French Culture – French Dog Names
Did you know that in France all dogs born in the same year must start with a certain letter? French dog names follow a naming convention that has been in place for nearly a hundred years!
Here is the short version: every purebred dog born in France in a given year is given a name that begins with the same official letter, and for 2026 that letter is B.
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On a trip to Paris one November, I learned an interesting piece of trivia I hadn't come across while living in France. It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and we were in our hotel room resting and watching the popular Sunday afternoon talk show called Vivement Dimanche with Michel Drucker. The show has been on forever! It is an interview-style show where Michel spends an hour with a famous guest talking about their life.
On that particular Sunday, the guest was former French President Jacques Chirac. He was interviewed about life post-presidency. At the end of the show, Michel gave Mr. Chirac a puppy (they are/were both dog lovers) and made a comment to the effect of, “It's the year of the ‘E ‘; what will you name him? Maybe Elysees?” I thought to myself, what the heck is he talking about?
The very next day, while I was reading C'est la Vie by Suzy Gershman. I read the chapter where Suzy brings a dog from the U.S. to Paris. She had to take the dog to the vet, and her vet became very confused about the dog's age after hearing the name. She had to explain that the dog was American, not French, so its name didn't follow the rules.
And that is how I found out there are dog-naming rules in France. Always new things to learn!
In 1926, the government decided that all dogs born in the same year would have a name beginning with the same letter. This was really to make it simpler for dog genealogists for dog shows, etc., but it was adopted everywhere. The letter “Z” was excluded because so few names begin with it. In 1973, they decided to remove 5 letters (K, Q, W, X, Y), for the same reason.
Right now, the system is only for purebreds, not pet shops or shelter animals. So you can still choose the perfect name without worry if you like, but isn't it more fun as a Francophile to have a French-inspired dog name?
Loving dogs the way you do a French version of your favorite name can certainly add some ‘je ne sais quoi' ! There are plenty of cute French names you can come up with. As a Francophile pet parent, I am sure you can meet the challenge to find the perfect French dog name.
French Dog Names Change by Year
The assigned letter changes every single year. For 2026, French dogs get names starting with the letter B; in 2025, the letter was A. At the end of 2024, which was the year of V, the alphabet skipped W, X, Y, and Z and looped right back to the beginning. So if you are naming a French pedigree puppy this year, you are looking for a good B name.
French names that start with B (for 2026):
Female: Bijou, Belle, Brie, Beatrice, Blanche, Brigitte, Babette, Bella
Male: Bruno, Beau, Baptiste, Bernard, Basile, Balthazar, Benoit, Bastien
Or here are ideas for the years that follow:
- 2027: C Female names: Colette, Camille, Céleste, Chloé, Capucine, Clémentine, Colombe, Cosette, Cerise, Coco
- 2027: C Male names: César, Claude, Cédric, Corentin, Clovis, Christophe, Cyprien, Célestin, Charlot, Curie
- 2028: C Female names: Delphine, Daphné, Désirée, Diane, Doriane, Dauphine, Domino, Danièle, Dahlia, Dionne
- 2028: C Male names: Damien, Didier, Denis, Dorian, Dashiell, Dumas, Désiré, Donatien, Davin, Dax
Here are the future letters for the French Naming Convention for dogs.
Mr. Misadventures and I are always thinking of getting a dog, so as a francophile married to a Frenchman, we play around with French names for dogs for whatever year it is all the time!
French Dog Breeds
61 dog breeds that originated in France. A lot, right? Here are some you are probably familiar with: French bulldog (which has held the title of most popular breed in America for several years running!), Basset Hound, Great Pyrenees, Papillon, Brittany, Bichon Frisé, beagles, and more!
Frequently Asked Questions About French Dog Names
What letter do French dogs get in 2026?
In 2026, French purebred dogs are given names that start with the letter B. So if you meet a French pedigree puppy born this year, expect plenty of Brunos, Bellas and Bijous.
Why do all French dogs born in the same year have names starting with the same letter?
It goes back to a 1926 system that made it easy to tell a purebred dog’s birth year just from its name. Breeders and dog show organizers loved how simple it made tracking pedigrees, and the habit stuck.
Is it actually a law that French dog names have to start with a certain letter?
It is an official rule of the French pedigree system, not something you can be fined for. It only applies to purebred dogs registered with an official pedigree, so your own pet is never really in trouble.
What were the French dog name letters for 2024 and 2025?
2024 was the year of V, and 2025 was the year of A. After V, the alphabet skips W, X, Y, and Z, which is why it jumped all the way back to A.
Which letters are skipped in the French dog naming system?
Six letters are left out because so few names begin with them: K, Q, W, X, Y and Z. Z was dropped first, and the other five were removed in 1973.
Does the rule apply to every dog in France or only purebreds?
Only purebred dogs with an official pedigree are subject to it. Shelter dogs, pet shop dogs and happy mixed breeds can be named absolutely anything you like.
Whether or not you ever bring home a French pedigree pup, I love that a dog’s name in France quietly tells you the year it was born. It is exactly the kind of small, charming detail that makes me fall for French culture over and over again. If you enjoy these little quirks, you might also like why there is a rooster on French jerseys, the unwritten rules of French dining etiquette, and how to entertain like the French.
How about you? Do you live in France and use this system? Is there a similar system in your country? If you live in the US, what do you think of this system?
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That is such a great piece of French trivia. I wonder if people really follow it or how it is enforced. I am guessing as you mentioned it may apply to only purebreds or show animal? Thanks for sharing.
Actually, only the breeders have to follow that rule, for pure race dogs with pedigree. You can decide to call your dog any name you want, event if it’s another name on the paper.
Thanks for clearing that up Nathalie!
Wow… interesting.. thanx for sharing Andi 🙂
Have you read Sarah’s Key? Probably several times…..
I found out about this too last year in France, I found it interesting yet bizarre. I guess if I ever live in France and decide to get a puppy, I have to plan it accordingly to the letter….but other than that, I would like the freedom of naming my dog whatever I choose 🙂
C’est bizarre. I don,t know if my parents know this but it would be a great conversation starter for my Paris loving parents. They are going to paris again this year.
All these strange rules, I wonder if there are any strange rules lurking around South Africa that no one knows about?
@Stephanie – I bet you there are – great blog fodder!
I am reading up on your older French Friday posts, so my comment comes a bit late, but here you go. The naming according to the letter of the year is not only a French thing, in Belgium breeders also have to stick to the letter of the year the puppy or kitten was born is (provided the little one has a pedigree). Although to make things “easier”, the letters aren’t the same in both countries (2010 for instance is a J year in Belgium and a F year in France). It never occured to me that it wasn’t a global standard … so I learned somthing new today as well. :o)
Hi, Very interesting article. I am quite impressed and just wanted to let you know that you did a fine job on this article. However, I do have some unanswered questions that I would like to ask you. I will contact you via email so that you can clear some of these things up for me. Again, very well written article. Keep up the good work.
To Ingrid or anyone who may be in the know:
Does Belgium skip any letters of the alphabet?
Would love to know.
I have a Belgium Griffon (male) but if ever I were to have a female
And have a litter of pups… I think I would prefer to follow the. Belgium tradition.
@MaryAnna, I am going to try to find out for you!
We got a Staffie puppy in France last year ,the year of L.We called him Lord Arthur,commonly known as Arthur.The French have a problem with the th sound so the all call him Artur.
My previous dog was born in 2003,the year of U. his name was UFO from Todspack,known as Sam.
you can call them what you like.
This rule applies not just to pedigree dogs, also to cats and cows! In 2004 when I moved to France I visited a cattle show, with beautiful breeds of cattle. The letter that year was V, and all the young calves were called Victor, Valerie, etc.