form of the name יְהוֹחָנָן , meaning "Yahweh is...
), Marguerite (Margaret
Margaret (name)
Margaret is a female first name, derived from the Greek word margarites meaning "pearl." It may have originally been derived from the Sanskrit word मञ्यरी mañjarī....
), Françoise (Frances), or Élisabeth (Elizabeth
Elizabeth (given name)
Elizabeth is a feminine given name derived from the Greek Elisávet , which is a form of the Hebrew name Elisheva , meaning "My God is an oath" or"My God is abundance."...
) for females. In certain regions such as Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
or Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, more local names (usually of local saints) are often used (in Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
, for instance, male Corentin or female Anne; in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, Dominique (suitable both for males and females). However, people from immigrant communities often choose names from their own culture. Furthermore, in recent decades it has become common to use first names of foreign origin, such as Kevin, Enzo or Anthony for males; for females, Jessica, Jennifer, Karine or Sonia. Also, females were given names that are feminine to the common French names like Jacqueline
Jacqueline (name)
Jacqueline or Jacquelyn is a female given name. It has spelling variations and slight variants in both spelling and pronunciation have come into use, such as: Jacquelyn, Jaclyn, Jacklyn, Jaklin, Jacqlyn, Jacquelin, Jackeline and Jacklin...
and Gérald
Gerald
Gerald is a masculine German given name meaning "rule of the spear" from the prefix ger- and suffix -wald . Variants include the English given name Jerrold, and the feminine nickname Jeri. Gerald is less common as a surname...
ine.
The prevalence of given names follows trends, with some names being popular in some years, and some considered definitely out-of-fashion. As an example, few children born since 1970 would bear the name Germaine, which is generally associated with the idea of an elderly lady. However, as noted above, such old-fashioned names are frequently used as second or third given names (middle name
Middle name
People's names in several cultures include one or more additional names placed between the first given name and the surname. In Canada and the United States all such names are specifically referred to as middle name; in most European countries they would simply be regarded as second, third, etc....
s).
Almost all traditional given names are gender-specific. However, a few given names, such as Dominique (see above: completely gender-neutral), Claude (traditionally masculine) and Camille (traditionally masculine, now mostly feminine), are given to both males and females; in medieval times, a woman was often named Philippe (Philippa), now an exclusively masculine name (Philip), or a male Anne (Ann), now almost exclusively feminine (except as second or third given name, mostly in Brittany). From the middle 19th-century into the early 20th-century, Marie was a popular first name for both men or women, however, before and after this period it has been almost exclusively given to women.
Compound given names, such as Jean-Luc, Jean-Paul, or Anne-Sophie are not uncommon. These are not considered to be two separate given names. The second part of a compound name may be a given name normally used by the opposite sex. However, the gender of the compound is determined by the first component. Thus, Marie-George Buffet
Marie-George Buffet
Marie-George Buffet is a French politician. She was the head of the French Communist Party from 2001 to 2010. She joined the Party in 1969, and was the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports from June 4, 1997 to May 5, 2002. Ms...
has a given name considered as female because it begins with Marie. The feminine component in male compound names is mostly Marie, as in Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
. In the past, some Frenchmen would have Marie or Anne as first name (example: Anne du Bourg
Anne du Bourg
Anne du Bourg was a French magistrat, nephew of the chancellor Antoine du Bourg.Educated at the university of Orléans, he became professor and had Étienne de la Boétie as a student. He became counsellor of the Parliament of Paris in 1557...
), which is still nowadays in practice in traditional catholic families (but then the man will have other given names and one of those will be used in everyday life). Second or third given names, which usually are kept private, may also include names normally used by the opposite gender. For instance, in 2006, 81 Frenchmen have Brigitte among their given names, 97 Catherine, 133 Anne and 204 Julie. In addition to the above-described custom of using Marie for males, this is due to the habit of traditional catholic French families to give children the names of their godmother and godfather: if there is no counterpart of the opposite gender for the name of the godparent who is not of the same sex as the child, generally the name of the godparent will be left as such. For instance, a male child born to a traditional catholic family choosing for him the name Nicolas and whose godparents are called Christian and Véronique could be called Nicolas Christian Marie Véronique.
First names are chosen by the child's parents. There are no legal a priori constraints on the choice of names nowadays, but this has not always been the case. The choice of given names, originally limited only by the tradition of naming children after a small number of popular saints, was restricted by law at the end of the 18th century. Officially, only names figuring on a calendar, or names of illustrious Frenchmen/women of the past, could be accepted. Much later, actually in 1966, a new law permitted a limited number of mythological, regional or foreign names, substantives (Olive, Violette), diminutives, and alternative spellings. Only in 1993 were French parents given the freedom to name their child without any constraint whatsoever. However, if the birth registrar thinks that the chosen names (alone or in association with the last name) may be detrimental to the child's interests, or to the right of other families to protect their own family name, the registrar may refer the matter to the local prosecutor, who may choose to refer the matter to the local court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
. The court may then refuse the chosen names. Such refusals are rare and mostly concern given names that may expose the child to mockery.
To change a given name, a request can be made before a court (juge des affaires familiales), but except in a few specific cases (such as the Gallicization of a foreign name), it is necessary to prove a legitimate interest for the change (usually that the current name is a cause of mockery).
Family names
A child's family name, until recently, was inherited from the father unless the father was unknown, in which case it was inherited from the mother. A recent law allows couples to choose which name they would use for all their children. Typically it is the father's surname, but parents may also opt to use a double-barrelled nameDouble-barrelled name
In English speaking and some other Western countries, a double-barrelled name is a family name with two parts, which may or may not be joined with a hyphen and is also known as a hyphenated name. An example of a hyphenated double-barrelled surname is Bowes-Lyon; an example of an unhyphenated...
, separated by a hyphen.
The ratio of the number of family names to the population is high in France, due to the fact that most surnames had many orthographic and dialectal variants (more than 40 for some) which were registered as separate names around 1880 when “family vital records booklets” were issued. According to the French Institute for Statistics INSEE
INSEE
INSEE is the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. It collects and publishes information on the French economy and society, carrying out the periodic national census. Located in Paris, it is the French branch of Eurostat, European Statistical System...
, more than 1,300,000 surnames have been registered in the country between 1891 and 1990, and about 200,000 disappeared meanwhile (mainly orthographic variants). It is believed that the number of family names at any time since 1990 hovers between 1,200,000 and 800,000. However, not all family names are of French origin.
According to different estimations, 50 to 80 percent of French citizens would be the bearers of rare family names (fewer than 50 bearers alive at the census time).
In France, until January 1, 2005, children were required by law to take the surname of their father. From this date, article 311-21 of the French Civil code
Civil code
A civil code is a systematic collection of laws designed to comprehensively deal with the core areas of private law. A jurisdiction that has a civil code generally also has a code of civil procedure...
permits parents to give their children either the name of their father, mother, or a hyphenation of both - although no more than two names can be hyphenated. In cases of disagreement, the father's name applies. This brought France into line with a 1978 declaration by the Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
requiring member governments to take measures to adopt equality of rights in the transmission of family names, a measure that was echoed by the United Nations in 1979. Similar measures were adopted by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(1976), Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
(1982), Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
(1983) and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(1999).
Most common family names in France
These are the most common family names- MartinMartin (name)Martin may either be a surname or given name.Martin is a common given and family name in most European languages. It comes from the Latin name Martinus, which is a late derived form of the name of the Roman god Mars, the protective godhead of the Latins...
- BernardBernardThe masculine given name Bernard is of Germanic origin.The meaning of the name is from a Germanic compound Bern-hard meaning "bear-hardy", or "brave as a bear". Bern- is the old form of bear from West Germanic *beran-....
- DuboisDubois-People:Dubois is the name of several people:* Al Dubois, Canadian TV personality and hosted the game show Bumper Stumpers* Alexandra du Bois, American composer...
- ThomasThomas (surname)Thomas is a common surname used in British , French, German, Dutch, Danish, and southern India .It derives from the medieval personal name, of Biblical origin, from Aramaic t'om'a, a byname meaning 'twin'. It was borne by one of the disciples of Christ, best known for his scepticism about Christ's...
- RobertRobertThe name Robert is a Germanic given name, from hrod "fame" and beraht "bright". It is also in use as a surname.After becoming widely used in Continental Europe it entered England in its Old French form Robert, where an Old English cognate form had existed before the Norman Conquest...
- RichardRichardThe first or given name Richard derives from German, French, and English "ric" and "hard" , therefore it means 'powerful leader' as well as 'King's Court'...
- PetitPetitPetit is the French adjective for "small", or "little", in the masculine form. In the feminine form, it is petite. It may also refer to any of the following:*Petit's triangle ,...
- DurandDurand- Places :United States* Durand, Illinois* Durand, Michigan**Durand Union Station, the town's Amtrak station* Durand , Wisconsin** Durand, Wisconsin, small city within the town* Durand Township, Minnesota* Durand-Eastman Park, Rochester, New YorkOther...
- LeroyLeroyLeroy, Leeroy, LeeRoy, Lee Roy, LeRoy, or Le Roy is often a male given name. It is also used as a surname. The name is derived from Old French.-Given names:*Leroy , American musician*Leroy Anderson, American composer...
- MoreauMoreau-People:*Basil Anthony Marie Moreau , French priest*Charles Paul Narcisse Moreau French soldier and mathematician .*Christophe Moreau , French cyclist*Daniel Moreau Barringer , American politician...
Particles
Some French last names include the word de ("of") or du (contraction for de and le = "of the"). This is known as a particle. A particle de should not be alphabetized in name lists, whereas a particule du should be because it results from the contraction of an article. The particule generally indicates some land or feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
origin, but this is not always the case. The name de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, for example, is not a traditional French name with a particule, but a Flemish name evolved from a form of "De Walle" meaning "the wall".
A popular misconception is that a particule always indicates membership of the nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. Almost all nobility titles are of the form