Several French names beginning with the letter ‘V’ are related to the third verb of the famous Latin phrase “Veni, vidi, vici”, attributed to Julius Caesar.
The first two verbs, which mean “I came” and “I saw,” are rather commonplace and haven't inspired many names. But the third verb, which here would be translated as “I conquered”, but more broadly means “to win”, has given rise to several male names like Vincent and Victor, as well as female names like Victoire and Victorine.
Valérie is a French girl’s name derived from the Latin name Valeria, possibly related to the Latin verb “valere”, meaning strength and worthiness.
In French, the corresponding male name is Valéry, which is pronounced the same, the difference being only in the spelling.
The female form, Valérie, is much more common than the male form although there was a French president with that name (Valéry Giscard d'Estaing).
Véronique is a French female name that corresponds to the name Veronica found in English. Véronique and Bérénice are names that have the same origin; they both originate from the ancient Greek word “Pherenike”, which translates to “bringer of victory”.
Viviane is a French girl’s name that comes from the Latin term “vivere” which means “to live”. It has the same origin as the French word “vivant” which means “alive”.
In Arthurian legends, a fairy named Viviane (also known as the Lady of the Lake) plays important roles including giving King Arthur the legendary sword Excalibur and mentoring Lancelot du Lac after the loss of his father and castle.
Victoire —a French name with a triumphant aura— is a capitalized form of the French word for “victory”. In English, the corresponding name is Victoria; both originate from the Latin term “victoria” meaning victory.
To English speakers, Virginie is a French name that sounds familiar because it corresponds to the English name Virginia. Both originate from Latin, where the original —spelled Verginia— is featured in an ancient Roman story that inspired Botticelli's Italian Renaissance painting titled “The Story of Virginia”.
In English, Valentine is both a male and a female name —although it is perhaps more often given to boys. In French, however, Valentine is exclusively used as a female name; and the corresponding French male name is Valentin.
This name has a romantic feel due to its connection with Valentine's Day, a celebration known in French as “le jour de la Saint-Valentin”.
Here are some rarer French girl names that start with the letter ‘V’:
Here is a list of French surnames that start with the letter ‘v’: