Neither too classic nor too extravagant, they have character, a story and music that inspires. By relying on
The Official First Names 2025 (Stéphanie Rapoport & Claire Tabarly Perrin, Éditions First), here are 20 original male first names to add to your list.
Baby is coming: what if we think outside the box?
Choosing your child’s first name is one of the first major responsibilities of parents – and not the least. As the authors of The Official First Names 2025“never has the first name been used so much to designate the individual“More than the last name, it becomes the heart of our identity.
In a landscape where Gabriel, Léo, Arthur and Raphaël have occupied the top of the podium for years, many future parents are looking for a voice: a first name that sounds good, that has meaning, but that will not be shared by five little classmates. The good news? The Official First Names 2025
lists more than 12,000 first names actually used in France, and among them, gems just waiting to be discovered.
Breton first names that smell of sea spray, forgotten biblical names that are coming back into favor, Italian diminutives that brighten up maternity wards, or legendary heroes straight out of the Middle Ages: this selection is enough to fuel many daydreams.
Trends to remember
Before diving into the rankings, The Official First Names 2025 points to some large groundswells. Short first names (3 to 5 letters), often of Italian or Breton inspiration, are experiencing remarkable growth. The retro wave – these first names worn by great-grandparents and which rediscover their youth – is very real. And sounds from all over the world continue to enrich the French palette, from the Celtic shores to the Polynesian archipelagos.
These boy names that we don’t hear everywhere yet (but that we will love)
1. Malo (3,100 estimated allocations, TOP 300)
This is a first name that has all the makings of a great one. Malo d’Aleth was a 7th-century Welsh navigating monk who crossed the Channel to evangelize Brittany and founded the monastery that gave rise to the town of Saint-Malo — the corsair city of Chateaubriand and Jacques Cartier. Its meaning? Perhaps “wise prince” in Celtic, or “pledge of light”. Booming since 2019, Malo could well join the national top 20 in the coming years. An adventurer’s name, made for free spirits.
2. Gabin (national top 35)
Unexpected descendant of Gawain, the legendary Knight of the Round Table, nephew of King Arthur and bearer of the sword Excalibur. Its strength, says legend, increased tenfold with the light of the sun. Transmitted by Arthurian stories, Gabin resurfaced in Occitania in the 1980s before conquering French maternity wards. The actor Jean Gabin, whose real name was Jean Alexis Moncorgé, may have also given him a helping hand. Solid, luminous, legendary.
3. Milo (17,000 carriers, TOP 50)
This name immediately evokes the Cyclades: it was on the Greek island of Milos that the famous Venus de Milo was discovered in 1820, today in the Louvre. Its etymology links it to Latin
aemilius — “the one who competes”. In full rise, Milo was recently highlighted by the young prodigy actor of the film
Anatomy of a fallMilo Machado-Graner. Short, powerful, artistic.
4. Nino (national top 79)
Italian diminutive of Giovanni (Jean), Nino is also an affectionate little name for Saturnino, Antonino, Luciano… His recipe? Four letters, Hebrew and Italian roots, and the southern sun. In a few decades, his attributions have multiplied by 20. Composer Nino Rota (The Godfather,
Amarcord), actor Nino Manfredi, singer Nino Ferrer… This first name is on the rise, and for a long time.
5. Eden (TOP 15 national men)
Coming from the Garden of Delights of Genesis, Eden means “delights” in Hebrew, “fruitful” in Aramaic. A mixed first name, it is now overwhelmingly masculine (89% of attributions in 2025). The footballer Eden Hazard made it familiar to the general public. Both biblical and modern, it is a first name that crosses genres and cultures with rare elegance.
6. Como (17,000 carriers, TOP 100)
From Greek cosmos“universe”. Saint Cosmas was a 3rd century Syrian doctor who treated the poor for free before dying a martyr — he is the patron saint of doctors. But the first name also owes its nobility to the Medici: Cosimo the Elder, Florentine banker and patron of the Renaissance, made this name shine throughout cultivated Europe. Today classified as a “chic” first name, it stands out as a choice that is both discreet and distinguished.
7. Emrys (1,400 carriers, TOP 2000)
For lovers of mystery and Arthurian legends, this is the holy grail of rare first names. Emrys is the Welsh form of Ambrose (from the Greek ambrosios“immortal”) and appears as one of the secret names of Merlin the Enchanter in the 12th-century writings of Geoffrey of Monmouth — the primary source of Arthurian legend. Extremely rare, deep, magical.
8. Elouan (8,000 carriers, TOP 400)
Light, in Celtic. Saint Élouan was an Irish hermit who crossed the sea to settle in Brittany in the 7th century; his tomb is still located in a chapel in Saint-Guen (Côtes-d’Armor). This first name is very popular in Brittany, and is starting to spread beyond. For parents looking for a first name that is soft, bright and anchored in a strong culture.
9. Oscar (national top 95)
Worn by two kings of Sweden, by Oscar Wilde (one of the greatest Irish authors, 1854-1900), by the architect Oscar Niemeyer or the pianist Oscar Peterson, this first name has quite an international appeal. Its origins: either Germanic (“divine spear”) or Old Irish (“deer friend”). Long favorite in the Parisian and Swedish rankings, Oscar is slowly rising in the rest of France.
10. Ezra (2,900 carriers, TOP 200)
Hebrew first name meaning “help” or “help of God”, Ezra is an Old Testament prophet who led 5,000 exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem in the 5th century BC. Very used during the Protestant Reformation, he returns to grace with a sound that is both ancient and surprisingly modern. Short, rare, biblical: a strong choice.
11. Leander (17,000 carriers, TOP 100)
From the Greek, “lion-man” — this is a first name that does not lack panache. In Greek mythology, Leander was a young man from Troy madly in love with Hero, priestess of Aphrodite, who swam across the Hellespont Strait every night to join her. A name for the romantic and the courageous.
12. Clovis (6,500 carriers, TOP 500)
From the Germanic, “illustrious in combat”. Clovis, king of the Franks from 481 to 511, was baptized by the bishop of Reims in 496 and thus became the first Catholic king of France. It was he who laid the foundations of what would become the French nation. Austere? No — more of a founder. This medieval first name benefits from the great retro wave and is beginning to appeal to parents looking for a first name with a strong historical identity.
13. Solal (4,800 carriers, TOP 300)
From the Hebrew, “one who makes a way.” Solal is also Albert Cohen’s romantic hero in Beautiful of the Lordone of the greatest French-speaking novels of the 20th century: a brilliant, tormented, irresistible seducer. For parents who love literature, this first name carries a rare emotional and cultural charge.
14. Theodore (8,000 carriers, TOP 300)
From the Greek, “gift of God”. Two popes, two Byzantine emperors and numerous saints have illustrated this first name throughout the centuries. An emblematic figure of retro names making a comeback, Théodore seduces with his classic elegance and his multiple historical references. Note: Fedor and Feodor are equally attractive Slavic variants.
15. Wolf (3,100 carriers, TOP 300)
From Latin lupus. Saint Loup, bishop of Troyes in the 5th century, achieved the feat of convincing Attila to spare his city during the invasion of the Huns in 451. Protecting his own people in the face of adversity: this is a great program for a first name. Short, powerful, wild and French to the tips of the claws.
16. Soan (14,000 carriers, TOP 100)
The multicultural first name par excellence, according to The Official First Names 2025. Some parents choose it for its Breton roots (derived from Soen, Cornish form of Yves), others for its Polynesian variant (form of Jean used in the Wallis and Futuna Islands), and still others for its sounds close to Sohan, which means “star” in Arabic and “beautiful, magnificent” in Sanskrit. A traveler’s first name.
17. Idris (9,500 carriers, TOP 200)
From Arabic, “study, knowledge”. A first name carried in French-speaking Muslim cultures, Idriss has a great nobility: Idriss I is the founder of the first great Moroccan dynasty in the 8th century. Rare in French maternity wards, it is well known for its softness and phonetic elegance.
18. Lazarus (1,800 carriers, TOP 500)
From the Hebrew, “God has helped.” In the Gospel according to Saint John, Lazarus is resurrected by Jesus after four days in the grave – hence the expression “rising like Lazarus”. Tasty medical anecdote: Lazare Rivière, physician to King Louis XIII, invented an antiemetic that remained in use until the 20th century, considered the first effervescent remedy. A first name that has resource.
19. Kenzo (present in the top 100 Parisians)
From Japanese via the fashion designer Kenzo Takada (1939-2020), who made his first name a global brand synonymous with freedom and creativity. Its Hebrew roots also give it a meaning of “vine”. Short, colorful, international: Kenzo perfectly embodies the new generation of first names that transcend cultural boundaries.
20. Enaël (2,600 carriers, TOP 400)
Poetic contraction combining Breton-sounding first names with the trendy “-aël” ending. Masculine, gentle and modern, Énaël is part of this family of recent creations — like Naël, Maël, Yaël — who surf on Celtic sounds while inventing their own identity. Original without being eccentric.