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Marie Lanen
Head of parenting sections (baby, pregnancy, family), psychology and beauty
12th most popular male first name in France since 2000, it is given to nearly one in 110 boys today. Doctissimo tells you all about this Celtic first name.
From Celtic arzhwhich means “bear”, a legendary figure in medieval literature, Arthur is one of the first Celtic first names to have spread in France. Doctissimo tells you everything about one of the favorite male first names of the French.
Arthur, a flourishing career from the 6th century
According to the authors of the book L’Officiel des Prénoms (First Editions), the name Arthur was nourished by numerous folk tales from the 6th century. The popularity of the name grew in Brittany before conquering the whole of Gaul. Its career flourished in England and France, where it spread until the end of the Middle Ages. In the 19th century, Arthur was reborn in English-speaking countries, but it struggled to resurface in France, despite the momentum given by Arthur Rimbaud. However, its perseverance bore fruit in 2007, the year it broke into the French top 20. Today, it still figures among the 10 favorite first names of parents, in Paris as in the whole of France.
On the historical side, everyone knows the legend of Arthur. King of the Bretons, he repelled the Anglo-Saxon armies that tried to invade Brittany. His exploits, recounted in the 12th century by Chrétien de Troyes, make him one of the most famous knights of the Romances of the Round Table. Other famous personalities bear this royal first name: Arthur Schopenhauer, German philosopher, Arthur Rimbaud, French poet, Arthur Conan Doyle, writer and author of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Rubinstein, American pianist, or Arthur Miller, famous American playwright.
Great popularity in France
If the name Arthur is one of the favorite names of the French, in terms of statistics, there is no doubt. Indeed, it is the 12th most given boy’s name in France since the year 2000. Arthur is thus given to nearly one boy in 110 today. Currently, 117,000 people have this name in France, it is part of the top 50 most given names in French maternity wards! Some future parents could also prefer one of its three variants: Arthaud, Artur or Arturo.
Finally, on the characterology side, we attribute to the little Arthurs energy, discovery, audacity, originality and organization. We celebrate the Arthurs on November 15.
Slideshow: French first names for boys: the top masculine names