Category Archives: French Names

Maxander, Maxandre

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Maxander and Maxandre are post-modern inventions that remix the classic strengths of Max and Alexander/ Alexandre into something sleek and new. They carry all the familiarity of ancient hero names but with a sharp, contemporary edge — perfect for parents who want recognizability with originality.

Maxander is a Brazilian Portuguese name while Maxandre is a recent newcomer among more creative French parents. Maxandre appeared in the top 900 boys’ names in France in 2015.

In France, it first appeared in the top 900 boys’ names in 1991. As of 2024, 779 people in France had this as a given-name.

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Zayla, Zeila

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Zeila, Somaliland, courtesy of Wikipedia
  • Origin: Unknown
  • Gender: Female
  • First Est. 1600s
  • ZAY-lah

From the transferred use of the place-name, Zayla, sometimes transliterated as Zeila is the name of a port city in Somalia. The meaning of the place-name is unknown.

Zeila and Zéïla appear speckled throughout 18th-century Francophone records in France, Haiti and Louisiana. It also appears in use in Portugal. In this case, it may have been an alternate form of the French, Zélie or a typo for Celia.

There are records showing sporadic use in the Anglosphere starting in the 1900s.

In recent years, it is likely used as a more exotic sounding form of other popular names, such as Kayla and Shayla.

Zayla has appeared in the U.S. Top 1000 Most Popular Female Names since 2021. As of 2024, it was the 993rd most popular female name in the United States.

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