Famous French People
This page introduces famous French people for Kids, from history, arts, science and sports as one way to learn about France and its culture.
France has been home to many remarkable people who have changed history through their courage, creativity and talents. From brave leaders and famous artists to brilliant scientists, explorers, writers and sporting heroes, these inspiring people have helped shape France and influenced the world.
Famous French People: Who do you recognise?Napoleon Bonaparte, Joan of Arc and King Louis XIV, the famous "Sun King", are just a few of the well-known figures you will discover on this page.
Learn about the achievements of France's greatest minds, inventors, artists and explorers and find out how their ideas, inventions and achievements continue to inspire people today.
Ready to meet the people who helped shape France? Let's begin!
Famous French
People in History
Meet some of France's greatest historical figures, including Charlemagne, Joan of Arc, Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis XIV and Charles de Gaulle. Their courage, leadership and achievements helped shape the history of France and Europe.
1. Charlemagne or Charles the Great:
CharlemagneCharlemagne (747 - 814) is known as the King of the Franks, a people that lived then in huge area that reached from Thuringia (in today's Germany) to the Atlantic coast in France. In 800 was made the "Emperor of the Romans" by the Pope in Rome. Charlemagne united large parts of Western and Central Europe and thus is often referred to as the "Father of Europe". His imperial residence was in Aachen, in present-day Germany, where his tomb is located in the city's cathedral.
2. King Louis XIV:
Louis XIVKing Louis XIV (1638 – 1715), also known as Louis Quatorze (Louis the Fourteenth) and the "Sun King" ("le roi soleil" in French). He reigned over 72 years in France and is considered the longest ruling monarch in European history. During his reign, France became the leading power on the European continent. Three major wars took place during his rule and most French protestants (Huguenots) fled the country after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685.
3. King Louis XVI:
Louis XVIKing Louis XVI (1754 - 1793), Louis Seize or Louis the Sixteenth, was the last king of France before the French Revolution. In 1789 the French people rose up against the king inspired by the idea of "liberté, égalité, fraternité" (liberty, equality, fraternity). The French Revolution transformed France from an absolute monarchy to a republic and helped change the course of European history!
4. Napoleon Bonaparte:
NapoleonNapoleon Bonaparte (1769 - 1821) was a brilliant French military leader who rose to power during the French Revolution. He proclaimed himself the first 'Emperor of the French' in 1804 and led France through many battles and wars which are also referred to as 'Napoleonic Wars' that reshared Europe. After his defeat, Napoleon was sent on exile to the Italian island of Elba in 1814. There he escaped soon after and took control over France again. He led the French in another war but when he lost in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was sent to the remote Atlantic Ocean island of Saint Helena, where he died in 1821.
5. Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc):
Jeanne d'ArcJeanne d'Arc (1412 - 1431) is considered one of France's greatest national heroines. She is known for her role in the Hundred Years War between France and England. The 'Maid of Orleans' led the French to the first major victory against the English in the Siege of Orleans. Wearing military armour, Jeanne d'Arc encouraged French soldiers and became a symbol of courage and determination. She also showed support of the poor people distributing food to them. After she was captured by her enemies, she was burnt at the stake in 1431 and was later declared a saint by the Roman Catholic church.
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French French People
Inventors and Explorers
Discover how Gustave Eiffel, Louis Braille, Jacques Cartier, the Montgolfier Brothers, the Lumière Brothers and Pierre de Coubertin changed the world through their inventions, discoveries and explorations.
1. Gustaffe Eiffel:
Gustave EiffelGustave Eiffel (1832 - 1922) is the French architect and engineer who designed the Eiffel tower which was built for the 1889 World's Fair (Exposition Universelle) in Paris. He also helped with the design of the iron framework and construction of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour.
2. Jacques Cartier:
Jacques Cartier (1491 - 1557) was a French navigator and explorer. He set sail from France in 1534 in search of a north west passage to Asia, but instead reached the coast of present-day Canada! At first, Cartier believed he had reached part of Asia, but he later realised he had discovered lands previously unknown to Europeans, Newfoundland! He undertook three voyages to find the passage but he never succeeded in this endeavour. Cartier was one of the first Europeans to explore and map the St Lawrence River and helped France establish settlements in North America.
3. Pierre de Coubertin:
Pierre de Coubertin (1863 - 1937) is regarded as the 'father' and initiator of the modern Olympic Games. He was a French educator who wanted to revive the Olympic Games and the first modern Olympics that were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Read more about the Olympics here.
4. The Montgolfier Brothers:
Montgolfier Brother's balloonThe brothers Joseph-Michel Montgolfier (1740 - 1810) and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier (1745 - 1799) were the first to create and fly a hot-air balloon over Paris. In 1783, they carried out the first manned hot-air balloon flight over France. This was an important milestone in the history of aviation.
5. The Lumière Brothers:
The brothers Auguste Lumière (1862 - 1954) and Louis (1864 - 1948) built a "cinematograph" which was a machine that could record, develop and project films. This cinematograph was used for showing the first modern motion pictures. The brothers launched the World's public film screenings first modern motion pictures and paid movies in Paris in 1895. This was the start of the modern film industry!
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Famous French
Scientists
Learn about famous French scientists such as Louis Pasteur, Antoine Lavoisier, Henri Becquerel, Marie Curie and Esther Duflo, whose discoveries transformed medicine, chemistry, physics and economics.
1. Louis Braille:
Louis Braille (1809 - 1852) invented "Braille", the writing and reading system used by blind or sight impaired people. The Braille alphabet uses little dots that represent the letters. As a young boy Braille had lost his eyesight, he experimented and improved the writing system while he was still a teenager and later he became a teacher, musician and researcher.
Alphabet in Braille code2. Louis Pasteur:
Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895), a famous French microbiologist and chemist developed the first successful rabies vaccine. He is often referred to as one of the "founders of microbiology" and he discovered that treating milk with mild heat helped prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. This process is used around the world today and called "pasteurisation".
3. Marie Curie:
Marie CurieMarie Curie (1867 - 1934) was a scientist and the first female ever who received the Nobel Prize. In 1903, she received it for the research in radioactivity she made together with her physicist husband Pierre Curie (1859 - 1906) and Henri Becquerel. They were the first to provide evidence for radiation. Although many refer to Marie Curie as one of the most famous French scientists, she was Polish by birth and naturalised in France later in life. Her full maiden name is Maria Salome Skłodowska. Even when becoming a citizen of France, she still kept her Polish citizenship. In 1911, she won a second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry. She was the first person ever to receive two Nobel Prizes in different scientific fields!
4. Henri Becquerel:
Henri Becquerel (1852 - 1908) was a scientist who discovered radioactivity by studying the behaviour of uranium. The scientific unit for radioactivity is "becquerel" (Bq) and is named in his honour.
5. Antoine Lavoisier:
Antoine Lavoisier (1743 - 1794) was one of the founders of modern chemistry. He helped identify and name two important elements of the periodic table: oxygen, and hydrogen and he was the first to find out that sulfur is an element rather than a compound. He is known for the creation of the Law of Conservation of Mass which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed during a chemical reaction.
Famous French
Artists, Painters and Sculptors
Explore the colourful world of French art with Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin and Auguste Rodin, whose masterpieces are admired around the world.
1. Paul Cézanne:
'Basket of Apples' by CézannePaul Cézanne (1839 - 1906) was a French painter best known for his paintings of landscapes, portraits and still-life paintings. One of his most famous works is "The Basket of Apples". His style inspired many modern artists including Pablo Picasso.
2. Auguste Rodin:
"The Thinker" by Auguste RodinAuguste Rodin (1840 - 1917) was one of France's greatest sculptors. One of this most famous works is the bronze sculpture 'The Thinker'. This is one of the most famous statues in the world and can be seen in Paris.
3. Claude Monet:
Claude Monet (1840 - 1926), is considered the founder of the "French Impressionism". This art movement captured the changing effects of light and colour. Monet painted mainly landscapes and gardens. One source for his most famous paintings is the waterlily pond in his garden in Giverny, where he lived until his death in 1926.
Learn in this short video more about "What is Impressionism" (source: Tate for Kids)
4. Pierre-Auguste Renoir:
'Dance at Bougival' by RenoirPierre-Auguste Renoir (1841 - 1919) was a major French impressionist painter who iss known for the use of pastel colours that nevertheless are vibrant and for his use of light. His paintings depict snapshots of real life such as the scenes in the parks, by the river Seine, in gardens and at dances.
5. Henri Matisse:
Matisse's "Icarus"Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954) was a French painter, sculptor, printmaker and illustrator. He is especially famous for his colourful artworks made with paper cut-outs. He himself called his technique "painting with scissors".
6. Paul Gaugin:
"Nafea faa ipoipo" by GauginPaul Gaugin (1848 - 1903) was a French painter, sculptor and ceramics artist and is most known for his colourful paintings. His work was influenced by his many travels to places such as Martinique, Panama and Tahiti. Gaugin also was a friend of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh. One of Gauguin's paintings called "Nafea Faa Ipoipo? (When Will You Marry?)" became one of the most expensive paintings ever sold when it was reportedly purchased for about US$300 million in 2015.
Famous French
Authors, Writers and Thinkers
Meet France's famous writers, including Jules Verne, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre. Their stories and ideas have inspired millions of readers for generations.
1. Jules Verne:
Jules Verne (1828 - 1905) was a French novelist, poet, author and playwright. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of science fiction writing and is best known for his adventure stories such as "Around the World in 80 days" or "20,000 Leagues under the Seas" and "Journey to the Centre of the Earth".
2. Albert Camus:
Albert CamusAlbert Camus (1913 - 1960) was a French writer, journalist and philosopher who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957 when he was 44 years old. He is one of the youngest Nobel Prize winners that ever have received this award. His novels and essays mainly explored ideas about justice, freedom and the meaning of life.
3. Simone de Beauvoir:
Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986) was a French philosopher, writer and novelist. She was a leading feminist thinker and won several literary awards. De Beauvoir was the lifelong partner of the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. Her influential book The Second Sex helped inspire the modern women's rights movement.
4. Jean-Paul Sartre:
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 - 1980) was a famous French philosopher, novelist and playwright, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964. However, Sartre declined the prize as he believed writers should remain independent of official awards.
Esther Duflo5. Esther Duflo:
Esther Duflo (born in 1972) is a renowned economist and university professor who researches development and focuses on reducing global poverty. She received the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 2019 for her pioneering works on finding ways to improve the lives of people in developing countries. She is one of the youngest people ever to receive the Nobel Prize!
Famous French
Sportspeople
France has produced many sporting legends, including football star Kylian Mbappé, cyclist Bernard Hinault, tennis champions René Lacoste and Amélie Mauresmo, basketball player Evan Fournier and Olympic judoka Clarisse Agbegnenou.
1. René Lacoste:
René LacosteRené Lacoste (1904 - 1996), nicknamed "Crocodile" or "Tennis-machine", was one of the most famous French tennis players. He started playing tennis at the age of 15 years and became famous for his determination and careful preparation. He trained very hard while also keeping daily notes of his opponent's strength and weaknesses. After retiring from tennis, he co-founded the Lacoste clothing company. One of their most well-known clothing item is the short-sleeved tennis shirt with the famous crocodile logo.
2. Bernard Hinault:
Bernard Hinault (born in 1954) is one of the most famous French cyclists who won the Tour de France five times in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985. He was very strong in athletics as a child, but only got his first own bike when he turned 15!
3. Kylian Mbappé:
Kylian Mbappé (born in 1998) is a forward soccer player in the French national team and one of the world's best footballers. In the 2026 Soccer World Cup he was the top goalscorer and won the Golden Boot award for his 10 goals in the tournament. He also helped France win the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
4. Amélie Mauresmo:
Amélie Mauresmo (born in 1979) is a former world No. 1 tennis player and two-time Grand Slam champion. She started playing tennis at the tender age of four years, after watching her sports idol Yannick Noah (born 1960) win the French Open in 1983. Yannick Noah is father of Joakim Noah (1985), a former NBA Basketball player.
5. Evan Fournier:
Evan Fournier (born in 1992) is one of the most famous basketball players who played in both the NBA and Europe. He has represented France at several Olympic Games and international championships and won several medals with the French national team.
6. Clarisse Agbegnenou:
Clarisse Agbegnenou (born in 1992) is one of the best French judokas and was one of the French flag bearers at the Tokyo Olympics and as one of her most recent successes, she was third placed in the last Olympic Games in Tokio. The daughter of Togolese parents is a multiple-time World Champion and won five Olympic medals in the last three Olympics!
Famous French
Composers and Musicians
Listen to the music of famous French composers such as Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy and Hector Berlioz, and discover singers including Édith Piaf, Jean-Jacques Goldman and David Guetta.
Maurice Ravel1. Maurice Ravel:
Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937) is one of the most famous French composers. He was a skilful pianist and created one of the most frequently performed pieces of classical music, the famous 'Boléro'. Listen to this wonderful piece here.
2. Hector Berlioz:
Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869) was a French composer and conductor of the Romantic Period and is known for his symphonies and works such as the "Symphonie fantastique" and his opera "Les Troyens" (The Trojans).
3. Claude Debussy:
Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918) was a French composer, who was very interested in musical approaches which were 'non-Western'. He was fascinated by musical traditions from around the world and especially liked Indonesian gamelan music which includes gongs and metallophones. Among his many compositions are "Clair de Lune", "Mazurka" and "La Mer".
Edith Piaf4. Édith Piaf:
Édith Piaf (1915 - 1963) was a famous French singer and songwriter. She grew up in some very poor circumstances and was lovingly nicknamed "Little Sparrow", for her lovely voice and her small height of 142 cm/ 4 ft 8 in. She is known for her melancholic ballads and emotional songs such as "La vie en rose" ("Life in pink")or "Non, je ne regrette rien" ("I don't regret anything").
5. David Guetta:
David Guetta (born in 1967) is one of the world famous French songwriters and DJs. He has sold more than 30 million records worldwide! His song 'This one's for you' featuring Zara Larsson, was the official song of the UEFA 2016 (European Soccer Championship). Listen to the song here.
6. Jean-Jacques Goldman:
Jean-Jacques Goldman (born in 1951) was a French singer and songwriter and is the son of a Polish father and German mother. He is known for his own songs as well as writing and producing songs for other artists. The album 'D'eux' he produced for Canadian singer Celine Dion, remains the best selling French-language album in history!
Famous French
Fashion Icons
Discover how King Louis XIV, Coco Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Yves Saint Laurent made Paris the fashion capital of the world.
Paris is the global home of "haute couture". This term means "high fashion" in French and stands for the most exclusive and unique handmade fashion in the world. Fashion that has been created by skilled designers and craftspeople using the world's finest materials!
Parisians have long been regarded as trendsetters, and France has produced many of the world's greatest fashion designers and style icons. Here are five famous French fashion pioneers:
1. King Louis XIV:
The famous "Sun King" (1638–1715) helped make France the fashion capital of Europe. During his reign, the royal court at the Palace of Versailles became known for its luxurious clothing and extravagant style. Louis introduced red high heels to the court, wore elaborate wigs and richly decorated coats and capes. These were then worn also by many of the noblemen and became symbols of wealth and power.
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2. Coco Chanel:
Coco Chanel (1883 - 1971) is regarded as one of the greatest fashion designers. She transformed women's fashion by creating elegant yet comfortable clothing and is known for the feminine yet comfortable dresses that often were made of jersey knit. She popularised the striped jersey shirts that sailors commonly wore and invented the little black dress which remains a fashion classic today. She also created various perfumes, including the famous "Chanel No 5" and "Coco".
3. Louis Vuitton:
Louis Vuitton (1821 – 1892) was a French designer and craftsman who founded the famous luxury fashion company that bears his name. Today, the Louis Vuitton brand is one of the world's best-known luxury fashion houses and famous for handbags, luggage, clothing, shoes and accessories.
4. Jean-Paul Gaultier:
Jean-Paul Gaultier (born in 1952) is one of France's most creative fashion designers. Nicknamed the "enfant terrible" ("terrible child") of fashion, he is famous for his bold and unconventional designs. He inspires many young fashion designers around the world with this avant-garde style.
5. Yves Saint-Laurent:
Yves Saint-Laurent (1936 – 2008) was one of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century. He was the first to create "ready-to-wear" styles and designer collections. His elegant women's tuxedo suit, called "Le Smoking" changed women's fashion forever.
Famous French
Fictional Characters and Heroes
France has given the world many unforgettable fictional heroes, from Asterix and Obelix, Le Petit Nicholas and The Little Prince to The Three Musketeers, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Arsène Lupin. Discover the stories behind these famous characters.
Asterix and Obelix1. Asterix and Obelix, the stories of the famous Gaules fighting the Romans are read by people all over the world. The characters were created and designed in 1959 by the two French artists René Goscinny (1926-1977) and Albert Uderzo (1927-2020).
2. Le Petit Nicholas, the stories of the 'Little Nicholas' by Jean-Jacques Sempé (born 1932) and René Goscinny were published in 1959 and tell about the typical childhood stories of those times.
3. The Little Prince, in French 'Le Petit Prince' by Auguste de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944), is a famous children's story about a pilot who meets a prince fallen from onto earth. The little prince observes and comments his experiences in this heartwarming story. The most famous words are: 'One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.'
Hunchback of Notre Dame4. The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the famous animated film by Walt Disney, is based on the original classic story by Victor Hugo (1802-1885). The main characters are Quasimodo, a kind but isolated young man with an overly curved deformed spine who lives inside the cathedral.
5. "The Three Musketeers" is a famous adventure story written by French author Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) in 1844. French D'Artagnan meets the three musketeers Athos, Aramis and Porthos during his travels from Gascony to Paris.
6. Arsène Lupin is a famous fictional gentleman thief that was created by the French writer Maurice Leblanc in 1905. Charming Lupin cleverly solves mysteries, while using many disguises and carrying out daring adventures. Lupin's exciting stories have been adapted into many films, television series and comics. He is one of France's best-loved fictional characters.
Famous French People
Infographic
Here is our short infographic about five famous French people every one should know about.
- Gustave Eiffel: designer of the "Eiffel Tower"
- Jules Verne: author of "Around the World in 80 days"
- Simone de Beauvoir: pioneering French philosopher and feminist
- Jean d'Arc: French heroine in the Hundred Years' War
- Louis Braille: creator of the writing system for people who are blind or visually impaired
Popular Pages
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Resources for Famous French People
Images for the Famous French People Collage: From shutterstock.com: Charlemagne by raymond tercafs; Hunchback of Notre Dame by delcarmat; Albert Camus by wantanddo; Coco Chanel by spatuletail; Napoleon by Matthew Leigh; Citroën 2CV by StevenK; Maurice Ravel by Wantanddo; Joan of Arc by BlackMat; Marie Curie by Roseed Abbas; Eiffeltower by Gurgen Bakhshetyan; Asterix by Rene Lacoste by LeonardZhukovsky; Auguste Renoir (artwork); Edith Piaf by Julie Mayfeng; Matisse (artwork) - Images for Famous French People Infographic: From Canva.com and German Vizulis/shutterstock.com (Gustave Eiffel)
Here are some Youtube Videos that are worth watching with your students as they explain some French artists for children:
- Monet video: "What is Impressionism?" by TateKids
- Matisse video by ArtFundUK and Musee Matisse
- Renoir: video: "Renoir's True Colors: "Science Solves a Mystery" by Art Institute of Chicago
- Rodin video: "Auguste Rodin" by Art Gallery of South Australiaand "One Minute with Rodin" by The British Museum
- Cézanne video: "Paul Cézanne: Still Life with Apples and Peaches" by National Gallery of Art
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