You have leafed through the classics, hesitated between the timeless ones and the current trends, and something is holding you back: the desire to give your baby a name that is truly his or hers, a name that carries a story, a breath, an image. So leave Emma and Hugo aside for a trip. Through the approximately 10,000 first names listed in the Guide to first names 2026 by Julie Milbin (Solar editions), there are discreet nuggets, still confidential in France, whose meanings evoke the moon, flowers, winds, nymphs and precious stones. Here are twenty of them — ten for girls, ten for boys — to slip onto your list.
As the author recalls in this reference work, “first names tell a story, evoke certain qualities. When you like one, find out about its etymology, its origin, its meaning, to guide you in your choice.” That’s exactly what we did.
The 10 girls’ names
1. Azora
Origin : from Persian azure — “blue sky”
Frequency : very rare
Imagine giving your daughter the sky itself as a first name. Azora comes from Persian and directly evokes the color azure, this deep and infinite blue. Almost non-existent in France, this sweet and exotic sounding first name nevertheless has an enchanting lightness. For parents looking for a first name that is both brief and evocative, this is a rare discovery.
2. Calypso
Origin : from Greek kalupto — “to cover, to hide” Frequency : very rare
In Greek mythology, Calypso is the nymph from the island of Ogygia who kept Odysseus with her for seven years, dazzled by this man from the sea. Her first name carries this element of mystery and seduction. In music, the Calypso is also a solar rhythm born in the Caribbean. A first name that oscillates between shadow and light, between mystery and celebration.
3. Selene
Origin : from Greek selene — “the moon”
Frequency : rare
In Greek mythology, Selena is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and the sister of Helios, the Sun. She crosses the night sky on her silver chariot, guiding the nights. Sélène is a more confidential variant than Séléna, with a softer, almost whispered sound. For a little girl born under the stars or on a beautiful winter night, this name has something irresistibly luminous.
4. Calliope
Origin : from Greek kalliope — “who has a beautiful voice” Frequency : rare
Calliope is the Greek Muse of epic poetry. Daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne (the goddess of memory), she inspires great stories, epics, immortal songs. She is represented with a stylus and papyrus scrolls. Giving this name to your daughter is wishing her a destiny as a storyteller, an artist, a woman of eloquence. A great ambition, right?
5. Anemone
Origin : from Greek anemonederived fromanemos – “wind” Frequency : very rare
The Greeks named this spring flower after the wind, because it blooms when the first breeze blows. The anemone is one of the most delicate flowers of spring — red, white or mauve, it appears and quickly disappears, like an apparition. As a first name, Anemone is both botanical and poetic, rare and immediately evocative. A flower name for a child who may love freedom and the great outdoors.
6. Opal
Origin : from Sanskrit upala — “precious stone” Frequency : very rare
Opal is this stone with changing reflections, capable of capturing all colors depending on the light. Its name comes from Sanskrit, this ancient language of India, and it has been considered since Antiquity as a stone with magical powers. As a first name, Opale is surprisingly modern, with its two clear syllables and its charge of iridescent mystery. A little wonder still almost unknown in France.
7. Seraphine
Origin : from Hebrew saraph — “burning” Frequency : rare
The Seraphim are the angels closest to God in the biblical tradition—beings of fire and light. This feminine first name carries this fiery intensity with a very French grace. We think of Séraphine Louis, this naive painter from the beginning of the 20th century whose moving story was brought to the screen by Martin Provost, with Yolande Moreau in the title role. A first name of an artist and mystic.
8. Isaure
Origin : from Greek isauraname of an ancient province in Asia Minor Frequency :
rare
Isaure has the discreet beauty and elegance of forgotten first names. It evokes the Clémence Isaure of the Occitan troubadours, this mythical lady who is said to have founded the Floral Games of Toulouse in the 15th century – a poetry academy among the oldest in Europe. Its geographical etymology – a land of Antiquity in the heart of present-day Türkiye – gives it a charm that is both distant and very soft to pronounce.
9. Hope
Origin : from Latin sperare – “hope”
Frequency : very rare
Along with Faith and Charity, Hope is one of the three theological virtues. But even for non-believers, this name carries a unique emotional charge: what better gift to give a child than to give them hope as a first name? Almost unusual these days, it nevertheless has a familiar and warm sound, and its diminutive Espé has something terribly endearing.
10. Melody
Origin : from Greek melos (musical tune) and adein (sing) Frequency : rare
Its meaning is literally that of the word: a melody, a rising air. This musical first name, both simple and enchanting, is celebrated on the same day as Saint Roman the musician. Mélodie had her heyday in the 1970s and 1980s before remaining very discreet. Today, its rarity gives it an unexpected freshness.
The 10 boy names
11. Anatole
Origin : from Greek anatolé — “the East, the east” Frequency : rare
Anatole literally means “he who comes from where the sun rises”. It is the first name of Anatolia, this vast region which is the cradle of entire civilizations. In France, he evokes Anatole France, Nobel Prize winner for literature in 1921, whose sharp and humanist pen left his mark on French letters. A first name of a writer, of a traveler, of a man turned towards the dawn.
12. Dorian
Origin : from Greek doron — “gift”
Frequency : rare
Dorian is literally “a gift.” In literature, he is above all the hero of Oscar Wilde’s novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) — a young man of supernatural beauty whose portrait ages in his place while he remains eternally young. A name from a gothic tale and fatal beauty, which nevertheless has a modern and luminous sound.
13. Lysander
Origin : from Greek alexin (protect) and andros (man) Frequency : rare
Lysandre is a first name of discreet nobility, still not very common in France. In ancient times, Lysander was a famous Spartan admiral who defeated Athens in the Peloponnesian War. But Shakespeare fans know him best as one of the young lovers lost in the enchanted forest of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A name between history and magic.
14. Yorick
Origin : variant of George, from the Greek
gheorghios — “worker of the earth” Frequency : very rare
“Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio.” This is Shakespeare’s most famous line in
Hamlet — the one where the prince of Denmark holds the skull of the court jester and meditates on the vanity of all things. Yorick is therefore the first name of the wise fool, the bringer of laughter and wisdom. A pure Shakespearean first name, almost non-existent in France, and of absolute originality.
15. Heavenly
Origin : from Latin caelestis — “of celestial origin, coming from the sky” Frequency :
rare (mixed)
Céleste is a mixed first name in its history. It literally evokes what comes from the sky – the stars, the infinite, the divine. In France, he had a long male career before being adopted by girls. Today, his very diversity is a strength: he crosses genres with natural grace. For a child born under a beautiful starry sky, there is something absolutely right about him.
16. Icarus
Origin : from the Greek, son of Daedalus in mythology Frequency : rare
Icarus is the child who wanted to fly. In the Greek myth, his father Daedalus made him wings of wax and feathers to escape the labyrinth of King Minos. Despite warnings, Icarus flew too close to the sun, his wings melted and he fell into the sea. A myth of audacity, of the beauty of wanting the impossible. Giving this name to your son is wishing him to be a dreamer who is not afraid to aim high.
17. Seraphim
Origin : from Hebrew saraph — “burning” Frequency : rare
Male version of Séraphine, this first name carries the same angelic flame. The Seraphim are described in the book of Isaiah as six-winged beings surrounding the throne of God. In France, the first name is also associated with the unforgettable Séraphin Poudrier, character in the Quebec novel A man and his sin by Claude-Henri Grignon — certainly a notorious miser, but whose first name has stood the test of time with astonishing vitality!
18. Zeno
Origin : from Greek — “hospitable”
Frequency : rare
Zeno is above all a philosopher’s first name. Zeno of Elea, in the 5th century BC, is famous for his paradoxes – including that of Achilles and the turtle, which proves through the absurd that movement does not exist. Zeno of Kition founded Stoicism, this philosophy of serenity in the face of destiny. For parents who love thought and the beauty of ideas, this first name with its old and frank sound has everything to please.
19. Elouan
Origin : from Celtic — “light”
Frequency : rare (Breton)
Elouan is a Breton first name which means “light”. He is linked to an Irish monk who evangelized Armorica at the beginning of the 6th century, bringing with him the culture and enlightenment of the Celtic Church. Well anchored in Brittany, it still remains confidential in the rest of France, which preserves its character that is both authentic and original. Its soft sound and luminous sense make it a very nice choice.
20. Donatien
Origin : from Latin donatus — “given (to God)” Frequency : rare
Donatien is a first name steeped in history — and not always the one we think. Because if the most famous bearer of this first name is Donatien Alphonse François de Sade (the Marquis de Sade himself!), this Latin first name originally means “gift of God”. Before being associated with literary transgression, it was a first name of saints and bishops. Today, few people still make the connection — which makes it, paradoxically, a bold and unique first name for a child who will undoubtedly have no trouble standing out.