Here is a list of French names that start with Z. The page includes French names for boys and girls from different eras, as well as last names.
The list is divided into several sections. The modern names are baby names and other names popular in the 2000s, while the traditional names are those common among people born in the 1900s.
The names come from data provided by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, with a few additions from Wikipedia, Reddit and other sources. All of the names also appear in my Random French Name Generator.
- Traditional Male French Names that Start with Z
- Modern Male French Names that Start with Z
- Traditional Female French Names that Start with Z
- Modern Female French Names that Start with Z
- French Last Names that Start with Z
Classic Old French Male Baby Names Beginning with Z
Traditional French boy names beginning with Z are rare because the letter itself entered French mostly through foreign borrowings rather than native development. French phonology historically avoided the /z/ sound at the start of words, and there are no early saints, nobles, or historical figures whose names began with Z.
Popular 2000s French Male Baby Names Starting with Z
- Zacharie
- Zayn
Most Z-names in France come from Hebrew or Arabic origins, adopted through immigration or religious influence rather than long-standing French tradition.
Retro French Girl Names That Begin with Z
For women, traditional French names starting with Z are also uncommon because the French naming system drew heavily from Latin, Greek, and Christian sources, where Z-initial names were scarce.
Historically, the letter Z carried an exotic or foreign sound that didn’t fit the soft, vowel-rich aesthetics of typical French feminine names like Marie, Louise, or Claire. As a result, traditional Z-names for girls never developed strongly within France, and the few that exist today owe their popularity to modern taste for short, international-sounding names, not to deep French roots.
French Girl Names Beginning with (2000s) Z
- Zoé
- Zélie
Even though the names Zoé (from Greek zōē, “life”) and Zélie (from Azélie, a variant of Adélaïde) have existed for a longer time, they were relatively minor and regional until recent revivals.
List of Common French Last Names with Letter Z
- Zimmermann
About this List
I have made similar lists of French names for all the letters of the alphabet from A to Z:
- Names that Start with A
- Names that Start with B
- Names that Start with C
- Names that Start with D
- Names that Start with E
- Names that Start with F
- Names that Start with G
- Names that Start with H
- Names that Start with I
- Names that Start with J
- Names that Start with K
- Names that Start with L
- Names that Start with M
- Names that Start with N
- Names that Start with O
- Names that Start with P
- Names that Start with Q
- Names that Start with R
- Names that Start with S
- Names that Start with T
- Names that Start with U
- Names that Start with V
- Names that Start with W
- Names that Start with X
- Names that Start with Y
- Names that Start with Z
About Arimo Travels
My website, Arimo Travels, mostly focuses on sustainable travel, although I do write about other topics related to cultures and randomness as well.