Character Name
Tristan
Tristan Tristan carries the weight of the medieval legend — passionate, loyal to the point of self-destruction, trapped between desire and duty. In contemporary French fiction the name projects a romantic intensity and a certain melancholy predisposition to love deeply and suffer accordingly. It suits stories set in Brittany, medieval France, or wherever the Atlantic coastline and Celtic heritage meet French literary tradition.
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Famous characters named Tristan
Tristan
Tristan and Iseult — Various (Béroul, Thomas of Britain, Gottfried von Strassburg)
The Cornish knight whose love potion-induced passion for Iseult, wife of his uncle King Mark, drives one of medieval Europe's supreme tragic romances and defined the literary ideal of all-consuming love.
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More French names
Alexia
“Alexia is a feminine given name, the feminine form of Alexis, from the Greek alexein meaning "to defend, to help". It is a variant of Alexandra filtered through the shorter Alexis form. In France and the Iberian Peninsula, Alexia became a popular feminine name in the late 20th century, combining the prestige of its Greek roots with a modern, internationalist feel.”
Paul
“Paul is a French masculine given name from the Latin Paulus, a Roman family name meaning "small" or "humble", from the adjective paulus. Saint Paul the Apostle — born Saul of Tarsus — transformed the name's meaning from a Roman cognomen into a Christian emblem of conversion and missionary zeal. In France, Paul has been one of the most classic masculine names for centuries, borne by poets, philosophers, and saints.”
Suzanne
“Suzanne is the French form of Susanna, from the Hebrew Shoshana meaning "lily" or "rose". The biblical Susanna — the virtuous woman falsely accused by two elders in the Book of Daniel — gave the name its moral resonance. In France, Suzanne became famous through Beaumarchais's The Marriage of Figaro, whose resourceful heroine Suzanne is the opera's most intelligent character, outsmarting the Count with wit and dignity.”
Jeannine
“Jeannine is a French feminine given name, a double diminutive of Jeanne (the feminine form of Jean/John), from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning "God is gracious". The -ine suffix is a common French feminine diminutive, and doubled with the Jeanne root it produces a characteristically French name of warm, approachable femininity. It was popular in France during the early-to-mid 20th century.”
Isabelle
“Isabelle is the French form of Isabel, itself a medieval Iberian variant of Elizabeth, from the Hebrew Elisheba meaning "my God is an oath" or "my God is abundance". The name traveled from Spain and Portugal to France via the medieval court, where it was borne by queens including Isabelle de France. It became one of the most elegant and enduring French feminine names.”
Frederic
“Frédéric is a French masculine given name, the French form of Frederick, from the Old High German Frithuric composed of frithu meaning "peace" and ric meaning "ruler, power" — thus "peaceful ruler". The name was carried by Holy Roman Emperors and Prussian kings and entered French through Germanic-French court culture. In France, Frédéric Chopin and Frédéric Mistral gave the name literary and artistic prestige.”
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