"It can be difficult to predict whether a place name requires an apostrophe - and, if it does, where to put it. Aubert is believed to be the French variation of Albert. , Anne lui rpond : Moi, je ne sais pas Je ne sais pas vraiment quoi lui offrir. Laferriere is an occupational name given to those who used to stay close to the iron mines. Jadore Paris ! For parents who lean towards religion, Jean-Baptiste could be an ideal choice.Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste is a British actress with this surname. Fun Fact: Thomas the Tank Engine is a character in the childrens TV series Thomas & Friends. becomes ah, and turns into eh. The French last name comes from Gagnon, which means guard dog or mastiff. Abadie: Image: IStock This French and English surname derives from the word abadia which means both 'abbey' and 'family chapel'. It makes an ehh sound as in get or bet. The aigu accent () points to the right and upward, only appearing on top of the letter e. The French pronunciation of the letter e can be confusing. For instance, infinitives ending in -cer use the accent mark in the first-person plural (nous) formsfor example: They will continue to make this sound in their conjugations and participles. Variations of this name can include Philipp, Phillip, and Phillipp. the contraction of "do not" to "don't". First, well look at the names of the various French punctuation marks. A well-known French last name used widely in Hollywood. Fun Fact: Pascal is a popular boys name in French-speaking countries. But English speakers usually dont use the accent mark in modern spelling anymore. It is a sign of their pride and recognition. Elision is very common in French, and its very important you master elision and its correct pronunciation to sound French. Only appearing above the letter e, it changes the letters pronunciation to ayfor example. Fun Fact: Gilbert and Sullivan are the songwriting team and genius duo behind operettas such as The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Arquette is believed to have come from arcus, which in Latin means arch. Lambert comes from the word Landberht, a German name that means light of the land or bright land. So, how does it sound when someone dictates with punctuation marks in French? If its a common French first name that French people know and would recognise, then yes, you would have a liaison. Je, le, de, ne, que, se, ce, me, te and la (the only one ending in another vowel than e) take elision. If your name is Barbara, give your son the surname Barbet which means the son of Barbara.. Believe it or not, but French baby names have been historically high ranking/popular U.S. names! If you want a simple last name, you can choose the surnameAuclair. Auch is a French occupational surname for someone who takes care of the cattle at night. Now lets study the French version of the elision. One common English word that uses the aigu is cafe. Kaplan is a French surname that means a charity priest. Our Rule 2d of Apostrophes says, "If someone's name ends in s, ch, z, we must add es for the plural.". Why is there an apostrophe in French? The country boasts of its world-class architecture. Fun Fact: The name Valentin also honors the 3rd-century martyr, Saint Valentine whose celebration day is February 14. In French, a diaresis accent indicates that the letter should be pronounced separately. So if you are the religious kind, this could be a perfect surname for your little one.David La Chapelle, the well-known American photographer, is a namesake. It means laurel, which could be the reason why many choose this surname for their little ones.Your child will share their surname with Yves Saint Laurent, the famous French designer, and Mlanie Laurent, the French actress. . Leave a comment, make a suggestion, share this article Your engagement really encourages me to create more free French lessons! Fun Fact: Saint Gabriel is one of the three most recognized archangels along with St. Michael and St. Raphael. Arquette Arquette is a famous French last name, and it means the bit arch. Andre is both a last name and a first name. The apostrophe replaces a vowel. Ozanne means save pray or save now and is a soothing French last name. If you are reading to someone and indicating the punctuation, you could say entre parenthses to say in parenthesis. But the language requires diacritical marks to change the sound of the letter. Fun Fact: A clementine is a small, sweet citrus fruit and a type of mandarin orange. The familiar accent mark only appears above the letter e to produce effects on pronunciation. An apostrophe, I beg of you. In the same century and for the same reasons, the English language imported the apostrophe from French. Camille can mean having unblemished character with variations including: Camilla or Kamille and short names including: Cami, Camie, Kam. The surname comes from Granicarius and is a Latin for granary. It got Straight. Please see our disclosure policy for more details. Some people download a French keyboard and enable the device on their keyboard setting. Another accent rule is the suppressing of the circumflex accent on the i and u. Believe it or not, but French baby names have been historically high ranking/popular U.S. names! Cadieux means a little fighter and is an excellent French surname to pick. Fun Fact: Quentin Blake is an artist and writer who illustrated many childrens books including works by Dr, Seuss and Roald Dahl. Both names follow familiar naming patterns, combining popular elements taken from other languages in both the prefixes themselves and the use of the apostrophe in unexpected ways: in the case of De'Andre, by using the full de with the French name Andre where French would normally elide the e, and in the case of La'Quanda combining the article . Fay is a short and cute French last name and means the fairy.. The name has a chic vibe and was a common last name for those near the barriers.Gaston Barre is a well-known industrialist and the founder of the French car company. The feminine form of adjectives ending in gu is gue. Some French words are spelled with an apostrophe like aujourdhui: today in French, which has evolves through time from au jour de hui which you could translate as in the day of now So its indeed an omission of the e of de here as well. There are many reasons to consider a French name for your child. Can You Understand Todays Spoken French? France brags about some of the world-famous brands and their connection to French last names. But, back by popular request - we are talking about 70 French baby names! Sifting through our vast list of French last names, you must have come to this lovely surname Tremblay, a marvel for nature lovers. Fun Fact: Jeanne is the name of a 12-mile-wide crater on Venus that is the result of an object that hit the surface of the planet. Camille - Camille means pure or perfect. Liaisons in French are explained with 100 audio examples in another one of my free lessons: follow the link! The surname Laurent exudes classiness. Je taime. But is always pronounced with the same sound. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Specifically, this French name means serving at the alter, which historically required pureness. Robert Favreau is a Canadian film editor and director. Numerous Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and Nordic names fall into this category. As you voice out the last parts of the word, your tongue moves because of double vowels. Daniella Amato is a biomedical scientist and fact checker with expertise in pharmaceuticals and clinical research. Learn more in the Cambridge English-French Dictionary. Fun Fact: Russell is the Junior Wilderness Explorer who accidentally joins Carl Fredricksen on his trip to Paradise Falls in Disney Pixars Up. It also makes the hard k sound in front of u, o, and a. The name Edouard is both a French first and last name. It means land and is the name of a village in the southwestern part of France. Therefore, Blisses is grammatically correct. A new approach to learning both traditional and modern French logically structured for English speakers. Dean Martin, the singer, and actor bears this last name. They can be trendy like Gabrielle and Leo or uniquely French like Fleur and Franois. D'Amato, L'Hereux, O'Connor, etc. Fun Fact: Armand Peugeot was a French engineer and early developer of the automobile. Fun Fact: Denise Quiones won the Miss Universe competition in 2001 representing Puerto Rico. Then study the difference between English and French punctuation when we type: the spaces we leave when typing French punctuation are not always the same as when typing punctuation in English. French baby names are traditionally named after saints with a French twist by adding hyphens or apostrophes. Leandre comes from the Greek word that means a lion man. The name is magnificent and is the French variation of the name Leander. Fun Fact: Aurore and Aime is a childrens story by French writer Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. More Articles from Camille Chevalier-Karfis, I publish posts every week. The apostrophe as a noun in French The word put in apostrophe, noun or pronoun, designates the animated being or the personified thing to whom someone speaks. It may be to honor your ancestryor maybe you're just into all things France, you love the sound of the name, or youre looking for something a little different. Emile comes from Emil, which is a famous roman family name. Ok, thats for the French apostrophe. Here Hari means army, and oux means wolf. The name had seen a lot of use in the old French times.And the first name that pops up in mind when you hear this name is of Hermione Granger from the famous Harry Potter series. Fun Fact: Desiree is a variety of large, red potatoes that are perfect to mash, roast, or cut for wedges and chips. Those are phonetic spellings of course, because I never saw their names spelled out on anything until today when I saw them in the company directory, all . Voil. The film is generally considered her greatest performance. But the apostrophe replaces only one vowel which is no longer used for spelling that succession of words. . Droit means to be upright or straight, and it is a perfect surname for parents who want their children to always fight for their rights. The accent mark simply teaches you to pronounce the consecutive vowel sounds, like in nol. Donna Murray, RN, BSN has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rutgers University and is a current member of Sigma Theta Tau, the Nursing Honor Society. Blaise is one of the most popular surnames today. Escoffier is a fashionable French last name and means to dress.. Read our, Illustration by Brianna Gilmartin, Verywell, 100 Celtic Baby Names: Meanings & Origins, Son of rapper Wiz Khalifa and model Amber Rose - Sebastian Bash Taylor Thomaz German American football player Sebastian Georg Vollmer. Je dois aller faire des courses : je nai plus rien manger ! Add the United States keyboard, and youre done. Watch out with the French pronunciation of the ending: ssion (nasal), not shion. It is taken from the word Abadia, meaning a family chapel and abbey. By Donna Murray, RN, BSN While apostrophes are found in a variety of names, including Italian, African and French, perhaps some of the most common names with apostrophes are Irish surnames - the entire category of O . Archambault, the French last name, means a bold master, which makes it an apt name for your little one, especially if you want your child to grow up to be an independent person. Abraham Kaplan, the philosopher, and Abraham Kohen Kaplan, the writer, are famous namesakes. The name astounds with its meaning-making it a great last name selection. It also means the little bow. D'Amato, L'Hereux, O'Connor, etc. What do you think? 2.5 Hours French Audiobook - 100% Free / Keep Forever , The Rules To Type Punctuation Marks in French, how to write letters and emails in French. For example, the word parl is different from parle. Olivier - The literal meaning for this baby name means from the olive tree. 250 French Surnames Or Last Names With Meanings 1. Stphane Moreau is a French footballer with this surname. Blanc comes with a vibe, and the username means white. Thats because the letter c comes before e. English cognates like faade are also an example of a cedilla. Fun Fact: Corinne Tate is the daughter of Chester and Jessica Tate and one of the main characters on the TV comedy series Soap. So if you read a s followed by something else, its a se probably a pronominal verb form. Please react! Cartier is a French last name and is a luxury jewelry brand famous across the world.The celebrities with this last name are Albert Cartier, a French footballer, and Antoine Ephrem Cartier, an American businessman. So can Arab names with hyphens, and Dutch surnames with "van" and a space in them. Andr Andr is a Portuguese footballer, and Annette Andre was an Australian actor. Vidal is a French surname that takes you straight to the beauty industry.The surname comes from Vitalis, which in Latin means vital. The name is believed to have originated from the Germanic language.Joseph Archambault was a Canadian lawyer and politician, and Larry Archambault was a Canadian ice hockey player. The trma looks like two dots above a letter. Laframboise is a famous French name that means raspberry. Emile is sweet and lovely, and it means rival, which makes it a bold surname. Paquet is an occupational French last name and means bundle. Gare means the station, and Eaux means water. Fun Fact: Camille is the title of a 1936 movie staring the actress Greta Garbo. Yet if you know many people called Amir, and that name is very familiar to you, you may make the elision and say dAmir. Fun Fact: The USS Sinclair was a Navy ship that sailed from 1919 to 1926. Edouard draws a similarity to Edward, and it means a wealthy guardian. Do you have, Most phone providers in France require that you have a French bank account. If followed by punctuation, it depends on the rule of that specific punctuation mark.En Bretagne, il ne pleut pas tout le temps ! Youll see these used often with French greetings and salutations, too. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Henri - This French baby name means ruler. . Fun Fact: The modern artist Marc Chagall is well known throughout the world for his abstract style. Some French words are spelled with an apostrophe like aujourd'hui: today in French, which has evolves through time from "au jour de hui" which you could translate as 'in the day of now' So it's indeed an omission of the "e" of "de" here as well. Once I finished my education, I began my career working as a journalist, reporting on various topics like crime, justice and family law. This apostrophe is called elision and it replaces a vowel. The French surname is derived from Barta, an Old High German name and means the battle axe. Parenthesis in French are called les parenthses (feminine plural). La marche (walking) sounds not the same as Le march (market). Your child will be proud about sharing their name with D.J. Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. In French, the letter e never bears an accent mark when e is followed by. Fun Fact: Marcel is the name of the pet Capuchin monkey that belonged to Ross on the TV series Friends. The former is a past participle form, and the latter is a second-person imperative form of parler. It very much stands for something. Fun Fact: Juliet Capulet is one of the main characters in the classic romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Chevrolet, the well-known car company, is also a famous French last name. But it is a . Did you know the elision was a grammatical concept which exists also in English? Laccent Grave Shortcut: Shift + ` (to the left of 1) + vowel. - Did we make a mistake? It is an occupational French last name. Unfortunately, the rules for typing punctuation in French and English are not the same. She writes practical articles to help expats in France. The occupational name means a baker. Fun Fact: Maria de Lourdes Villiers Farrow is the full name of the successful, award-winning actress known as Mia Farrow. And nowadays a lot of software will only offer the version of quotation marks, therefore its more and more common in French to use . A grave or circumflex accent on a, i, o or u doesnt modify the sound of the word. Remember that the plural indefinite article des should not include a laccent grave, along with demonstrative and possessive adjectives. But it still depends on your Mac devices settings. It means Aspen and is a topographic name used by people who live close to the Aspen tree.Alfred Tremblay was a Canadian explorer, and Benot Tremblay was a Canadian politician. It is a variation of the name Torvald and means Thors ruler.The first name that comes to mind is of Justin Trudeau, the well-known Canadian prime minister. It's a feminine word. Now lets study the name of the various French punctuation marks. Alarie is an elegant sounding French last name that stands out because of its strength and charm. She is none other than the actress of the Lord of the Rings. If you click and buy we may make a commission, at no additional charge to you. Davy Arnaud is an American soccer player, and Marie-Hlne Arnaud was a French actress and model. Allaire has a mysterious charm to it, and this is why it is one of the popular choices for French last names. Alvin Aubert was a well-known American poet. The French variation of the English name James, Jacques means the one who follows. The grave accent (`) points to the left and upward, opposite the aigu accent. The name exudes audaciousness and is also famous as the name of several brands and businesses. Accent aigu (acute accent) is used exclusively on letter e. You'll never find an acute accent on the letter i in French like you would in Spanish.