French (surname)

French is an anglicised version of Defreine which has a Norman Irish origin.

The DeFreines, the ffrenches, and the Frenches, who were of noble blood, came to Ireland with Strongbow during the Norman invasion of Ireland from 1169 to 1172 AD. There were and still are two or three families of Irish peers who carry the names DeFréine, ffrench, and French. As Anglo-Normans the French family became one of the 14 Tribes of Galway, helping to found the town in 1425 AD, fortifying it to keep the locals out.

French is or was the surname of the following individuals (alphabetized by first name):

• Adrienne French (born 1987), fine art photographer
• Anne French (born 1956), New Zealand poet
• Alexander French (born 1980), Hong Kong cricketer
• Alice Masak French (1930–2013), Canadian Inuit writer
• Annie French (1873–1965), Scottish artist
• Anthony P. French (born 1920), English professor of physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Bob French (jazz musician) (contemporary), American drummer
• Brett French (contemporary), Australian rugby league footballer
• Bruce French (actor) (born 1945), American actor
• Bruce French (cricketer) (born 1959), English cricketer
• Charles K. French (1860–1952), American actor
• Charlie French (1883–1962), American baseball player
• Christopher French, Irish theologian
• Sir Christopher French, a British judge
• Daniel French (inventor) (1770–1853), American inventor and steamboat pioneer
• Daniel Chester French (1850–1931), American sculptor
• David H. French (1918–1994), American anthropologist and linguist; expert on Native Americans
• David French (playwright) (born 1939), Canadian playwright best known for Leaving Home (1971) and other plays about the Mercer family
• David French (charity administrator) (born 1947), English administrator of Westminster Foundation
• Dawn French (born 1957), Welsh-English actress, writer and comedy performer
• Domingo French (1774–1825), Argentine leader of May Revolution and War of Independence
• Edward French (bishop), Bishop of Elphin from 1787 to 1810
• Elizabeth French (contemporary), English archaeologist
• Emma Lee French (1836–1897), English immigrant to Southwestern United States who became known as a caregiver
• Freddie French (1911–1989), New Zealand rugby union and professional rugby league footballer
• Frederick Fillmore French (1883–1936), American real estate entrepreneur
• Gary French (contemporary), Australian rugby league footballer
• George French (1841–1921), Canadian law-enforcement officer
• Heather French (born 1974), American beauty pageant winner
• Henry F. French (1813–1885), American agriculturist, inventor, lawyer, and public servant
• Hollis French (born 1958), member of the Alaska Senate
• Ian French (born 1960), Australian rugby league footballer
• Jackie French (born 29 November 1953), Australian author
• James French (murderer) (1936–1966), American criminal; became sole prisoner executed in 1966
• James R. French (contemporary), American aerospace engineer
• Jay Jay French (born 1952), American guitarist
• Jennifer French (disambiguation), multiple people
• Jim French (cowboy) (before 1865–after 1879), American frontier figure who became known as an outlaw
• Jim French (photographer) (born 1932), American artist and photographer of homoerotica who has used pseudonym Rip Colt
• Jim French (baseball) (born 1941), American catcher active during the 1960s and 1970s
• Jim French (radio) (contemporary), American voice actor and producer
• Joe French (footballer), English footballer with Southampton and New Brompton in 1890s/1900s
• John French (physician) (1616–1657), English doctor and chemist
• John R. French (1819–1890), American publisher, editor and political figure
• John French, 1st Earl of Ypres (1852–1925), English military leader, Commander of British Expeditionary Force in World War I
• John French, 2nd Earl of Ypres (1881–1958), English army officer and artist; son of 1st Earl
• John William French (1888–1970), Canadian political figure
• John Alexander French (1914–1942), Australian soldier; posthumous recipient of Victoria Cross for valor in World War II
• John French (racing driver) (born 1930), Australian champion racer of the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s
• Joe French (born 1948), British Air Chief Marshal, Royal Air Force commander
• John French (musician) (born 1949), American drummer
• John French (ice hockey) (born 1950), Canadian ice hockey player
• Joseph Lewis French (1858–1936), American novelist, editor, and poet
• Joseph Nathaniel French (1888–1975), architect
• Kate French (born 1984), American actress
• Katy French (1983–2007), Irish socialite and model
• Kenneth French (born 1954), American economist
• Kristen French (1976–1992), Canadian murder victim
• Marilyn French (born 1929), American author
• Mary Billings French, American heiress
• Melinda Ann French (born 1964), American philanthropist married to Bill Gates; best known as Melinda Gates
• Michael French (born 1962), English actor best known for his TV roles of David Wicks on EastEnders and Nick Jordan on Casualty and Holby City
• Micky French (born 1955), English footballer
• Nicki French (born 1964), English singer
• Patrick French (bishop), Bishop of Elphin from 1731 to 1748
• Percy French (1854–1920), Irish songwriter, performer and painter
• Ray French (baseball) (1895–1978), American Major League shortstop of the 1920s; later Minor League manager and umpire
• Ray H. French (1919–2000), American artist and print maker
• Ray French (contemporary), English rugby radio commentator and former player
• Robert French (born 1947), Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
• Rufus French (born 1978), American football player
• Samuel French (1821–1898), American entrepreneur and theatrical publisher
• Samuel Gibbs French (1818–1910), American Army officer who served as Confederate major general during Civil War
• Sarah French, American beauty contest winner who subsequently became TV news reporter
• Seán French (1890-1937), Irish Fianna Fáil political figure who served in Dáil and as Lord Mayor of Cork (1924–29 and 1932–37)
• Seán French (1931–2011), Irish Fianna Fáil political figure who served in Dáil and as Lord Mayor of Cork (1976–77)
• Susan French (1912–2003), American television, film and stage actress
• Tana French (1973-), Irish novelist and theatrical actress
• Valerie French (actress) (1928–1990), English-American performer who played leads in six 1956–57 films
• Valerie French (wrestling) (born 1962), American wrestling personality best known under ring name "Sunshine"
• Victor French (1934–1989), American actor best known for playing in support of Michael Landon on TV series Highway to Heaven
• Walter French (baseball) (1899–1984), American outfielder for Philadelphia Athletics who played in 1929 World Series
• Walter French (cricket umpire) (before 1905–1961), Australian cricket figure who umpired 1931 Test matches
• Warren French (born 1963), Founder of the Victorian Geocaching Club
• William H. French (1815–1881), American Union Army general in Civil War

See also

• Joseph French, detective who appears in several novels by Irish-English author Freeman Wills Crofts (1879–1957)
• Giles French, English butler "Mr. French", portrayed by actor Sebastian Cabot on 1966–71 U.S. television series Family Affair
• Paul French, pseudonym used by American author Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) for his juvenile book series Lucky Starr
• Nicci French, pseudonym of a married duo of British journalists and authors, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French
• Jim French (horse) (1968–1992), American thoroughbred racehorse
• People named Ffrench
• the Lords de Freyne (1786- )