French Boat Name Generator

Boat names in French, with English meanings

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Generate boat names in French, most with a short English meaning: sea and weather names like Marée Montante (rising tide) and Jolie Brise, fishing-port names like Marie-Anne and Notre-Dame de la Joie, sayings like Vogue la Galère, canal barge names like Marin d'Eau Douce, and playful ones like Poisson d'Avril.

About French boat names

The names here are written in French, accents and hyphens included, and most entries carry a short English meaning in parentheses. Personal names, saints and most place names, such as Marie-Anne, Saint-Gildas and Île de Bréhat, stand without one. A few real vessels are labeled: Belem, Calypso, Pen Duick.

The 1,000 names fall into groups: tide, wind and weather words such as Vive-Eau (spring tide) and Coup de Tabac (sudden blow); stars, lights and sailing terms; seabirds and fish of the French coasts; sayings such as Larguez les Amarres (cast off); food and holiday humor such as Île Flottante; and slow-water names for a canal barge, such as Chemin de Halage (towpath). Fishing boats in Breton and Norman ports have long carried a woman's name, a saint's or Notre-Dame's, so those are here too, with a few Breton, Provençal, Basque and Latin words.

French grammar shows on the hull. Nouns have gender, so the article and the adjective must agree: La Sardine, Le Homard, Belle Vague, Bel Astre. Le and la shrink to L' before a vowel or a silent h, as in L'Écluse and L'Huître, but not before an aspirated h, which is why it is Le Homard. A saint's name given to a boat or a place takes a hyphen, as in Saint-Guirec and Sainte-Marine.

How to choose French boat names

  • The part in parentheses is only the translation. Paint Marée Montante, not the whole entry, and keep the meaning for when someone on the pontoon asks.
  • Keep the accents, the cedilla and the joined œ when the name goes on the hull: Écume, Ça Flotte, Cœur Léger. Careful French keeps accents on capital letters too, and without them the word is misspelled.
  • Do not swap an article or an ending on your own. Adjectives agree with the noun, so it is Brise Marine but Air Marin, and Belle Vague but Bel Astre.
  • Say the name the way you would over the radio. Short names with clear vowels, such as Azur, Corail or Rêve Bleu, are easy to spell out and hard to mishear.
  • If French is spoken where you moor, try the name on a local speaker first. Some words have a second, everyday sense, and a regional word such as Peuchère or Kenavo belongs to one coast more than another.

Frequently asked questions

What are good French boat name ideas?

Short phrases about the sea, the wind and the light tend to work best. From this list, try Marée Montante (rising tide), Étoile du Berger (the evening star), Jolie Brise (moderate breeze), Cap à l'Ouest (heading west) or Vogue la Galère (come what may). For something lighter there are Poisson d'Avril (April fool) and Marin d'Eau Douce (freshwater sailor).

Do the names come with an English translation?

Most do. The meaning sits in parentheses after the name and is not part of it, so the name is Brise du Soir, not the whole entry 'Brise du Soir (evening breeze)'. Women's names, saints and most places, such as Soizic, Saint-Ronan and Cap Fréhel, are listed without one.

Why are there so many saints and women's names?

Because that is how fishing boats were long named on the French Channel and Atlantic coasts. A boat carried the name of a wife, a mother or a daughter, often a compound such as Marie-Rose or Jeanne-Yvonne, or it was placed under a saint or Notre-Dame. Notre-Dame de Rocamadour, for example, is also the name of the sailors' chapel at Camaret.

Are there names for a canal barge or a river boat?

Yes. One group is written for slow inland water: La Péniche (the barge), Chemin de Halage (towpath), Entre Deux Écluses (between two locks), Éloge de la Lenteur (in praise of slowness) and Canal du Midi. River names such as L'Odet and La Saône and riverside words such as La Guinguette sit in the same register.

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All 1,000 French boat names

This is the complete list the generator above draws its random batches from, sorted A to Z and grouped by first letter.

Plain text, one name per line.

A: 52 names

  • À Bon Port (safely into port)
  • À Demain (see you tomorrow)
  • À Dieu Vat (in God's hands)
  • À la Bonne Heure (well done)
  • À la Claire Fontaine (by the clear fountain)
  • À la Garde de Dieu (in God's keeping)
  • À la Tienne (here's to you)
  • À la Vôtre (to your health)
  • À Table (dinner is served)
  • À Tire-d'Aile (in swift flight)
  • À Tout à l'Heure (see you later)
  • Adèle
  • Adieu Cher Camarade (farewell, dear comrade)

A, continued

  • Advienne Que Pourra (whatever may happen)
  • Aide-Toi, le Ciel t'Aidera (help yourself, heaven will help)
  • Aigue-Marine (aquamarine)
  • Aile Blanche (white wing)
  • Ailleurs (elsewhere)
  • Ainsi Va la Vie (so life goes)
  • Air Marin (sea air)
  • Allons-y (let's go)
  • Ambre (amber)
  • Amis Réunis (friends reunited)
  • Amour d'Été (summer love)
  • Anahita (Louis Bernicot's cutter)
  • Ancre Flottante (sea anchor)

A, continued

  • Anémone de Mer (sea anemone)
  • Ange de la Mer (angel of the sea)
  • Angèle
  • Anne-Yvonne
  • Annick
  • Anse Tranquille (quiet cove)
  • Antoinette
  • Après la Pluie le Beau Temps (after the rain, fair weather)
  • Armelle
  • Armor (the coast country of Brittany)
  • Art de Vivre (art of living)
  • Au Bord de l'Eau (by the water)
  • Au Clair de la Lune (by the light of the moon)

A, continued

  • Au Fil de l'Eau (with the current)
  • Au Fil du Canal (along the canal)
  • Au Gré du Vent (as the wind wills)
  • Au Large (offshore)
  • Au Long Cours (on ocean voyages)
  • Au Pas (at walking pace)
  • Au Revoir (goodbye)
  • Augustine
  • Aurore (dawn)
  • Aurore Boréale (northern lights)
  • Autant en Emporte le Vent (gone with the wind)
  • Ave Maris Stella (hail, star of the sea, in Latin)
  • Azur (azure)

B: 73 names

  • Baba au Rhum (rum baba)
  • Bâbord Amures (on port tack)
  • Baie de Morlaix
  • Baie de Somme
  • Baie des Anges (bay of angels, at Nice)
  • Baie Dorée (golden bay)
  • Baiser Salé (salty kiss)
  • Balade (outing)
  • Baleine à Bosse (humpback whale)
  • Baleine Bleue (blue whale)
  • Barbe à Papa (cotton candy)
  • Barfleur
  • Barre Franche (tiller)
  • Basse Mer (low water)

B, continued

  • Bassin d'Arcachon
  • Bateau sur l'Eau (boat on the water)
  • Beau Matin (fine morning)
  • Bel Astre (fair star)
  • Bel-Ami (Maupassant's yacht)
  • Belem (three-masted barque, 1896)
  • Belle Bretonne (fair Breton woman)
  • Belle Espérance (fair hope)
  • Belle Journée (lovely day)
  • Belle Louise (fair Louise)
  • Belle Margot (fair Margot)
  • Belle Normande (fair Norman woman)
  • Belle Saison (the fine season)
  • Belle Vague (lovely wave)
  • Belle Yvonne (fair Yvonne)

B, continued

  • Belle-Île
  • Bénédiction (blessing)
  • Bernadette
  • Beurre Salé (salted butter)
  • Bief Tranquille (quiet reach)
  • Bien Mérité (well deserved)
  • Bienvenue à Bord (welcome aboard)
  • Bisou (kiss)
  • Bleu Azur (azure blue)
  • Bleu du Ciel (blue of the sky)
  • Bleu Horizon (horizon blue)
  • Bleu Nuit (midnight blue)
  • Bleu Outremer (ultramarine)
  • Bolée de Cidre (bowl of cider)

B, continued

  • Bon Appétit (enjoy your meal)
  • Bon Courage (stay strong)
  • Bon Espoir (good hope)
  • Bon Plein (full and by)
  • Bon Retour (safe return)
  • Bon Vent, Bonne Mer (fair winds and a kind sea)
  • Bonheur (happiness)
  • Bonifacio
  • Bonne Brise (fresh breeze)
  • Bonne Chance (good luck)
  • Bonne Étoile (lucky star)
  • Bonne Nouvelle (good news)
  • Bonne Pêche (good catch)
  • Bonne Route (safe journey)
  • Bora-Bora

B, continued

  • Bord de Mer (seaside)
  • Bordée (tack, also a run ashore)
  • Bords de Loire (banks of the Loire)
  • Bords de Seine (banks of the Seine)
  • Boulégan (let's get moving, in Provençal)
  • Bout du Monde (end of the world)
  • Brave Marin (brave sailor)
  • Breizh (Brittany, in Breton)
  • Brise de Terre (land breeze)
  • Brise du Large (breeze off the open sea)
  • Brise du Soir (evening breeze)
  • Brise Marine (sea breeze)
  • Bro Gozh (old country, in Breton)
  • Brume de Mer (sea fog)
  • Bureau Flottant (floating office)

C: 84 names

  • C'est la Vie (that's life)
  • C'est Parti (here we go)
  • Ça Flotte (it floats)
  • Ça Ira (it will be fine)
  • Ça Roule (all good)
  • Cadeau du Ciel (gift from heaven)
  • Café Croissant (coffee and croissant)
  • Calanque (rocky inlet)
  • Calme Blanc (dead calm)
  • Calypso (Cousteau's research ship)
  • Camaret
  • Canal de Bourgogne
  • Canal du Midi
  • Canal du Nivernais

C, continued

  • Canal Saint-Martin
  • Cancale
  • Cap à l'Ouest (heading west)
  • Cap au Sud (heading south)
  • Cap Corse
  • Cap Ferret
  • Cap Fréhel
  • Cap Gris-Nez
  • Cap-Hornier (Cape Horner)
  • Capitaine Nemo (Captain Nemo)
  • Caprice (whim)
  • Caramel au Beurre Salé (salted butter caramel)
  • Carpe Diem (seize the day, in Latin)
  • Carte Marine (nautical chart)

C, continued

  • Célestine
  • Cerise sur le Gâteau (cherry on the cake)
  • Chanson Douce (sweet song)
  • Chant des Sirènes (siren song)
  • Chantons pour Passer le Temps (let's sing to pass the time)
  • Chaque Chose en Son Temps (everything in its time)
  • Chasseur de Vent (wind chaser)
  • Château d'If
  • Château de Sable (sandcastle)
  • Chausey
  • Chemin de Halage (towpath)
  • Cheveux au Vent (hair in the wind)
  • Chez Nous (our place)
  • Chou à la Crème (cream puff)

C, continued

  • Ciel Bleu (blue sky)
  • Ciel de Traîne (clearing sky after a front)
  • Ciel Étoilé (starry sky)
  • Cinquantièmes Hurlants (Furious Fifties)
  • Citron Pressé (fresh lemonade)
  • Clémentine
  • Clin d'Œil (wink)
  • Colette
  • Collioure
  • Comme un Poisson dans l'Eau (like a fish in water)
  • Concarneau
  • Congés Payés (paid leave)
  • Contre Vents et Marées (against wind and tide)
  • Contre-Courant (counter-current)

C, continued

  • Coquille Saint-Jacques (scallop)
  • Corail (coral)
  • Corentine
  • Côte d'Albâtre (alabaster coast)
  • Côte d'Azur (azure coast)
  • Côte d'Opale (opal coast)
  • Côte de Granit Rose (pink granite coast)
  • Côte de Nacre (mother-of-pearl coast)
  • Côte Sauvage (wild coast)
  • Côte Vermeille (vermilion coast)
  • Coucher de Soleil (sunset)
  • Coup d'Aile (wingbeat)
  • Coup d'Aviron (stroke of the oar)
  • Coup de Chance (stroke of luck)

C, continued

  • Coup de Foudre (love at first sight)
  • Coup de Soleil (sunburn)
  • Coup de Tabac (sudden blow)
  • Coup de Tête (sudden impulse)
  • Cœur de Marin (sailor's heart)
  • Cœur Léger (light heart)
  • Cœur Vaillant (valiant heart)
  • Crème Brûlée (burnt cream)
  • Crêpe Suzette (crêpe with orange butter)
  • Crevette Grise (brown shrimp)
  • Crevette Rose (pink prawn)
  • Crique Secrète (secret cove)
  • Croissant de Lune (crescent moon)
  • Croix du Sud (Southern Cross)

D: 16 names

  • D'Une Rive à l'Autre (from one bank to the other)
  • Damien (a famous French voyaging yacht)
  • Dauphin Bleu (blue dolphin)
  • Daurade Royale (gilthead bream)
  • Demi-Lune (half moon)
  • Dérive (drift, also the centerboard)
  • Dernière Folie (latest folly)
  • Dieu Merci (thank God)

D, continued

  • Dieu Soit Loué (God be praised)
  • Doigts de Pied en Éventail (toes fanned out)
  • Douarnenez
  • Douce France (sweet France)
  • Douce Nuit (gentle night)
  • Doucement (gently)
  • Douceur de Vivre (the sweetness of life)
  • Doux Rêve (sweet dream)

E: 47 names

  • Eau Claire (clear water)
  • Eau Dormante (still water)
  • Eau Douce (fresh water)
  • Eau Turquoise (turquoise water)
  • Eau Vive (living water)
  • Échappée (getaway)
  • Échappée Belle (lovely getaway)
  • Éclat de Soleil (burst of sunlight)
  • École Buissonnière (playing hooky)
  • Écume (foam)
  • Écume Blanche (white foam)

E, continued

  • Éden (Eden)
  • Élan (momentum)
  • Éloge de la Lenteur (in praise of slowness)
  • Embruns Salés (salt spray)
  • En Avant Toute (full speed ahead)
  • En Famille (with the family)
  • En Route (on our way)
  • Enfant des Flots (child of the waves)
  • Enfin la Retraite (retired at last)
  • Enfin Seuls (alone at last)
  • Enora
  • Entre Amis (among friends)

E, continued

  • Entre Chien et Loup (twilight)
  • Entre Ciel et Eau (between sky and water)
  • Entre Deux Eaux (between two waters)
  • Entre Deux Écluses (between two locks)
  • Entre Terre et Mer (between land and sea)
  • Envie d'Ailleurs (longing for elsewhere)
  • Envol (taking flight)
  • Éole (Aeolus, keeper of the winds)
  • Espoir du Marin (the sailor's hope)
  • Esprit Libre (free spirit)
  • Estelle
  • Estran (foreshore)

E, continued

  • Et Pourquoi Pas (and why not)
  • Été Sans Fin (endless summer)
  • Étoile d'Argent (silver star)
  • Étoile de Noël (Christmas star)
  • Étoile des Marins (star of the sailors)
  • Étoile du Berger (the evening star)
  • Étoile du Soir (evening star)
  • Étoile Filante (shooting star)
  • Étoile Polaire (pole star)
  • Étretat
  • Eugénie
  • Évasion (escape)

F: 24 names

  • Far Breton (Breton prune flan)
  • Félicie
  • Femme de Marin (sailor's wife)
  • Feu de Route (navigation light)
  • Feu de Saint-Elme (St. Elmo's fire)
  • Feu Vert (green light)
  • Fierté du Port (pride of the harbor)
  • Fille de l'Océan (daughter of the ocean)
  • Fille de Marin (sailor's daughter)
  • Fille du Vent (daughter of the wind)
  • Fils de Pêcheur (fisherman's son)
  • Fils du Vent (son of the wind)

F, continued

  • Finistère (land's end)
  • Flamant Rose (pink flamingo)
  • Fleur d'Ajonc (gorse flower)
  • Fleur d'Écume (foam flower)
  • Fleur de Bruyère (heather flower)
  • Fleur de Genêt (broom flower)
  • Fleur des Îles (flower of the islands)
  • Fleur du Large (flower of the open sea)
  • Fleur du Port (flower of the harbor)
  • Fluctuat Nec Mergitur (tossed but not sunk, motto of Paris)
  • Frère et Sœur (brother and sister)
  • Frères Unis (united brothers)

G: 27 names

  • Gaëlle
  • Gagne-Pain (livelihood)
  • Gai Comme un Pinson (happy as a lark)
  • Galet (pebble)
  • Galette-Saucisse (sausage in a buckwheat pancake)
  • Gardien de Phare (lighthouse keeper)
  • Giboulée de Mars (March shower)
  • Goéland Argenté (herring gull)
  • Goéland Marin (great black-backed gull)
  • Golfe du Morbihan
  • Goutte d'Eau (drop of water)
  • Grain Blanc (white squall)
  • Grain de Sable (grain of sand)

G, continued

  • Grand Dauphin (bottlenose dolphin)
  • Grand Large (the open sea)
  • Grand Largue (broad reach)
  • Grand-Mère (Grandma)
  • Grand-Père (Grandpa)
  • Grand-Voile (mainsail)
  • Grande Évasion (great escape)
  • Grande Ourse (Great Bear)
  • Grande Traversée (great crossing)
  • Grandes Vacances (summer vacation)
  • Grasse Matinée (sleeping in)
  • Gros Temps (heavy weather)
  • Gwenaëlle
  • Gwenn ha Du (white and black, the Breton flag)

H: 20 names

  • Hardi les Gars (heave away, lads)
  • Haut les Cœurs (take heart)
  • Haute Mer (high seas)
  • Havre (haven)
  • Henriette
  • Heure Dorée (golden hour)
  • Heureux Qui Comme Ulysse (happy the man who, like Ulysses)
  • Hirondelle de Mer (sea swallow, the tern)
  • Hisse et Ho (heave ho)
  • Hissez Haut (hoist high)

H, continued

  • Hoëdic
  • Homard Bleu (blue lobster)
  • Homme Libre (free man)
  • Honfleur
  • Honorine
  • Horizon (horizon)
  • Hortense
  • Houat
  • Houle du Large (ocean swell)
  • Huître Perlière (pearl oyster)

I: 20 names

  • Il Était Une Fois (once upon a time)
  • Île aux Moines
  • Île d'Aix
  • Île d'Arz
  • Île d'Oléron
  • Île d'Yeu
  • Île de Batz
  • Île de Beauté (isle of beauty, Corsica's nickname)
  • Île de Bréhat
  • Île de Groix

I, continued

  • Île de Ré
  • Île de Sein
  • Île des Pins (Isle of Pines)
  • Île Flottante (floating island)
  • Îles de Lérins
  • Îles Sous-le-Vent (the Leeward Islands)
  • Infini (infinity)
  • Iris d'Eau (yellow flag iris)
  • Itsasoa (the sea, in Basque)
  • Ivresse (exhilaration)

J: 12 names

  • Jamais Content (never satisfied)
  • Jamais Sans Toi (never without you)
  • Jean et Jeanne (Jean and Jeanne)
  • Jean-François de Nantes (a sea shanty)
  • Jeanne-Yvonne
  • Jolie Brise (moderate breeze)
  • Jolie Môme (pretty kid)
  • Joséphine
  • Joshua (Bernard Moitessier's ketch)
  • Jour de Paie (payday)
  • Jour Férié (public holiday)
  • Juliette

K: 6 names

  • Kallisté (the most beautiful, the Greek name of Corsica)
  • Katell
  • Kenavo (goodbye, in Breton)
  • Korrigan (a sprite of Breton legend)
  • Kouign-Amann (Breton butter cake)
  • Kurun (Jacques-Yves Le Toumelin's cutter)

L: 263 names

  • L'Aber Wrac'h
  • L'Accalmie (the lull)
  • L'Aigrette (the egret)
  • L'Albatros (the albatross)
  • L'Anchois (the anchovy)
  • L'Anguille (the eel)
  • L'Aoûtien (the August vacationer)
  • L'Appel du Large (the call of the open sea)
  • L'Araignée de Mer (the spider crab)
  • L'Arche de Noé (Noah's Ark)
  • L'Atlantide (Atlantis)
  • L'Aulne
  • L'Autan (wind of the Toulouse country)
  • L'Aven

L, continued

  • L'Avenir (the future)
  • L'Aventure Continue (the adventure goes on)
  • L'Avocette (the avocet)
  • L'Éclaircie (the sunny spell)
  • L'Écluse (the lock)
  • L'Éclusier (the lock keeper)
  • L'Équinoxe (the equinox)
  • L'Équipage (the crew)
  • L'Escargot (the snail)
  • L'Étale (slack water)
  • L'Étrave (the stem)
  • L'Étrille (the velvet crab)
  • L'Hérétique (Alain Bombard's inflatable, 1952)
  • L'Héritage des Enfants (the kids' inheritance)
  • L'Heure de l'Apéro (aperitif time)

L, continued

  • L'Hippocampe (the seahorse)
  • L'Huître (the oyster)
  • L'Huîtrier Pie (the oystercatcher)
  • L'Île au Trésor (Treasure Island)
  • L'Île Mystérieuse (the mysterious island)
  • L'Invitation au Voyage (the invitation to the voyage)
  • L'Océanite (the storm petrel)
  • L'Odet
  • L'Oiseau des Îles (the bird of the islands)
  • L'Oiseau Rare (the rare bird)
  • L'Ombre des Platanes (the shade of the plane trees)
  • L'Ondée (the shower)
  • L'Ormeau (the abalone)
  • L'Oursin (the sea urchin)

L, continued

  • L'Union Fait la Force (unity is strength)
  • La Barcarolle (the boat song)
  • La Barquette (the little Marseille boat)
  • La Belle Batelière (the fair bargewoman)
  • La Belle Julie (the fair Julie)
  • La Belle Rivière (the beautiful river)
  • La Bernache (the brent goose)
  • La Bernique (the limpet)
  • La Bisquine (the Cancale lugger)
  • La Bonace (the calm before or after a storm)
  • La Bonne Mère (the Good Mother of Marseille)
  • La Boudeuse (Bougainville's frigate)
  • La Bouée (the buoy)
  • La Bouillabaisse (the Marseille fish stew)
  • La Bruine (the drizzle)

L, continued

  • La Coque (the cockle, also the hull)
  • La Daurade (the sea bream)
  • La Demoiselle (the damselfly)
  • La Désirade
  • La Famille (the family)
  • La Fée Morgane (Morgan le Fay)
  • La Frégate (the frigatebird)
  • La Gabare (the river barge)
  • La Gaffe (the boat hook, also the blunder)
  • La Galéjade (the tall tale)
  • La Galerne (northwest wind of the Atlantic coast)
  • La Godille (the sculling oar)
  • La Grande Hermine (Jacques Cartier's ship)
  • La Grenouille (the frog)
  • La Grenouillère (the frog pond, a bathing spot on the Seine)

L, continued

  • La Guadeloupe
  • La Guinguette (the riverside dance café)
  • La Jetée (the jetty)
  • La Langouste (the spiny lobster)
  • La Langoustine (the langoustine)
  • La Lanterne (the lantern)
  • La Manche (the English Channel)
  • La Marinière (the bargewoman, also the striped sailor shirt)
  • La Martinique
  • La Méditerranée (the Mediterranean)
  • La Mouette (the seagull)
  • La Navigatrice (the navigator, she)
  • La Nef des Fous (the ship of fools)
  • La Péniche (the barge)

L, continued

  • La Petite Jeanne (little Jeanne)
  • La Pinasse (the Arcachon launch)
  • La Poule d'Eau (the moorhen)
  • La Rascasse (the scorpionfish)
  • La Réunion
  • La Risée (the cat's paw)
  • La Rochelle
  • La Saône
  • La Sardine (the sardine)
  • La Seiche (the cuttlefish)
  • La Sieste (the nap)
  • La Spatule (the spoonbill)
  • La Sterne (the tern)
  • La Tartine (the slice of bread and butter)
  • La Toison d'Or (the Golden Fleece)

L, continued

  • La Toue (the Loire flatboat)
  • La Traversée (the crossing)
  • La Vie Devant Soi (life ahead)
  • La Vieille (the wrasse, also the old lady)
  • La Vigie (the lookout)
  • La Vilaine
  • La Yole (the gig)
  • Lagon (lagoon)
  • Lagon Bleu (blue lagoon)
  • Lame de Fond (groundswell)
  • Lampe Tempête (storm lantern)
  • Larguez les Amarres (cast off)
  • Le Balbuzard (the osprey)
  • Le Bar (the sea bass, also the bar)

L, continued

  • Le Bateau Ivre (the drunken boat)
  • Le Batelier (the boatman)
  • Le Bélon
  • Le Bernard-l'Ermite (the hermit crab)
  • Le Berrichon (the narrow barge of the Berry canal)
  • Le Bosco (the bosun)
  • Le Boucanier (the buccaneer)
  • Le Bouchon (the float)
  • Le Cabanon (the seaside cabin of Marseille)
  • Le Cagnard (the blazing southern sun)
  • Le Calamar (the squid)
  • Le Capitaine (the captain)
  • Le Chaland (the barge)
  • Le Chalutier (the trawler)
  • Le Clapot (the chop)

L, continued

  • Le Corail Rouge (the red coral)
  • Le Cotre (the cutter)
  • Le Courlis (the curlew)
  • Le Crachin (the Breton drizzle)
  • Le Croisic
  • Le Dauphin (the dolphin)
  • Le Déjeuner des Canotiers (luncheon of the boating party)
  • Le Doubs
  • Le Fanal (the ship's lantern)
  • Le Flambeau (the torch)
  • Le Flot (the flood tide)
  • Le Forban (the sea rover)
  • Le Fou de Bassan (the gannet)
  • Le Frioul
  • Le Fulmar (the fulmar)

L, continued

  • Le Gabier (the topman)
  • Le Germon (the albacore)
  • Le Goéland (the gull)
  • Le Grain (the squall)
  • Le Grand Cormoran (the great cormorant)
  • Le Grand Coureur (the great runner, a shanty's corsair ship)
  • Le Grand Voyage (the great voyage)
  • Le Grégal (northeast wind of the Mediterranean)
  • Le Guillemot (the guillemot)
  • Le Guilvinec
  • Le Héron Cendré (the gray heron)
  • Le Hollandais Volant (the Flying Dutchman)
  • Le Homard (the lobster)
  • Le Hublot (the porthole)

L, continued

  • Le Juillettiste (the July vacationer)
  • Le Kraken (the kraken)
  • Le Levant (the east wind)
  • Le Libeccio (southwest wind of Corsica)
  • Le Macareux (the puffin)
  • Le Marin (the southeast sea wind)
  • Le Marinier (the bargeman)
  • Le Matelot (the sailor)
  • Le Mérou (the grouper)
  • Le Moussaillon (the young deckhand)
  • Le Navigateur (the navigator)
  • Le Nénuphar (the water lily)
  • Le Paille-en-Queue (the tropicbird)
  • Le Pardon (the Breton pilgrimage)
  • Le Passeur (the ferryman)

L, continued

  • Le Patron Pêcheur (the fishing skipper)
  • Le Pêcheur (the fisherman)
  • Le Pèlerin (the pilgrim)
  • Le Père Tranquille (the easygoing fellow)
  • Le Perroquet (the topgallant sail, also the parrot)
  • Le Persévérant (the persevering one)
  • Le Petit Pingouin (the razorbill)
  • Le Petit Port (the little harbor)
  • Le Phare (the lighthouse)
  • Le Plaisancier (the pleasure boater)
  • Le Pointu (the Mediterranean fishing boat)
  • Le Ponant (the west wind)
  • Le Pont de Morlaix (the bridge of Morlaix)
  • Le Pont-Canal (the canal aqueduct)

L, continued

  • Le Pouce-Pied (the goose barnacle)
  • Le Poulpe (the octopus)
  • Le Puffin (the shearwater)
  • Le Quatre-Heures (the after-school snack)
  • Le Rêve Continue (the dream goes on)
  • Le Roi d'Ys (the king of Ys)
  • Le Rouget (the red mullet)
  • Le Safran (the rudder blade)
  • Le Sardinier (the sardine boat)
  • Le Saumon (the salmon)
  • Le Sémaphore (the signal station)
  • Le Sextant (the sextant)
  • Le Sinagot (the Morbihan fishing boat)
  • Le Solitaire (the solo sailor)
  • Le Timonier (the helmsman)

L, continued

  • Le Tour du Monde (the trip around the world)
  • Le Tourmentin (the storm jib)
  • Le Tourteau (the brown crab)
  • Le Trois-Mâts (the three-master)
  • Le Vaurien (the rascal)
  • Le Vent en Poupe (wind astern)
  • Le Vieux Canal (the old canal)
  • Le Vieux Gréement (the classic sailing boat)
  • Le Vieux Port (the old harbor)
  • Le Voilier (the sailboat)
  • Le Youyou (the little dinghy)
  • Le Zénith (the zenith)
  • Légère Brise (light breeze)
  • Léontine
  • Les Açores (the Azores)

L, continued

  • Les Alizés (the trade winds)
  • Les Antilles (the West Indies)
  • Les Argonautes (the Argonauts)
  • Les Berges (the riverbanks)
  • Les Caraïbes (the Caribbean)
  • Les Copains d'Abord (friends first)
  • Les Deux Amis (the two friends)
  • Les Filles de La Rochelle (the girls of La Rochelle)
  • Les Glénan
  • Les Inséparables (the inseparables)
  • Les Marquises (the Marquesas)
  • Les Moutons (the whitecaps)
  • Les Nymphéas (the water lilies)
  • Les Pêcheurs de Perles (the pearl fishers)

L, continued

  • Les Petits-Enfants (the grandchildren)
  • Les Platanes (the plane trees)
  • Les Pléiades (the Pleiades)
  • Les Quatre Frères (the four brothers)
  • Les Quatre Vents (the four winds, Marcel Bardiaux's sloop)
  • Les Roseaux (the reeds)
  • Les Saintes
  • Les Sept Écluses (the seven locks)
  • Les Sorlingues (the Isles of Scilly)
  • Les Travailleurs de la Mer (the toilers of the sea)
  • Lever de Soleil (sunrise)
  • Liberté (freedom)
  • Libre Comme l'Air (free as the air)
  • Ligne d'Horizon (horizon line)
  • Lison

L, continued

  • Livre de Bord (logbook)
  • Loin de Tout (far from everything)
  • Loin du Bruit (far from the noise)
  • Longue Houle (long swell)
  • Longue-Vue (spyglass)
  • Lou Mistrau (the mistral, in Provençal)
  • Lou Pescadou (the fisherman, in Provençal)
  • Lou Soulèu (the sun, in Provençal)
  • Louise-Marie
  • Lueur (glow)
  • Lueur d'Espoir (glimmer of hope)
  • Lumière du Nord (northern light)
  • Lune Bleue (blue moon)
  • Lune Rousse (russet moon, the moon after Easter)
  • Luxe, Calme et Volupté (luxury, calm and delight)

M: 72 names

  • Ma Belle (my beauty)
  • Ma Chérie (my darling)
  • Ma Danseuse (my costly hobby)
  • Ma Douce (my sweet)
  • Ma Folie (my folly)
  • Ma Liberté (my freedom)
  • Ma Mie (my beloved)
  • Mademoiselle Rose (Miss Rose)
  • Maëlle
  • Magali
  • Maison sur l'Eau (house on the water)
  • Maître Après Dieu (master after God)
  • Mam'zelle Lili (Miss Lili)
  • Mamie Louise (Granny Louise)

M, continued

  • Manon
  • Manureva (Alain Colas's trimaran)
  • Marée Basse (low tide)
  • Marée d'Équinoxe (equinox tide)
  • Marée Descendante (ebb tide)
  • Marée Haute (high tide)
  • Marée Montante (rising tide)
  • Margot
  • Marguerite
  • Marie-Ange
  • Marie-Anne
  • Marie-Catherine
  • Marie-Claire
  • Marie-Françoise

M, continued

  • Marie-Hélène
  • Marie-Jeanne
  • Marie-Josèphe
  • Marie-Morgane (a sea fairy of Breton legend)
  • Marie-Noëlle
  • Marie-Reine
  • Marie-Rose
  • Marie-Yvonne
  • Marin d'Eau Douce (freshwater sailor)
  • Marinette
  • Marité (three-masted schooner, 1923)
  • Maryvonne
  • Mathilde
  • Matin Calme (calm morning)
  • Menthe à l'Eau (mint cordial with water)

M, continued

  • Mer Calme (calm sea)
  • Mer d'Huile (glassy sea)
  • Mer d'Iroise (the Iroise Sea, off western Brittany)
  • Mer de Corail (Coral Sea)
  • Mer et Soleil (sea and sun)
  • Mieux Vaut Tard Que Jamais (better late than never)
  • Mille-Feuille (thousand-leaf pastry)
  • Minot (kid, in Marseille)
  • Mireille
  • Miroir d'Eau (water mirror)
  • Mistral (the cold north wind of Provence)
  • Molène
  • Mon Amour (my love)
  • Mon Ange Gardien (my guardian angel)

M, continued

  • Mon Bijou (my jewel)
  • Mon Capitaine (my captain)
  • Mon Cœur (my heart)
  • Mon Étoile (my star)
  • Mon Havre de Paix (my haven of peace)
  • Mon Île (my island)
  • Mon Jardin Secret (my secret garden)
  • Mon Refuge (my refuge)
  • Mon Rêve (my dream)
  • Moorea
  • Morgane
  • Morte-Eau (neap tide)
  • Mouette Rieuse (black-headed gull)
  • Mouette Tridactyle (kittiwake)
  • Moules-Frites (mussels and fries)

N: 31 names

  • Nacre (mother-of-pearl)
  • Nautilus (Captain Nemo's submarine)
  • Ni Vu Ni Connu (unseen and unknown)
  • Noirmoutier
  • Nolwenn
  • Nord Vrai (true north)
  • Noroît (northwest wind)
  • Notre Rêve (our dream)
  • Notre-Dame de Bon Voyage
  • Notre-Dame de Bonne Espérance (Our Lady of Good Hope)

N, continued

  • Notre-Dame de Kerdévot
  • Notre-Dame de l'Espérance (Our Lady of Hope)
  • Notre-Dame de la Garde
  • Notre-Dame de la Joie
  • Notre-Dame de Lourdes
  • Notre-Dame de Penhors
  • Notre-Dame de Port-Blanc
  • Notre-Dame de Rocamadour
  • Notre-Dame des Anges (Our Lady of the Angels)
  • Notre-Dame des Naufragés (Our Lady of the Shipwrecked)

N, continued

  • Notre-Dame du Cap Lihou
  • Notre-Dame du Folgoët
  • Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel
  • Notre-Dame du Salut
  • Nœud de Chaise (bowline)
  • Nous Deux (the two of us)
  • Nouveau Départ (fresh start)
  • Nouvel Horizon (new horizon)
  • Nouvelle Lune (new moon)
  • Nuit d'Été (summer night)
  • Nuit Étoilée (starry night)

O: 13 names

  • Océan Bleu (blue ocean)
  • Odette
  • Oiseau Bleu (bluebird)
  • Oiseau de Mer (seabird)
  • Oiseau de Passage (bird of passage)
  • Oiseau du Large (bird of the open sea)
  • On Y Va (off we go)
  • Onde (wave)
  • Ongi Etorri (welcome, in Basque)
  • Opale (opal)
  • Orage d'Été (summer storm)
  • Ouessant
  • Œuf à la Coque (soft-boiled egg)

P: 68 names

  • P'tit Louis (little Louis)
  • Paimpol
  • Pain Perdu (French toast)
  • Paix sur la Mer (peace upon the sea)
  • Panache (flair)
  • Paré à Virer (ready about)
  • Parenthèse Enchantée (enchanted interlude)
  • Partie de Pêche (fishing trip)
  • Pas à Pas (step by step)
  • Passager Clandestin (stowaway)
  • Pays Bigouden (the Bigouden country)
  • Peau Bleue (blue shark)
  • Pêche à Pied (shore gathering at low tide)

P, continued

  • Pêche Miraculeuse (miraculous catch)
  • Peinard (laid-back)
  • Pen Duick (Éric Tabarly's yachts)
  • Penn ar Bed (end of the world, Breton for Finistère)
  • Pépère (cushy)
  • Père et Fils (father and son)
  • Perle du Port (pearl of the harbor)
  • Petit à Petit (little by little)
  • Petit Bonheur (small happiness)
  • Petit Jean (little Jean)
  • Petit Largue (close reach)
  • Petit Matin (early morning)
  • Petit Nuage (little cloud)
  • Petit Paradis (little paradise)

P, continued

  • Petite Brise (gentle breeze)
  • Petite Louise (little Louise)
  • Petite Marie (little Marie)
  • Petite Ourse (Little Bear)
  • Petite Sirène (little mermaid)
  • Petite Vitesse (low speed)
  • Peuchère (poor thing, a Provençal exclamation)
  • Phare d'Ar-Men (Ar-Men lighthouse)
  • Phare d'Eckmühl (Eckmühl lighthouse)
  • Phare de Cordouan (Cordouan lighthouse)
  • Phare de la Jument (La Jument lighthouse)
  • Pieds dans l'Eau (feet in the water)
  • Pique-Nique (picnic)

P, continued

  • Pitchoun (little one, in Provençal)
  • Plateau de Fruits de Mer (seafood platter)
  • Plein Ouest (due west)
  • Plein Sud (due south)
  • Pleine Lune (full moon)
  • Pleine Mer (high water)
  • Pluie d'Été (summer rain)
  • Pluie d'Étoiles (shower of stars)
  • Plume au Vent (feather in the wind)
  • Pointe du Raz
  • Pointe Saint-Mathieu
  • Poisson d'Avril (April fool)
  • Poisson Volant (flying fish)
  • Poisson-Lune (sunfish)

P, continued

  • Poisson-Pilote (pilot fish)
  • Pomme d'Amour (candy apple)
  • Pont de Mai (long weekend in May)
  • Porquerolles
  • Port d'Attache (home port)
  • Poséidon (Poseidon)
  • Pot au Noir (the doldrums)
  • Pourquoi-Pas ? (why not?, Charcot's polar ship)
  • Poussière d'Étoiles (stardust)
  • Premier Amour (first love)
  • Première Lueur (first light)
  • Prendre le Large (heading for the open sea)
  • Près Serré (close-hauled)
  • Princesse des Mers (princess of the seas)

Q: 5 names

  • Quarantièmes Rugissants (Roaring Forties)
  • Quart de Nuit (night watch)
  • Quatre Saisons (four seasons)
  • Qui Vivra Verra (time will tell)
  • Quiétude (quiet)

R: 33 names

  • Raie Manta (manta ray)
  • Rayon de Lune (moonbeam)
  • Rayon de Soleil (ray of sunshine)
  • Raz Blanchard (the Alderney Race)
  • Récif (reef)
  • Reflet (reflection)
  • Reflet d'Argent (silver reflection)
  • Reine de Bretagne (queen of Brittany)
  • Reine des Anges (queen of the angels)
  • Reine des Flots (queen of the waves)
  • Reine des Prés (meadowsweet)

R, continued

  • Reine du Ciel (queen of heaven)
  • Reine du Port (queen of the harbor)
  • Requin Pèlerin (basking shark)
  • Résidence Secondaire (vacation home)
  • Ressac (backwash)
  • Retour au Port (return to port)
  • Retour de Pêche (back from fishing)
  • Retraite Heureuse (happy retirement)
  • Rêve Bleu (blue dream)
  • Rêve de Gosse (childhood dream)
  • Rêverie (daydream)

R, continued

  • Ria d'Étel
  • Rien ne Presse (no hurry)
  • Rien Sans Peine (nothing without effort)
  • Rive Droite (right bank)
  • Rive Gauche (left bank)
  • Roscoff
  • Rose de Mai (May rose)
  • Rose des Sables (desert rose)
  • Rose des Vents (compass rose)
  • Rose-Anne
  • Rozenn

S: 57 names

  • Sable Blanc (white sand)
  • Saint-Barth
  • Saint-Budoc
  • Saint-Cado
  • Saint-Christophe
  • Saint-Clément
  • Saint-Efflam
  • Saint-Gildas
  • Saint-Goustan
  • Saint-Guirec
  • Saint-Hervé
  • Saint-Malo
  • Saint-Mathieu
  • Saint-Maudez

S, continued

  • Saint-Michel (Jules Verne's yachts)
  • Saint-Nicolas
  • Saint-Pierre
  • Saint-Ronan
  • Saint-Samson
  • Saint-Tudy
  • Saint-Tugdual
  • Sainte-Anne d'Auray
  • Sainte-Anne-la-Palud
  • Sainte-Bernadette
  • Sainte-Geneviève
  • Sainte-Hélène
  • Sainte-Lucie
  • Sainte-Marine

S, continued

  • Sainte-Rose
  • Sans Attache (no ties)
  • Sans Hâte (unhurried)
  • Sans Rancune (no hard feelings)
  • Sans Regret (no regrets)
  • Sans Souci (carefree)
  • Santé (cheers)
  • Santiano (a French sea shanty)
  • Saphir (sapphire)
  • Seconde Chance (second chance)
  • Sel de Mer (sea salt)
  • Septième Vague (seventh wave)
  • Sérénité (serenity)
  • Seuil de Naurouze (the summit of the Canal du Midi)

S, continued

  • Seul Maître à Bord (sole master on board)
  • Sindbad le Marin (Sinbad the Sailor)
  • Sirocco (the hot wind from the Sahara)
  • Six à l'Heure (six kilometers an hour)
  • Soif d'Aventure (thirst for adventure)
  • Soizic
  • Soleil de Minuit (midnight sun)
  • Solenn
  • Solstice d'Été (summer solstice)
  • Songe (dream)
  • Sous les Étoiles (under the stars)
  • Sous Spi (under spinnaker)
  • Sur un Nuage (on a cloud)
  • Suroît (southwest wind, also the sou'wester hat)
  • Suzanne

T: 38 names

  • Tahiti
  • Tant Pis (too bad)
  • Tante Jeanne (Aunt Jeanne)
  • Tarte Tatin (upside-down apple tart)
  • Tatihou
  • Tel Père, Tel Fils (like father, like son)
  • Temps Clair (clear weather)
  • Temps Libre (free time)
  • Tenir Bon (hold fast)
  • Terre Adélie (Adélie Land)
  • Terre en Vue (land ho)
  • Terre-Neuve (Newfoundland)

T, continued

  • Thon Rouge (bluefin tuna)
  • Tifenn
  • Tire-Bouchon (corkscrew)
  • Tombée de la Nuit (nightfall)
  • Tonnerre de Brest (an old sailors' oath)
  • Tonton Marcel (Uncle Marcel)
  • Tortue de Mer (sea turtle)
  • Tortue Luth (leatherback turtle)
  • Toue Cabanée (Loire cabin boat)
  • Toujours Content (always content)
  • Toujours Plus Loin (ever farther)
  • Toujours Tu Chériras la Mer (you will always love the sea)
  • Tous Ensemble (all together)

T, continued

  • Tous Pour Un (all for one)
  • Tout Doux (easy does it)
  • Tout Est Bien (all is well)
  • Tout le Monde à Bord (all aboard)
  • Tout Vient à Point (all in good time)
  • Toutes Voiles Dehors (all sails set)
  • Tramontane (the north wind of Languedoc and Roussillon)
  • Tranquillou (nice and easy)
  • Treizième Mois (thirteenth-month bonus)
  • Tri Martolod (three sailors, a Breton song)
  • Tribord Amures (on starboard tack)
  • Trois Nœuds (three knots)
  • Trou dans l'Eau (hole in the water)

U: 1 name

  • Un Pour Tous (one for all)

V: 32 names

  • Va Toujours (ever onward)
  • Vacances à la Mer (seaside vacation)
  • Val de Loire (Loire Valley)
  • Valparaiso
  • Vendredi Treize (Friday the 13th, a 1972 racing schooner)
  • Venise Verte (Green Venice, the Marais Poitevin)
  • Vent Contraire (headwind)
  • Vent d'Est (east wind)
  • Vent de Folie (wind of madness)
  • Vent de Liberté (wind of freedom)

V, continued

  • Vent de Travers (beam wind)
  • Vent du Nord (north wind)
  • Vent du Sud (south wind)
  • Vent Favorable (fair wind)
  • Vent Frais (strong breeze)
  • Vent Portant (following wind)
  • Vénus (the planet Venus)
  • Vert d'Eau (sea green)
  • Vert Émeraude (emerald green)
  • Vie de Rêve (dream life)
  • Vieil Océan (old ocean)

V, continued

  • Vingt Mille Lieues (twenty thousand leagues)
  • Vire au Guindeau (heave at the windlass)
  • Virée (jaunt)
  • Virement de Bord (going about)
  • Vive la Vie (long live life)
  • Vive le Vent (long live the wind)
  • Vive-Eau (spring tide)
  • Vogue la Galère (come what may)
  • Voie Lactée (Milky Way)
  • Voile Blanche (white sail)
  • Vouloir C'est Pouvoir (where there's a will there's a way)

W: 1 name

  • Week-End Prolongé (long weekend)

Y: 3 names

  • Yec'hed Mat (cheers, in Breton)
  • Yves et Marie (Yves and Marie)
  • Yvonne

Z: 2 names

  • Zen (calm)
  • Zéphyr (gentle west wind)