Names in the Francophone World

“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare asked.

Our names identify us as individuals- first name, middle name, and last name – and it’s the first thing we share with a new acquaintance. As you may suspect, names in French aren’t always like names in English. Often they are variations, sometimes they are even the same, thanks to globalization, occasionally they are traditionally French. So what are some popular French names? Which names are borrowed from English? Which names come from other areas of the world?

Let’s first take a look at a Coca-Cola commercial from France. Pay attention to the names you see. Do any of them look familiar?

Click on the video below and take note of the different and familiar names you see.

some useful vocab:

• ceux que vous aimez = those/the people you love
• une canette = a can
• partagez un coca= share a Coke
• c’est sympa = it’s nice

What names did you see?

Many French names can be used for both men and women, sometimes with different spelling but the same pronunciation ( René, Renée), other times the name spelling is exactly the same for men and women (e.g. Dominique). For centuries, French names were mostly saints’ names, and recognizably “French” – but nowadays, many Arabic and English names are also popular, sometimes adapted into more French forms. You can see if your first name is common in France. This site lists the popular baby names. (Check “fréquence” and use the “statistiques” box.) What is the closest version to your name? Is it popular now, or in the past?

Notice that H is silent in French – in most circumstances it functions as a vowel.  Henri sounds like Enri.

Now, what is your name?

Je m’appelle …

Asking someone’s name – Comment Tu t’appelles?

The French alphabet has the same 26 letters as the English alphabet, but many of the sounds are different. Some letters have accents which can change the way that a word is pronounced.  When spelling a word aloud, include the name of the accent after the letter.

Let’s visit this wepage on FluentU to learn more about French accents and how they are used.

Of course, the letters of the alphabet are pronounced differently in French . Pay particular attention to G, J, H, W and Y.   Here is a dramatic and memorable song to help you learn these new sounds. It rocks!

What similarities do you hear?

What differences do you hear?

Now you need to learn to isolate and practice each sound. Consult this site for more practice. Or click on each letter to hear the sound.

Let’s practice

ASKING SOMEONE’S NAME – COMMENT TU T’APPELLES?

Pour finir – une pause comique

Here is a comical video that demonstrates the difficulties that accents can bring.