French names that start with 'V'

French names that start with the letter ‘V’ include choices for girls like Viviane, Véronique, Valérie, and Victoire, alongside options for boys like Vivien, Valentin, and Vianney.

French girl names that start with ‘V’

Valérie and the corresponding male name (Valéry) are pronounced the same. They differ only in their spelling.

In France, the male version of this name (Valéry) tends to be less frequently used than the female version (Valérie).

Both names originate from the same Latin root as the English adjective “valuable.” That Latin root is the verb “valēre” (to be strong and worthy).

Véronique is a French female name that corresponds to the name Veronica found in English.

Véronique and Bérénice are names that have the same origin; they both originate from the ancient Greek word “Pherenike”, which translates to “bringer of victory”.

Viviane is a French girl’s name that comes from the Latin term “vivere” which means “to live”. It has the same origin as the French word “vivant” which means “alive”.

In Arthurian legends, a fairy named Viviane (also known as the Lady of the Lake) plays important roles including giving King Arthur the legendary sword Excalibur and mentoring Lancelot du Lac after the loss of his father and castle.

Victoire, a triumphant-sounding name, is a capitalized form of the French word for “victory”.

In English, the corresponding name is Victoria; both originate from the Latin term “victōria” (victory).

To English speakers, Virginie is a French name that sounds familiar because it corresponds to the English name Virginia.

Both originate from Latin, where the original —spelled Verginia— is featured in an ancient Roman story that inspired Botticelli’s Italian Renaissance painting titled “The Story of Virginia”.

In French, Valentine is exclusively used as a female name (the corresponding male name is Valentin).

In English, Valentine is both a male and a female name —although it is perhaps more often given to boys.

This name has a romantic feel due to its connection with Valentine’s Day (in French, it’s called “le jour de la Saint-Valentin”).

Here are some rarer French girl names that start with the letter ‘V’:

• Victorine: Victorine is the female form of the French name Victorin. Both originate from the Latin root “victor” which means “winner”.
• Violette: Violette is a French name with the same spelling (except for the initial capital letter) as the French word “violette” which refers to a type of purple flower.
• Violaine: Violaine is a rather rare French female name. It comes from the same Latin root as the name Violette.
• Valériane: Valériane is a French female name. Aside from the uppercase first letter ‘V’, this name is identical to the French word “valériane” which refers to the plant known as valerian in English.
• Vinciane: Vinciane is a French name that is not frequently-used in France, but it is a bit more often used in the French-speaking part of Belgium.

French boy names that start with ‘V’

Relatively few French male names begin with the letter ‘V’, so the following list also includes some names that are rarely encountered.

For instance, I have lived in France for decades, and I have met only one person named Vivien. I haven’t yet met anyone named Virgile, Victorien, Victorin, or Valérian.

• Vincent: Vincent is a French name that is also very popular in English-speaking countries. It originates from the Latin term “vincens” which means “winning”.
• Valentin: In English, Valentine is a male and a female name. But in French, it is exclusively used as a female name; the corresponding male name is Valentin.
• Victor: Present in many languages, including French, the name Victor originates from “victor”, a Latin term referring to a conqueror or a winner.
• Vivien: In English, the name Vivien has been given to women, for example, the British actress Vivien Leigh. But in French, Vivien is a male name.
• Valéry: In French, Valéry is the male version of the name Valérie. There was a French president with this name: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
• Virgile: Virgile corresponds to the English name Virgil. There was a famous Roman poet with this name.
• Victorien: An example of a historical figure with this name is Victorien Sardou, the 19th-century French author of a play that Giacomo Puccini later adapted into the famous opera Tosca.
• Vianney: Vianney is a French male name. It is a diminutive form of the name Vivian.
• Valérian
• Victorin
• Vivian

French last names that start with ‘V’

Here is a list of French surnames that start with the letter ‘v’:

• Vincent
• Vidal
• Vasseur
• Voisin
• Vallee
• Valentin
• Vaillant
• Verdier
• Vallet
• Vial
• Valette
• Vivier
• Vigneron
• Vernet
• Villain
• Vacher
• Villard
• Vannier
• Varin
• Veron
• Verger
• Verrier
• Viaud
• Vigier
• Varlet
• Villeneuve
• Vitry
• Viel
• Vigouroux
• Viard
• Vigne