French

To the rest of the world, the French spell sophistication and grace. The French have long with been considered one of the most classy, intelligent and culturally rich people. And why wouldn’t they be? After all France has been the center of western cultural development from centuries. Who can beat the French when it comes to the fine arts? Artists like Jean Fouquet, Claude Monet and Auguste Renoir revolutionized the world of painting by developing newer styles. France’s contribution to literature and poetry has also been immense; the French have the distinction of having won the maximum number of the Nobel Prize for literature.

Vote For Your Favourite French Personality

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 1 
Kylian Mbappé
(French Football Forward - Considered One of the Best Players in the World)
Kylian Mbappé
191
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 20, 1998
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 2 
Emma Watson
(Actress and Activist Best Known for Her Role of 'Hermione Granger' in the 'Harry Potter' Film Series)
Emma Watson
324
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: April 15, 1990
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 3 
Napoleon Bonaparte
(Emperor of the French (1804-1814))
Napoleon Bonaparte
134
Birthdate: August 15, 1769
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Ajaccio, France
Died: May 5, 1821
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
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 4 
Marie Curie
(The First Woman to Win a Nobel Prize)
Marie Curie
114
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: November 7, 1867
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland
Died: July 4, 1934
 5 
Zinedine Zidane
(French Professional Football Manager and Former Player Who Played as an Attacking Midfielder)
Zinedine Zidane
58
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: June 23, 1972
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: La Castellane, Marseille, France
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 6 
André the Giant
(French Professional Wrestler Known for His Great Size)
André the Giant
109
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 19, 1946
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Coulommiers, France
Died: January 27, 1993
Height: 7'4" (224 cm)
 7 
Paul Pogba
(French Professional Football Midfielder)
Paul Pogba
127
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 15, 1993
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Lagny-sur-Marne, France
Height: 6'3" (190 cm)
 8 
Eva Green
(Actress and Model Known for Her Independent Films: ‘Cracks’, ‘Womb’, and ‘Perfect Sense’)
Eva Green
58
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: July 6, 1980
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 9 
Antoine Griezmann
(French Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Forward)
Antoine Griezmann
102
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 21, 1991
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mâcon, France
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 10 
Karim Benzema
(French Professional Football Player Who Plays as a Striker)
Karim Benzema
53
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 19, 1987
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lyon, France
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 11 
Thierry Henry
(Former French Professional Football Player, Coach and One of the Greatest Strikers of All Time)
Thierry Henry
40
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: August 17, 1977
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Les Ulis, France
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 12 
Charlemagne
(1st Emperor of the Romans from 800 to 814)
Charlemagne
50
Birthdate: April 2, 0747
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Aachen, Germany
Died: January 28, 0814
 13 
Vanessa Paradis
(Singer, Model and Actress)
Vanessa Paradis
42
Birthdate: December 22, 1972
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, France
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 14 
Léa Seydoux
(Actress and Model Best Known for Her Role as ‘Junie’ in the Film ‘The Beautiful Person’)
Léa Seydoux
58
Birthdate: July 1, 1985
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Passy, Paris, France
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 15 
Coco Chanel
(French Fashion Designer Best Known as the Founder of 'Chanel' and Her Signature Perfume ‘Chanel No. 5’)
Coco Chanel
39
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: August 19, 1883
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Saumur, France
Died: January 10, 1971
 16 
N'Golo Kante
(French Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Defensive Midfielder)
N'Golo Kante
46
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: March 29, 1991
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 17 
Marion Cotillard
(French Actress Best Known for Her Films: 'La Vie en Rose' and 'Two Days, One Night')
Marion Cotillard
30
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: September 30, 1975
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 18 
William the Conqueror
(Former King of England (1066 - 1087))
William the Conqueror
31
Birthdate: 1028 AD
Birthplace: Falaise, France
Died: September 9, 1087
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 19 
Olivier Giroud
(French Professional Football Player Who Plays as a Striker)
Olivier Giroud
41
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 30, 1986
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Chambéry, France
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 20 
Olga Kurylenko
(Ukrainian-French Actress Who Portrayed the Role of Bond Girl in the James Bond Film 'Quantum of Solace')
Olga Kurylenko
66
Listed In: Fashion
Birthdate: November 14, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Berdyans'k, Ukraine
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 21 
Catherine de' Medici
(Queen Consort of France (1547 - 1559))
Catherine de' Medici
25
Birthdate: April 13, 1519
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Florence, Italy
Died: January 5, 1589
 22 
Anthony Martial
(French Professional Football Player Who Plays as a Forward)
Anthony Martial
46
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: December 5, 1995
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Massy, France
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 23 
Voltaire
(French Historian and Philosopher Known for His Wit and His Pointed Social Critique)
Voltaire
20
Birthdate: November 21, 1694
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: May 30, 1778
 24 
René Déscartes
(French Philosopher, Mathematician and Inventor of ‘Analytic Geometry’)
René Déscartes
21
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: March 31, 1596
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Descartes, France
Died: February 11, 1650
 25 
Charles de Gaulle
(Former French President & Army Officer Who Led 'Free France' against Nazi Germany in World War II)
Charles de Gaulle
19
Listed In: Leaders
Birthdate: November 22, 1890
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lille, France
Died: November 9, 1970
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 26 
Francis Ngannou
(Cameroonian-French Professional Mixed Martial Artist)
Francis Ngannou
21
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: September 5, 1986
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Batié, Cameroon Batié, Cameroon
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 27 
Claude Monet
(French Painter and Founder of 'Impressionism')
Claude Monet
28
Birthdate: November 14, 1840
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: December 5, 1926
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 28 
Brigitte Bardot
(French Actress and Singer Known for Her Films: ‘And God Created Woman’ and ‘Viva Maria!’)
Brigitte Bardot
27
Listed In: Activists
Birthdate: September 28, 1934
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 29 
Ousmane Dembele
(French Professional Footballer Who Plays as a Winger)
Ousmane Dembele
27
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 15, 1997
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vernon, Eure Vernon, France
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 30 
Napoleon III
(President of France from 1848 to 1852 and Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870)
Napoleon III
35
Birthdate: April 20, 1808
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: January 9, 1873
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 31 
Victor Hugo
(French Writer of the Romantic Movement Best Known for His Novel 'Les Misérables' and Play 'Ruy Blas')
Victor Hugo
26
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 26, 1802
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Besançon, Doubs, France
Died: May 22, 1885
 32 
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
(Philosopher, Writer, & Composer Whose Political Philosophy Influenced the Progress of the Age of Enlightenment)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
27
Birthdate: June 28, 1712
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Geneva, Switzerland
Died: July 2, 1778
 33 
Albert Camus
(Philosopher & Novelist)
Albert Camus
27
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: November 7, 1913
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Drean, Algeria
Died: January 4, 1960
 34 
Louis XVI of France
(King of France)
Louis XVI of France
25
Birthdate: August 23, 1754
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Palace of Versailles, Versailles, France
Died: January 21, 1793
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 35 
Louis Pasteur
(French Chemist and Microbiologist Who Discovered the Principles of Vaccination, Microbial Fermentation and Pasteurization)
Louis Pasteur
22
Listed In: Scientists
Birthdate: December 27, 1822
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Dole, France
Died: September 28, 1895
 36 
Louis XIV of France
(King of France from 1643 to 1715)
Louis XIV of France
26
Birthdate: September 5, 1638
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Died: September 1, 1715
 37 
Eric Cantona
(One of the Greatest Footballers of His Generation)
Eric Cantona
40
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 24, 1966
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Marseille, France
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 38 
Josephine Baker
(First Black Woman to Star in a Major Motion Picture, the 1927 Silent Film 'Siren of the Tropics')
Josephine Baker
35
Birthdate: June 3, 1906
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Died: April 12, 1975
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 39 
Tony Parker
(French-American Professional Basketball Player Who Plays as a Point Guard)
Tony Parker
26
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: May 17, 1982
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bruges, Belgium
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 40 
Mélanie Laurent
(Known for Her Performance in ‘Now You See Me’ and ‘Inglourious Basterds’)
Mélanie Laurent
19
Birthdate: February 21, 1983
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'2" (157 cm)
 41 
David Guetta
(French DJ and Music Producer Known for His Singles ‘Gettin' Over You’ and ‘When Love Takes Over’)
David Guetta
18
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: November 7, 1967
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Paris, France
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 42 
Edith Piaf
(French Singer and One of Country's Most Widely Known International Stars)
Edith Piaf
33
Listed In: Singers
Birthdate: December 19, 1915
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: October 11, 1963
Height: 4'10" (147 cm)
 43 
Jules Verne
(French Author Who Was One of the Pioneers of the Modern Science Fiction Genre)
Jules Verne
9
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: February 8, 1828
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Nantes, France
Died: March 24, 1905
 44 
Alexandre Dumas
(One of the Most Popular and Widely Read French Authors of the 19th Century)
Alexandre Dumas
12
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: July 24, 1802
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Villers-Cotterêts, France
Died: December 5, 1870
 45 
Jean-Paul Sartre
(Novelist, Playwright, & Philosopher)
Jean-Paul Sartre
20
Listed In: Writers
Birthdate: June 21, 1905
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Paris, France
Died: April 15, 1980
 46 
Jean Reno
(French Actor Who has Worked in American, French, English, Japanese, Spanish and Italian Movie Productions)
Jean Reno
9
Birthdate: July 30, 1948
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Casablanca, Morocco
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 47 
Franck Ribéry
(One of the Best Football Players of His Generation)
Franck Ribéry
11
Listed In: Sportspersons
Birthdate: April 7, 1983
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Boulogne-sur-Mer, France
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 48 
Kristin Scott Thomas
(Character actor, Stage actor, Film actor)
Kristin Scott Thomas
15
Birthdate: May 24, 1960
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Redruth
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 49 
Claude Debussy
(French Impressionist Composer Best Known for His Opera 'Pelléas et Mélisande')
Claude Debussy
14
Listed In: Musicians
Birthdate: August 22, 1862
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Died: March 25, 1918
 50 
Henry IV of France
(King of France from 1589 to 1610)
Henry IV of France
23
Birthdate: December 13, 1553
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Pau, France
Died: May 14, 1610

French writers like Albert Camus and Jean Paul Sartre were more than just authors of famous novels; they were distinguished philosophers in their own right. Even our children ought to be grateful to the French for giving them fairytales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Puss in Boots. Cinema was created by two Frenchmen, two Frenchmen, Auguste and Louis Lumière and today France is a leader in filmmaking. The French have also left indelible marks on the fields of medicine, fashion, architecture and sports. Aren’t you intrigued to learn more about the French? Browse on to discover many more fascinating details about the famous people of France.