French names that start with the letter 'C' include options like Claude, Clément, and Cédric (for boys), and options like Céline, Cécile, and Clémence (for girls). And plenty more that we will cover in this article.
The letter 'c' in Classical Latin was always pronounced like 'k' sound. But in French (like in English), the letter 'c' followed by the letter 'e' produces a soft sound, a bit like an 's' sound,
🎧 Click on a name to hear its pronunciation
🎧 Click on a name to hear its pronunciation
The name Céline comes from the same Latin root as the French word "ciel" (sky). Both originate from the Latin word "caelum" (which also means "sky").
Cécile is a name that has been in use in France for hundreds of years. For example, there is a character with this name in the 18th-century French novel, "Dangerous Liaisons" (French title: "Les Liaisons dangereuses") written by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.
Cécilia is a variant of the name Cécile.
Célia is a charming French name, often considered a short form of Cécile or Cecilia.
Celestine (or Célestine) is derived from the Latin "caelestis," meaning "heavenly."
Cyrielle is the feminine form of the masculine name Cyril.
Chantal is a French female name that originates from Old Occitan, a Romance language from the south of France (it is also known as Old Provençal).
Charlotte is a French name that is also used in English. It originated as a diminutive form of the male name Charles.
Charlène is a variant of Charlotte, also a feminine form of Charles.
Charline is another feminine derivative of Charles, similar to Charlotte and Charlène.
Catherine is a rather international name that is quite popular in France. For example, it's the name of the famous French actress Catherine Deneuve.
The French name Christine is derived from the Latin name "Christina," which is the feminine form of "Christianus" — which refers to a believer in Christianity.
Christelle is a French name that has many different forms based on different spellings, for instance: Christel, Chrystel, Cristelle, Christèle, and Chrystelle.
Corinne is the French spelling of the name of an ancient Greek poetess. In 19th-century Europe, this name became more widely known after the publication of a French novel by Madame de Staël with the title "Corinne ou l'Italie"
Christiane is the feminine form of Christian.
In French, Camille is both a girl's name and a boy's name. An example of a famous woman with this name is Camille Claudel, a French sculptor who collaborated with Auguste Rodin. A well-known man with this name is the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
Chloé (alternate spelling: Cloé) is a popular name of Greek origin, meaning "blooming" or "fertility."
Colette is a French diminutive of Nicole, which means "victory of the people."
Claudine is a feminine form of Claude.
Caroline is a feminine form of Charles, meaning "free man."
Carole is a variant of Caroline.
Clara is the feminine form of the Latin name Clarus, meaning "clear, bright, famous."
Carine is a French female name derived from the Latin word "carus," meaning "beloved" or "dear."
Claire has origins in the Latin word "clarus," meaning "clear" or "bright."
Coralie is a French name derived from "coral."
Clémence is a French name that comes from Clementia, the goddess of clemency and forgiveness in Roman mythology.
Claudette is a diminutive form of the name Claude. It is one of many French names that end in "ette".
In French, Claude is both a female and a male name. Famous men with this name include Claude Monet, the French impressionist painter, as well as Claude Debussy, a French composer. A famous woman with this name is Claude Pompidou, the wife of Georges Pompidou who was a president of France.
In French, Capucine is both a girl's name and the name of a type of flower.
Corine is a variant of Corinne.
Clarisse is a French form of Clara, meaning "clear, bright, famous."
Clémentine is the feminine form of Clément, meaning "merciful" or "gentle."
Claudie is another feminine variant of Claude.
Derived from the Latin word "constantia," meaning "steadfastness" or "firmness," the name Constance evokes qualities of strength and unwavering character.
Clotilde (alternate spelling: Clothilde) is not one of the more common French names, but when I was growing up and going to high school in France, there was a girl named Clotilde in my class.
Cassandre is the French form of the Latin name Cassandra.
Coraline is a name of modern literary origin, popularized by Neil Gaiman's book.
Camélia is a French female name that is also the name of a type of flower.
Christianne is an alternative spelling of Christiane.
Cléo is a French name derived from the Greek word kléos (which means "glory"). It appears in the title of a French movie from the 1960s titled "Cléo de 5 à 7". The name Cléo and the name Cloé are anagrams. They are rearrangements of each other's letters.
Clea is a short form of names like Cleopatra or Cléopâtre, meaning "glory of the father."
In French, many names begin with the letter 'C' because the letter 'K' is rarely used in French. In fact, none of the thousand most common French words contain the letter 'K'. As a result, names that begin with 'K' in some Germanic languages have French equivalents that start with 'C'.
Christophe is the French equivalent of the English name Christopher.
An example of a French person with this name is Christian Dior, the fashion designer who founded Dior (the French fashion company). Note that the name Christian is identical to the English word that means a follower of Christianity. But in French, that word is different: it's "chrétien" (masculine) and "chrétienne" (feminine).
Claude is a French unisex name, but it is a bit more common as a male name nowadays. There are some well-known French artists named Claude, for instance, Claude Monet (the impressionist painter) and Claude Debussy (the composer).
Clément is a French name meaning "mild" or "merciful."
Examples of well-known French individuals named Charles include Charles de Gaulle (former President of France), Charles Baudelaire (poet), and Charles Trenet (singer).
The French name Cyril (which can also be spelled as "Cyrille") comes from the ancient Greek word "kyrios," which refers to a lord or a master.
Corentin is a French name of Breton origin. In French literature, Corentin is the name of a policeman who appears in several of Balzac's novels.
Camille is a unisex French name, but it is more common as a girl's name than as a boy's name.
Cédric is a name that appeared in France during the 19th century. Cédric is also the title (and the name of the main character) of a French-language comic series by Belgian authors.
Cyprien was a rather uncommon French boy's name. However, this name has gained recognition thanks to a French YouTuber named Cyprien.
Constant is derived from the Latin name Constans, meaning "steadfast."
Clovis is not one of the most common French names, but it has been around for a long time. In French history, Clovis is well-known as the name of an influential king of the Frankish kingdom.
The French name Celian used to be very rare, but in recent times it has grown in popularity. It comes from the Latin name Caelius, which is derived from the word "caelum" meaning "sky".
The name Colin appeared during the Middle Ages as a diminutive of a shortened form of the name Nicolas.
The name Célestin comes from the Latin word "caelestinus" which means "heavenly".
France has a rich history of notable individuals whose names start with the letter 'C'. Here are some famous historical figures with French first names that begin with 'C':
| Name | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Charles de Gaulle | former French President |
| Claude Monet | French impressionist painter who made many paintings of water lilies |
| Christian Dior | French fashion designer who founded Dior (the French fashion company) |
| Catherine Deneuve | French actress |
| Charles Aznavour | French-Armenian singer |
| Claude Lévi-Strauss | French anthropologist and ethnologist |
| Camille Saint-Saëns | French composer |
| Charles Perrault | 17th-century French author who wrote fairy tales |
| Claude Chabrol | French film director |
| Clément Ader | French aviation pioneer |
| Charles Trenet | French singer and songwriter |
| Claudine Monteil | French writer |
| Claude François | French singer and songwriter |
| Christian Louboutin | French fashion designer known for his red-soled shoes |
| Cédric Klapisch | French film director who made the movie "L' Auberge Espagnole" |
| Cédric Villani | French mathematician who won the Fields Medal |
| Claude Debussy | French composer |