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Street names in French towns. |
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General Background
French street names are traditionally displayed printed in white on blue panels, attached to buildings or walls near the street corners.
In Paris and Lyon, they indicate which "arrondissment" or district of the city are in, this one is in the 6th "arrondissment" of Paris. You can find out more about Rue Monsieur le Prince here. You can find out about "La Rue en France" here. |
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This is probably the best known street in France, since its fame makes it the only street that most of us know!
In mythology, the Elysian Fields were a part of heaven where heroes and virtuous men met after they died. The Champs-Elysées received its name after the French Revolution.
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Origin of the street names
The street names have their derivation from a variety of sources: They may be blatantly patriotic, for example:
Rue de la République,
Place de la Libération
Boulevard de la Paix
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This street honours a local man who
was deported to Dachau and died there. |
This street sign is for the road in Lyon
where the Lumière Brothers lived. They
were the inventors of the first
moving pictures.
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Street names may relate to an historical event, or even dates, such as:
Boulevard le quatorze juillet (Storming of the Bastille - French National Day)
Rue de la Révolution
Rue le huit mai (Victory in Surope after World War II)
Avenue le onze novembre (Armistice Day, end of World War I)
Place le six juin (D Day) |
Some streets may have a traditional name, handed down over centuries:
cour de courbeau
rue des juifs
While others commemorate a famous person (political, artist, writer, scientist etc)
Place Victor Hugo
Boulevard Jean Jaurès
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Jean Moulin was a World War II
Resistance hero. (see below) |
They may relate to an important building or place in the street
Place de la Gare,
Avenue de l’Église,
Rue du Marché
they may be named after a nearby town, or the destination if you follow that road
Place de Paris
Avenue de Lyon
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This road leads to the Belfort road |
Political correctness and street names
The selection of street names can tell us a lot about the political views of the council that governs the town. Left wing towns, for example, may honoor leaders from the socialist world, such as Lenin and Marx . Salvador Allende and Nelson Mandela are favorite names in the most politically progressive towns with communist governments, such as Bobigny, Montreuil, and Malakoff.
However, this can cause problems further down the track when changes of governments or circumstances can make this names "Politically incorrect." Here are some examples where street names have been changed. Note that the orginal names have still been left in place! |
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These two streets are in Vichy, the town which hosted the pro-nazi French government after the fall of France in World War II. Many streets were renamed during the German Occupation. At the Liberation, they either reverted to their original name, or were given a totally new one, reflecting war heroes or new political ideas. |
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These signs come from Bordeau and the ones carved in stone are very old. It is possible they pre-date the Revolution. Over the years, "political correctness" has forced a fewname changes! |
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The most popular street names in France
Wherever you go in France, you will find these people very widely represented in towns. Almost every town in France has a road dedicated to Jean Jaurès or Jules Ferry. Here is a little overview of some of the most popular "people of the streets".
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Jean Moulin
Il était chef et héros de la Résistance pendant la deuxième guerre mondiale. Il est mort, torturé, aux mains des Nazis en 1943.
A leader and hero of the Resistance during World War II, killed, tortured at the hands of the Nazis in 1943, |
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Molière
C’est un écrivain des comédies classiques comme « Le Malade Imaginaire » pendant le dix-septième siècle.
A pseudonym of a 17th century writer of classic comedies such as "The Imaginary Invalid".
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Victor Hugo
Il était écrivain et poète qui a écrit « Les Misérables » et « Le Bossu de Notre Dame de Paris ».
Writer and poet who composed « Les Misérables » and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". |
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Jean-François Champollion
Était un enfant surdoué. Il a travaillé comme savant et scientifique en Égypte et après 25ans d’études, a déchiffré les textes de la pierre de Rosette.
A gifted child, he worked as an advisor and scientist in Egypte with Napoleon's expedition. After 25 years of hard work, he was the first to decode hieroglyphics using the Rosetta Stone. |
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Jacques Cousteau
Il etait inventeur de la plongée à l’apnée. Il s’interessait à l’environnement marin.
Inventor of scuba diving. Was very involved in promoting the marine environment. |
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Jules Ferry
Il était Ministre d’éducation qui a imposé le système scolaire et une seule langue en France pendant le dix-neuvième siècle.
He was the Minister of Education who introduced compulsory schooling and imposed the use of the French language on France in the late 19th century. |
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Roland Garros
Très riche, il s’intéressait à l’aéronautique et au tennis. Il était aviateur. On a donné son nom au stade célèbre à Paris.
Very wealthy, his main interests in life were flying and tennis. He was an early aviator. The famous tennis stadium in Paris bears his name. |
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Antoine Saint-Exupéry
C’est un auteur des livres enfantins qui était aussi aviateur pendant les années 20 et 30. Il a écrit : « Le Petit Prince ».
An author of children's books who was also an aviator during the 1920s and 1930s. He wrote "The Little Prince". |
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Jeanne d'Arc
Elle a aidé le roi de France et a battu contre les Anglais. Elle est morte sur la bûchée.
Joan helped the King of France to fight against the English. She died, burned at the stake as a witch by the English. |
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Racine
C’est un écrivain des pièces dramatiques, pendant le dix-septième siècle. Le « Shakespeare » de la France.
A 17th century wirter of dramatic plays. He is France's equivalent of Shakepeare and is very highly regarded still today. |
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Charles de Gaulle
Il était chef de la France libre pendant la deuxième guerre mondiale. Il est devenu président.
the Leader of the Free French during the Second World War, who then became its president. |
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Jean Jaurès
C’était un homme politique du gauche. Socialiste, il a été assassiné le même jour où s’est déclaré la première guerre mondiale en France.
Was a politician on the left - a Socialist. He was assassinated on the same day that the first World War was declared in France.
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Louis Pasteur
Le chimiste français a consacré sa vie aux problèmes pratiques de l’industrie, de l’agriculture et de la médecine. Ses découvertes ont sauvé d’innombrables vies. Parmi ses découvertes, on trouve le procédé de Pasteurisation et les préventions des maladies telles que la rage, le choléra….
this French chemist dedicated his life to solving industrial, agricultural and medical problems. His discoveries saved innumerable lives. Among them are the process of pasteurisation of milk, the prevention of diseases such as rabies and cholera. |
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Émile Zola
Il était socialiste et écrivain des romans réalistes, comme « Germinal », pendant le dix-neuvième siècle.
A socialist and writer of realist novels, such as "Germinal" during the 19th century. |
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Léon Gambetta
Un avocat du 19 e siècle qui a fait un discours de clôture dans le Tribunal qui était contre la Troisième Empire, qui l’a gagné une célébrité très répandue. Il est devenu député du parti radical. C’était lui qui a proposé la déposition de l’Empereur Napoléon III le 4 septembre 1870 (la Guerre Franco-Prusse). Après la prise de Paris par les Prussiens, il est devenu le chef du parti radical, et fondateur du journal "La République Française."
Barrister, made a closing speech in court against the Empire which won him widespread fame. Went on to become a radical deputy. It was he who called for the deposition of the emperor on 4 September 1870. After the fall of Paris, he was elected and was leader of the radicals, founding the newspaper, "La République Française." |
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