Baptiste
Edwige
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked.
Meaning: Combat, battle, war
Edwige — also spelled Edwidge, Edvige or Hedwige, is a French name that belonged to two female medieval saints and comes from the German Hadewig — "hadu" for combat or battle and "wig" for war. Edwidge Danticat is an award-winning Haitian-American author whose stories about her native land have won her praise and topped bestseller lists. Pronounce the girls' name without the "d" — Eh-WEEJ.
Ophelie
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked.
Meaning: Helper
Ophelie is the French form of Ophelia, which comes from the Greek "ophelos," "to help," and was a poetic name before Shakespeare loved it enough to create his doomed lover of Hamlet. The name is conspicuously romantic, evoking a pure heart and a giving soul of delicate beauty.
Sebastien
Popularity rank in the US: #34
Meaning: Venerable
Sebastien is the French spelling and pronunciation for Sebastian, a boy's name that means "venerable." Latin Sebastianus designates "a person from the Asia Minor town of Sebaste" and is also the name of a Roman third-century Christian martyr. The saint was popular in medieval Europe and the name, while not topping any current charts, continues to find its fans. The French sound is nasal and open-ended, not clipped like the English or Latin. Say it: say-bas-TYAW.
Etienne
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked.
Meaning: Crown
Etienne is "Stephen" in French, a name derived from the Greek "stephanos," which means "crown." Stephen was the first Christian martyr, stoned to death and afterward worshiped as a courageous and steadfast believer. Kings, popes and later saints took up the name, but the more musical Etienne is as likely to belong to an artist today. Haitian writer, playwright and filmmaker Franketienne has been nominated for a Nobel Prize, and Etienne can be found in the baptism registers of New Orleans' oldest families.
Remy
Popularity rank in the U.S.: #621
Meaning: Rower, oarsman
Remy has a ring of the modern — it does rank in the longer list of current U.S. baby names. But the name is really a French version of Latin Remigius and that came from "remigis," the word for an oarsman or rower. Naturally, there was a saint in the progression of Remys; in the fifth century Saint Remy, a Catholic bishop, baptized the Frankish king Clovis. Remy is a short, snappy boy's name for a baby destined to be at home on the water — very handy in places like New Orleans and the Caribbean.
Manon
Popularity rank in the US: Not ranked.
Meanings: Wished-for child, beloved, sea of bitterness, rebellious
Manon is a beloved nickname for the French Marie or Marianne. It has been used so widely in film, fiction and opera that Manon is now a distinct name on its own. Traced back to the risque 18th-century novel "Manon Lescaut," set in France and Louisiana, Manon is the heroine of an enchanting tale of innocence, passion and forbidden romantic love. Say it with the merest emphasis on the second syllable: mah-NOH.
