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75 French Pet Names

Say "bonjour" to these effortlessly chic pet names

By

Laura Mueller

Published on 04/02/21

Small white dog being held in the air in front of the Eiffel Tower. — WIN-Initiative / Getty Images

Looking for a French name for your oh-so-chic pet? You’re in luck, because there are plenty of names to choose from—including one that might be the perfect fit for your dog, cat, or other animal companion.

Picking out a name for your pet can be tough. It’s important to find a name that fits your pet’s personality and that you’ll love for many years to come. And if you’re like many pet parents, you’re probably also on the hunt for a name that’s asuniqueand endearing as your pet themselves. With all that in mind, French pet names are a great place to look, offering sophistication, style, and that added bit of “je ne sais quoi” that can help make your pet’s name as special as they are.

To help you narrow it down, here are 75 French pet names that are worth putting at the top of your list.

Top French Pet Names

You don’t need to have aFrench breedin order to be seeking out a French name for your pet. French pet names can fit beautifully on pretty much any pet, and—as a bonus—most are perfectly at home here in America. Here are some of the most popular ones to consider.

Adrien
Amélie
Bella
Beau
Charlotte
Claude
Colette
Fleur
Hugo
Jolie
Juliette
Marcel
Odette
Percival
Pierre
Quentin
Noel
Sébastien
Suzette
Victor

Tips For Naming Your Pet

There are no definitive rules when it comes to what name you choose for your pet, but there are some general best practices that you might want to follow, especially if you want your pet to learn their name. Whether you go with French inspiration or not, picking a name for your pet is a big deal and it’s going to be with them for life—so it’s important to choose wisely.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’re naming your pet:

For training purposes, a name that starts with a hard letter such as S, T, or R might be easiest for your pet to pick up on.
Try to keep your pet’s name to just one or two syllables, since that will help them understand what their name is and learn it faster. If you prefer a longer name, you may just want to keep that name on paper but have a shorter nickname that you use for day to day communication.
If you’re naming a dog, names that rhyme withkey commands, such as May (“stay”), Bo (“no”), and Kitt (“sit”) could get confusing, so keep that in mind when making your choice.
Don’t pick a name that you’ll be embarrassed to say out loud. While it may seem like a silly choice in the moment, keep in mind that whatever name you choose for your pet is one that you’ll be sharing with others, including your vet.

And remember, it’s perfectly okay to change your pet’s name if you don’t like it after a couple of days! Pick a name, try it out, and see how it works out for you—as well as how your pet responds to it. If the name seems off, it’s better to switch it then stick with it.

Top Tips for Naming Your Cat

French Names for Female Pets

Naming une fille? You’ve got the pick of the litter when it comes to stunning French names for girl dogs, cats, and other animals, including these ones below.

Adele (or Adèle)
Anette
Béatrice
Bernadine
Brie
Céline
Claudette
Coraline
Delphine
Elie (or Élie)
Esmé
Gabrielle
Gisele (or Gisèle)
Isabelle
Lilou
Lucille
Marguerite
Odette
Renée
Violette

French Names for Male Pets

There are plenty of great French names pour garçons, too. Here are some of our favorites.

Albert
Alphonse
Benoit (or Benoît)
Blaise
Elroy
Emile (or Émile)
Fabrice
Henri
Hubert
Julien
Lafayette
Leo (or Léo)
Maxime
Olivier
Orville
Pascale
Remi (or Rémi)
Quincy
Sinclair
瓦伦汀

Food-Inspired French Pet Names

There’s a lot to love about France—especially when it comes to the cuisine. So if you want to have a little bit more fun with your pet’s name, why not look to some French delicacies for inspiration? In addition to being delicious, lots French foods also sound awfully cute as pet names, including these ones below.