In the latest ranking of first names published by INSEE, a three-letter female first name jumped more than 300 places in one year. However, it remains very far from the top of the list which brings together several thousand births in French maternity wards. With around 70 little girls named this way in 2025, this choice remains ultra confidential. It is precisely this gap between dazzling progression and tiny diffusion that is intriguing.
This first name is Ysé. According to figures from the INSEE First Name File, Ysé rose from 928th to 622nd place between 2024 and 2025, a gain of around 306 places. The number of associated births increased from 40 to 70 over the same period. When we know that Gabriel counted 4,625 births in 2025 according to INSEE, we understand to what extent Ysé remains exceptional.
Ysé: Insee figures which confirm a first name that is still ultra rare
The File of first names published by INSEE from the National Directory for the Identification of Natural Persons, the RNIPP, lists the first names given in France each year from 1900 to 2025. In this historical ranking of first names, Ysé only appears very recently and remains stuck beyond 600th place. The numbers are rounded to the multiple of 5, which explains the values of 40 then 70 births cited for 2024 and 2025.
Another key point, INSEE counts each spelling variant separately. Ysé, Ysée or Isée are therefore not grouped together in the Classification of first names 1900-2025. In practice, the first name is found a little more often than Ysé’s 70 births alone suggest. But even adding up the variants, we remain very far from the dominant first names chosen by thousands of families.
Why the first name Ysé appeals to parents looking for uniqueness
By its shape, Ysé follows several trends identified by INSEE in recent generations: a short first name, easy to pronounce and distinctive. With its 3 letters and its two-syllable sound, it is quickly remembered, a bit like a graphic signature. It is generally pronounced i-zé, which limits hesitation when speaking. This simplicity reassures parents who do not want a first name that is too complicated to wear on a daily basis.
INSEE data also shows a diversification of first names over recent decades. The weight of the few most given first names is declining, while more confidential choices are multiplying. In this landscape, a first name like Ysé allows you to stand out without breaking with current codes: short, modern, but rooted in an identifiable cultural history.
Origins and imagination of the first name Ysé between Tristan and Iseut and Paul Claudel
The origin of Ysé also nourishes its charm. Many compare this first name to Isolde, heroine of the medieval legend Tristan and Isolde, who gave the forms Ysolde or Isolde. Others see it as a modernized variant of Isée, the name of a Greek orator from the 5th century BC, or an echo of the Greek thea, the goddess. Literature takes hold of it with the character of Ysé in the play The Midday Sharing by Paul Claudel, which reinforces his poetic aura.