10 France Nicknames That You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

Do you know that France has several nicknames?

There are different names which the country of France is known as. From the past to the present, most of these names come from the long history of this gorgeous land. 

10 France Nicknames That You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

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From its ancient name to names it is known in other languages, to its modern-day monikers — we have made a comprehensive list of all names synonymous to “France.” 

Why France is called “France”?

The word “France” derives from Latin Francia, meaning “land of the Franks” or “Frank land.” 

The name “Francia” originally applied to the whole Empire of the Franks, extending from the south of France to eastern Germany. France is still called “Frankreich” (“Empire of the Franks”) in German. 

Similar monikers in some other Germanic languages, such as “Frankrijk” in Dutch, which means “Frank Reich” or “the Franks’ Realm,” still exist today. In Norwegian and Swedish, it’s “Frankrike” or Rike of the Franks,” and “Frankrig” in Danish.

In most of the Romance languages, France is called as such or by any of its derivatives. An example of this is “Francia” in Spanish and Italian.

While we’re on names, the name of the former French currency — the franc — is derived from the words engraved on the coins of the Frankish King, Rex Francorum. This Latin inscription is translated to English as “King of the Franks” or “Roi des Francs” in French.

The Ancient Name of France

France’s ancient name is “Gaul” — Gallia in Latin and Gaule in French. The name “Gallia” continued to be used alongside “France” for as long as the cultural elites of Europe predominantly used Latin. It’s interesting to note that modern France is still known as “Gallia” in Greek.

Today, the word “Gaule” is only used in a historical context. The adjective gaulois or Gallic is still sometimes used when a French person wants to assert his French identity.

Meanings of the Name “France”

The word “France” comes from the Germanic word “frank” which means “free.” The name has various meanings. To avoid ambiguities, it is important to distinguish them.

Politically, “France” denotes the entire French Republic and “French” or “Française” refers to the language and citizens of France.

In 1315, King Louis X issued an edict that reaffirmed slavery as illegal in France. He proclaimed that “France signifies freedom,” which meant that any slave setting foot on the French soil should be freed.

Geographically, “France” refers to metropolitan France or mainland France.

Historically, “France” refers specifically to the province of Île-de-France which was the heart of the royal demesne. 

In another meaning, “France” refers only to the Pays de France, one of  Île-de-France’ numerous pays. Pays de France is also referred to as Plaine de France or “Plain of France.” 

The Name “France” in Other Foreign Languages 

In Maori, the name for France is Wīwī, derived from the French phrase “oui, oui,” or “yes, yes” in English.

France is known as Tzarfat in Hebrew.

In Finnish, France is called Ranska. It came from the Swedish Franska (“French”), replacing the /fr-/ phoneme — which is not common in Finnish — with /r-/.

10 Nicknames for France

Modern-day France is called by several different names in the French language. Here’s a list of the various nicknames for France and the exact meaning of each.

1. La France

This is the most popular nickname of France. The name “La France” began in the 5th century when different Frankish kingdoms succeeded in the Roman invasion of Gaul. 

The name “France” came from the word “Frank,” which means “free man.” It denoted the Frankish people. They were warriors who elected their leader, the king of the Franks, and voluntarily went to war with him. 

2. La République or La République Française

“The Republic” is a patriotic term, signifying France after the creation of the first republic of France in 1792, following the French Revolution in 1789. 

La République Française is the official name of France. It is commonly abbreviated as RF. 

3. L’Hexagone

The nickname “Hexagon” refers to the shape of France, but only the mainland’s border so it does not include the overseas regions and the island of Corsica. 

The six-sided polygon is seen with three land sides and three maritime sides, making the word “Hexagon” frequently used in describing the French territory.

4. La Métropole or La France Métropolitaine

“Metropolis” is the term citizens from French overseas regions tend to use when referring to mainland France. It is synonymous with l’Hexagone, including the island of Corsica this time. In French, Metropolis is known as La Métropole or La France Métropolitaine.

5. La France Continentale

“La France Continentale” or “Continental France” signifies exactly the actual hexagon — metropolitan France without Corsica.

“Continental France” is another way to call France to describe the French territory that’s part of Europe.

6. Le Pays des Droits de l’Homme

This nickname is literally translated as “The Land of Human Rights” or “The Country of Human Rights.” This is the outcome of the French Revolution in 1789, corresponding with the creation of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.

7. La France d’Outre Mer or DROM-COM or DOM-TOM

With the reform of the French regions in 2016, the Overseas Departments or les Départements d’Outre-Mer (DOM) and Overseas Territories or Territoires d’Outre-Mer (TOM) have ceased to exist. The new name is “DROM-COM,” “DROM” referring to Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, Reunion, and Mayotte. However, the term “DOM-TOM” is still being used by French people today.

The 5 Overseas Communities or 5 Collectivités d’Outre-Mer (COM) are Saint-Barthélémy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, French Polynesia, Wallis, and Futuna. 

1 Overseas Community (COM) with a special status is New Caledonia, while 3 Overseas Territories or Territoires d’Outre Mer (TOM) are the French southern lands, Antarctic Lands, and the Island of Clipperton. The acronym “TOM” still exists for these territories.

8. La France Profonde

“La France Profonde” is one of the three countryside nicknames for France, the other two being “La Province” and “La Diagonale du Vide.” 

“La France Profonde” means “Deep France.” It refers to rural France, or the villages and provincial life that are disconnected from the big French cities. 

9. La Province

Another countryside nickname for France, “La Province” or “The Province” is the term non-Parisian French people object to. This is commonly used by Parisian people, referring to everything that’s not Paris. 

10. La Diagonale du Vide

“La Diagonale du Vide” — “The Empty Diagonal” or “The Diagonal of the Void” — is the last nickname, used to indicate a huge area with a small population. La Diagonale du Vide stretches from the northeast to the southwest of France and is synonymous with La France Profonde.