French Famous Names Starting with Letter J

Was a French adventurer, businessman, and diplomat who fathered the Lambert Charter. He travelled to

Was a French adventurer, businessman, and diplomat who fathered the Lambert Charter. He travelled to Mauritius where, at the age of 22, he married a wealthy widow and accumulated further wealth by entering the slave trade. By sea, he relieved a Merina garrison, in Madagascar, in 1854, that was beleaguered by rebelling Malagasy tribes. As a reward, he was invited to a royal audience with the xenophobic queen Ranavalona I. At her capital Antananarivo, he met Jean Laborde, a Frenchman who had established an armament industry for the Merina army

Was a French Catholic Archbishop of Paris and Cardinal. He was bishop of Viviers in 1842, and archbi

Was a French Catholic Archbishop of Paris and Cardinal. He was bishop of Viviers in 1842, and archbishop of Tours in 1857.

Was a French sculptor. He was professor at the école des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, and official sculptor

Was a French sculptor. He was professor at the école des Beaux-Arts de Lyon, and official sculptor to the diocese of Lyon. In 1840, he set himself up at Saint-Étienne, where he was professor at the town's university. He left the town for Lyon in 1845 where he became a professor at the école des beaux-arts de Lyon

A French architect, interior designer, and landscape architect working within the neoclassicist idio

A French architect, interior designer, and landscape architect working within the neoclassicist idiom. In his lifetime, he worked in France, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, and the USA. He also published books on landscaping with his own numerous garden designs as examples.

Was a French politician. On 13 May 1815, he was elected a member of the Chambre des Représentants,

Was a French politician. On 13 May 1815, he was elected a member of the Chambre des Représentants, a short-lived parliamentary assembly set up by Napoleon I during the Hundred Days, for the arrondissement of Bayonne.

Was a French journalist and Breton nationalist. He also published under pseudonyms, most notably as

Was a French journalist and Breton nationalist. He also published under pseudonyms, most notably as Jos Pempoull. Working for the journal Nouvelliste de Lorient he created the "Celtic Circle of Lorient" and became active in the Breton National Party. He also worked voluntarily for Loeiz Herrieu's Breton language literary magazine Dihunamb.[1]

Was a Basque French composer and pianist of Impressionist and Expressionist music, known especially

Was a Basque French composer and pianist of Impressionist and Expressionist music, known especially for the subtlety, richness and poignancy of his melodies and of his orchestral and instrumental textures and effects. His piano music, chamber music, vocal music and orchestral music have become staples of the concert repertoire.

Was a French astronomer. He was one of the 11 sons of Claude Delisle (1644–1720). Like many of his

Was a French astronomer. He was one of the 11 sons of Claude Delisle (1644–1720). Like many of his brothers, among them Guillaume Delisle, he initially followed classical studies. Soon however, he moved to astronomy under the supervision of J. Lietaud and Jacques Cassini. He entered the French Academy of Sciences as pupil of Giovanni Domenico Maraldi (1709–1788). Though he was a good scientist and member of a wealthy family he did not have much money.

Was a French musician, composer, and harpsichordist.

Was a French musician, composer, and harpsichordist.

Was a French painter, known for the clarity and immediacy of his portraits. He returned to Carpentra

Was a French painter, known for the clarity and immediacy of his portraits. He returned to Carpentras, spent a brief time in Lyon then arrived about 1752 in Paris, where he was accepted into the Académie de Saint-Luc and exhibited some portraits, which were now his specialty, in 1764, but did not achieve much notice until his exhibition of ten paintings at the Paris salon of 1769, very well received and selected for special notice by Denis Diderot; the Académie de peinture et de sculpture accepted him in the category of portraitist, considered a lesser category at the time.

Was a French cross country skier during the 1950s. She finished 15th in the 10 km event at the 1952

Was a French cross country skier during the 1950s. She finished 15th in the 10 km event at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.

Was a French film actress. In 1946, she played her best-known role, alongside Jean Marais, as Belle

Was a French film actress. In 1946, she played her best-known role, alongside Jean Marais, as Belle in director Jean Cocteau's famous take on the classic French fairytale Beauty and the Beast.Despite playing numerous parts in famous French films, Day ended her career as an actress in 1950 when she was only 36 years old.

Is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. She represents the Hautes-Pyrénées de

Is a French politician and a member of the Senate of France. She represents the Hautes-Pyrénées department and is a member of the Socialist Party.

A French actress, writer and director. She was born Josiane Balaskovic in Paris.One of Balasko's mos

A French actress, writer and director. She was born Josiane Balaskovic in Paris.One of Balasko's most recognized roles among English speakers is as a lesbian in 1995's Gazon maudit (French Twist). She won the 1996 César Award (shared with Telsche Boorman) for best writing for this film, for which she was also nominated as best director. The movie itself was nominated for best film.

Is a former French racing cyclist who was world road champion in 1977. She twice won the national pu

Is a former French racing cyclist who was world road champion in 1977. She twice won the national pursuit championship and once the national sprint championship. Josiane Bost was one of the best female racing cyclists in France in the 1970s. She won the w

Ften referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He is also kno

Ften referred to simply as Josquin, was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance. He is also known as Josquin Desprez, a French rendering of Dutch "Josken Van De Velde", diminutive of "Joseph Van De Velde" ("of the fields"), and Latinized as Josquinus Pratensis, alternatively Jodocus Pratensis. He was the most famous European composer between Guillaume Dufay and Palestrina, and is usually considered to be the central figure of the Franco-Flemish School. Josquin is widely considered by music scholars to be the first master of the high Renaissance style of polyphonic vocal music that was emerging during his lifetime.

Is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Morbihan department. He is a member of the Uni

Is a member of the Senate of France, representing the Morbihan department. He is a member of the Union for a Popular Movement. He was president of the Union for a Popular Movement group in the Senate until 2008. He is the Duke of Rohan and member of the House of Rohan.

Is a French tennis player. While a junior, he reached the final of the 2004 Australian Open. On Octo

Is a French tennis player. While a junior, he reached the final of the 2004 Australian Open. On October 20, 2008, he beat #46 Ivan Ljubicic in the first round of the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon as a wild-card entry ranked #182. He then beat #83 Nicolás L

Is a French football player of Guinean descent who currently plays for French club Saint-Étienne in

Is a French football player of Guinean descent who currently plays for French club Saint-Étienne in Ligue 1.[1] He is a French youth international and has represented his nation at the 2009 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, where the team reached the semi-finals. Guilavogui plays as a defensive midfielder and joined Saint-Étienne from his hometown club Sporting Toulon in 2005.

Is a French sprint canoer who competed in the early 1950s. He finished 13th in the K-2 10000 m event

Is a French sprint canoer who competed in the early 1950s. He finished 13th in the K-2 10000 m event at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

Is a French actor, scriptwriter, director and chief cameraman. He is the second child in a family of

Is a French actor, scriptwriter, director and chief cameraman. He is the second child in a family of five, the son of Franco-Algerian actress and journalist of Kabyl and Turco-Mongol descent, Catherine Belkhodja. His Breton father is of Vietnamese descent. He has worked on many occasions with his brother and sisters, with whom he collaborates on a regular basis as chief cameraman. He has video captured the live theatre performance of Pois chiche by Maïwenn Le Besco, one of his sisters, also an actress and director, twice nominated for a César Award in 2007 for her first film Pardonnez-moi.

Was a French–Spanish sculptor, who also worked as a painter and architect.[1] Juan de Juni was bor

Was a French–Spanish sculptor, who also worked as a painter and architect.[1] Juan de Juni was born in France but began working in Spain in 1533, where he was first employed in León and Salamanca before moving to Valladolid in 1540. He was best known as a religious sculptor who incorporated great emotion into his figures.[2]

Godrèche's early work included commercial modeling for a Japanese chocolate maker, as well as a tee

Godrèche's early work included commercial modeling for a Japanese chocolate maker, as well as a teen magazine. Her first film appearance was as Claudia Cardinale's daughter in L'été prochain. At age 14 she obtained her first major role in Benoît Jacquot's

Is a French philosopher, and the daughter of Jacques Lacan — radical psychoanalyst, and wife to pr

Is a French philosopher, and the daughter of Jacques Lacan — radical psychoanalyst, and wife to prominent Lacanian Jacques-Alain Miller. As a Maoist philosophy lecturer at Vincennes in Paris, her radicalism caused her philosophy department to be decertified. This occurred after she handed out course credit to someone she met on a bus, and subsequently publicly declared in a radio interview that the university is a capitalist institution, and that she would do everything she could to make it run as badly as possible. After this, she was demoted by the French education department to a lycée teacher.

Was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th

Was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, his style fell out of favor not long after his death; and, except Manon, his works were rarely performed. Since the mid-1970s, many of his operas have seen periodic revivals.