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Last Updated: 25 August 2023

What is ‘England’ in French? This might be an easy question for francophiles and francophones to answer. But we should never take for granted that, for many, the answer is not so obvious. So here is how French speakers say it… with further exciting facts to learn about the word.

 

What is ‘England’ in French?

The answer is… ANGLETERRE!

For those of you who can read IPA, the pronunciation in French is \ɑ̃.ɡlə.tɛʁ\.

 

🎶 How to say ‘Angleterre’ in French ⤵

 

The French name of England comes from the name of the Angles, a tribe that made their home there from the mid-5th to early 7th centuries, and from terre, ‘land’.

Angleterre is a feminine word in French : L’ (la) Angleterre – une Angleterre.

The translation of the word ‘English’ in French is anglais (masc.) and anglaise (fem.).

 

🎶 How to say ‘Angleterre’ in French ⤵

 

The English countryside near Burwash © French Moments
The English countryside near Burwash © French Moments

 

Where does the French name “Angleterre” come from?

The origin of the word “Angleterre” comes from two words:

  • angle” i.e. the Angles, a Germanic tribe from the Angeln peninsula (in northern present-day Germany)
  • and “terre“, meaning land.

The name ‘Angleterre’ has originated several other words in French that are derived from it. For example:

  • anglais, anglaise (Les beaux jardins anglais du Kent)
  • Anglais, Anglaise (Les Anglais habitent en Angleterre)
  • anglophone (John est anglophone)
  • anglophile (Pierre est anglophile)
  • anglophobe (Jean-Marie est anglophobe)
  • anglo-saxon (l’héritage anglo-saxon du Canada)
  • anglican, anglicane (l’église anglicane du village)
  • anglo-normand, anglo-normande (Jersey et Guernesey sont des Îles anglo-normandes)

 

In turn, the English call France FRANCE and the people of France are the French.

 

England in French: Interesting facts

By metonymy, the word Angleterre (England) is often used to refer to Britain or the United Kingdom.

Map of England
Map of England

However, there is a distinction between the different nations subject to the Crown.

 

Great Britain in French

In French, Great-Britain is la Grande-Bretagne.

Map of Great Britain
Map of Great Britain

🎶 How to say ‘Grande-Bretagne’ in French ⤵

 

Bretagne refers to Brittany, a French province.

Therefore, Britain is synonymous with Great Britain and corresponds to la Bretagne insulaire or l’île de Bretagne (literally Island Brittany or the Isle of Brittany).

Modern historians use these French terms to refer to Britain until the 10th-11th century.

These terms, in turn, replaced the use of the archaic names Albion and Britannia.

Great Britain is sometimes abbreviated in French as GB as in English.

 

The United Kingdom in French

Le Royaume-Uni (United Kingdom) is the European kingdom consisting of:

  • la Grande-Bretagne (Great Britain), and
  • l’Irlande du Nord (Northern Ireland).
Map of UK
Map of the UK

 

Officially, it is known in French as le Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d’Irlande du Nord (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland).

🎶 How to say ‘Royaume-Uni’ in French ⤵

 

🎶 How to say ‘Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d’Irlande du Nord’ in French ⤵

 

It is sometimes abbreviated in French as R.-U. (in English: UK).

Therefore, the United Kingdom includes:

  • L’Angleterre (England), un Anglais/une Anglaise
  • Le Pays de Galles (Wales), un Gallois/une Galloise
  • L’Écosse (Scotland), un Écossais/une Écossaise
  • L’Irlande du Nord (Northern Ireland), un Nord-Irlandais/une Nord-Irlandaise

 

🎶 How to say ‘Pays de Galles’ in French ⤵

 

🎶 How to say ‘Écosse’ in French ⤵

 

🎶 How to say ‘Irlande du Nord’ in French ⤵

 

The Crown dependencies in French

The Dépendances de la Couronne (Crown dependencies) is a group of islands that do not form part of the United Kingdom.

They are three island territories off the coast of Great Britain that are self-governing possessions of The Crown:

  • le bailliage de Jersey (the Bailiwick of Jersey),
  • le bailliage de Guernesey (the Bailiwick of Guernsey), and
  • l’Île de Man (Isle of Man).

The first two are the Channel Islands, off the north coast of France.

 

The Channel Islands in French

Les Îles anglo-normandes or Îles de la Manche (the Channel Islands) are a group of islands in the English Channel, west of the Cotentin Peninsula in France.

Saint-Hélier (Saint Helier), the capital of Jersey, is only 30 kilometres from the Normandy coast.

These islands are the island part of the historical Duchy of Normandy.

The islands have the particularity of having Norman language words in their toponymy. Translating specific names into English has sometimes given rise to mixed names, such as Bonne nuit bay or La Corbière lighthouse.

The islands are divided into two bailliages (bailiwick):

Jersey (Les Minquiers, Les Écréhou)

Guernsey, including:

  • Aurigny (Alderney),
  • Burhou,
  • Sercq (Sark),
  • Brecqhou,
  • Lihou,
  • Herm,
  • Jéthou.

 

The British Isles in French

Les Îles Britanniques (British Isles) refer to:

  • la Grande-Bretagne (Great Britain),
  • l’Irlande (Ireland),
  • and more than 6,000 smaller islands located nearby (Isle of Man, Shetland, Hebrides…).

This group of islands includes two sovereign states:

  • le Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d’Irlande du Nord (the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
  • and la République d’Irlande (the Republic of Ireland).
Map of British Isles
Map of British Isles

 

The Channel Islands are sometimes excluded from the territory of the British Isles because they belong to the historical province of Normandy.

 

The British Islands in French

Map of British Islands
Map of British Islands

 

These are the European islands subject to the British Crown:

  • la Grande-Bretagne (Great Britain),
  • l’Irlande du Nord (Northern Ireland),
  • l’Île de Man (the Isle of Man),
  • Jersey, and
  • Guernesey (Guernsey).
Brecqhou island © Diegourdiales - licence [CC BY 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
Brecqhou island © Diegourdiales – licence [CC BY 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons

The term the British Islands is indeed very close to that of the British Isles but does not include the Republic of Ireland. In French, there is no equivalent other than “la Couronne britannique”, therefore, many use les Îles Britanniques, although it is a bit inaccurate!

However, there is no need to panic! In everyday language, the British Isles is more commonly used. In fact, when I asked English people to tell me the difference between these two terms, they could not answer.

To summarise, here’s the Euler diagram that shows the complexity of the imbricated territories:

England in French - Diagramme d'Euler des Îles Britanniques © Treehill - licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
Diagramme d’Euler des Îles Britanniques © Treehill – licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons

 

The francisation of place names in England

Unlike Germany, Italy or Switzerland, few British place names are translated into French. Why is this?

There may be several historical and cultural reasons.

Britain is an island that has never been invaded since William the Conqueror in the 11th century. Therefore, there is no need for the French to francise place names that have never belonged to them or are even unknown to them.

 

The Francisation of London

This does not apply to the capital, London, whose European fame justified using a French name: Londres.

London
St Paul’s Cathedral, London. Painting by Giovanni Antonio

 

🎶 How to say ‘Londres’ in French ⤵

 

Known in Roman times as Londinium, the city saw its name adopted in Old English by the Anglo-Saxons in the 7th century: Lunden, which evolved into London.

To adapt it to French phonology (as continental Latins have difficulty pronouncing certain sounds), London was replaced by Londre.

As for the final “s”, it would have been a mistake by the printers who, by analogy with cities like Amiens, Beauvais, Calais or Chartres, would have added a silent “s”.

 

What are the names of the English regions in French?

Most regions, counties and shires in the UK have kept their English names in French.

England in French - Burwash in spring © French Moments
The village of Burwash in South-East England © French Moments

 

The 9 regions of England in French

  • Angleterre du Sud-Est (South East England)
  • Angleterre du Sud-Ouest (South West England)
  • Grand Londres (Greater London)
  • Angleterre de l’Est (East of England)
  • Midlands de l’Est (East Midlands)
  • Midlands de l’Ouest (West Midlands)
  • Angleterre du Nord-Ouest (North West England)
  • Angleterre du Nord-Est (North East England)
  • Yorkshire-et-Humber (Yorkshire and the Humber)

 

The English counties in French

Les comtés (counties) are generally masculine except when francised: le Kent, le Sussex. Most of them have kept their English names in French, except for:

  • La or les Cornouailles (Cornwall)
  • La Cumbrie (Cumbria)
  • Le Lancastre (Lancashire)
  • La Northumbrie (Northumbria)

In addition, East Anglia is Est-Anglie and Mercia is Mercie.

 

What are the English cities in French?

The largest cities of the United Kingdom don’t have different names in French. However, there is the notable exception of London => Londres.

And also:

  • Cantorbéry (Canterbury),
  • Douvres (Dover),
  • and on a few occasions, Bornemouth (Bournemouth)

Generally, all suffixes -burgh are francised –bourg, like in Edinburgh => Edimbourg.

England in French - Edinburgh © Nono vlf - licence [CC BY-SA 4.0] from Wikimedia Commons
Edinburgh or Edimbourg? © Nono vlf – licence [CC BY-SA 4.0] from Wikimedia Commons

British Hydronyms and Oronyms in French

A hydronym is a name given to a body of water.

An oronym is applied to naming a mountain or hill.

Here are a few examples of names used often in French:

 

Seas

  • l’Océan Atlantique (the Atlantic Ocean)
  • la Mer d’Irlande (the Irish Sea)
  • le Canal Saint-Georges (Saint George’s Channel)
  • le Canal de Bristol (Bristol Channel)
  • la Mer Celtique (the Celtic Sea)
  • la Manche (the English Channel)
  • le Pas de Calais (the Straits of Dover)
  • la Mer du Nord (the North Sea)
England in French - Carte de la Manche © Idarvol - licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
© Idarvol – licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons

 

Islands of Great Britain in French

  • Îles Sorlingues (Isles of Scilly)
  • Les Hébrides (Hebrides)
  • Les Orcades (Orkney)

 

Rivers

Only one river in England has its name in French:

La Tamise (River Thames).

Most English rivers are feminine when used in French: la Severn, la Mersey, la Rother…

In addition, le Canal Calédonien is the Caledonian Canal.

 

Hills and mountains

  • Les monts Grampian (Grampian mountains)
  • Les monts du Cumberland or les Montagnes Cumberland (Cumberland mountains)
  • La chaîne Pennine or Les Pennines (Pennines or Pennine Chain)
  • Les monts Cambriens (Cambrian mountains) ou Lake District
  • Le plateau de Cornouailles (Plateau of Cornwall)
Keswick Lake District © Diliff - licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons
Lake District © Diliff – licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons

English Names in French that have fallen into disuse

Several towns in the south of England, which the French have long frequented, had their equivalent in the French language. These names have now fallen into disuse.

  • Bouquinquan (Buckingham)
  • Ouestmoutiers (Westminster)
  • Vicêtre (Winchester)
  • Glasgovie (Glasgow)
  • Grausine (Gravesend)
  • Lime (Lyme Regis)
  • Leues (Lewes)
  • Porsmue (Portsmouth)
  • Rocheford (Rochford)
  • Saverne (Severn river)
  • Peterbourg (Peterborough)
  • Nieuark (Newark-on-Trent)
  • Neufchâtel (Newcastle)

 

French-originated names in England

In some instances, the French-speaking aristocracy and ecclesiastical hierarchy gave distinctively French names to their castles, estates, and monasteries:

  • Battle (from Bataille),
  • Belvoir
  • Grosmont
  • Montacute
  • Richmond (Richemont)

While some of them refer to landscape and other features (Devizes, Malpas).

Battle Abbey © French Moments
Battle Abbey © French Moments

 

The geography of France in English

Inversely, places in France are sometimes named differently in English. Overall the English names tend to be the same as in French.

In the middle-ages, French was the language of the aristocracy and nobility. Therefore, there was no reason to anglicise the names of provinces and cities.

However, there are several exceptions.

France in English is France, and la République française is the French Republic.

 

Mountains of France in English

Mont Saint-Jacques, La Plagne in Autumn © French Moments
The French Alps and Mont Blanc © French Moments

 

Seas and rivers of France in English

  • Atlantic Ocean (océan Atlantique)
  • Bay of Biscay (Golfe de Gascogne)
  • English Channel (Manche)
  • French Riviera (Côte d’Azur)
  • Mediterranean sea (mer Méditerranée)
  • North Sea (mer du Nord)
  • Rhine (Rhin)
The perched village of Eze - Stock Photos from Mordechai Meiri - Shutterstock
The perched village of Eze above the Mediterranean sea – Stock Photos from Mordechai Meiri – Shutterstock

 

Islands of France in English

Mountains of Corsica © Olivier Risnes
Mountains of Corsica © Olivier Risnes

 

The regions and provinces of France in English

  • Brittany (Bretagne)
  • Burgundy (Bourgogne)
  • Corsica (Corse)
  • Dauphiny (Dauphiné) – Obsolete
  • Flanders (Flandre)
  • Gascony (Gascogne)
  • Normandy (Normandie)
  • Occitania (Occitanie)
  • Picardy (Picardie)
  • Savoy (Savoie)
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc © French Moments
Flag of Savoie and Mont-Blanc, Chamonix-Mont-Blanc © French Moments

 

The cities of France in English

In most cases, French towns have kept their local name in English.

However, there was sometimes a different spelling in the past, which tends to disappear. This was the case for the following French towns:

  • Bethwyn (Béthune) – obsolete
  • Camerick (Cambrai) – obsolete
  • Dunkirk (Dunkerque)
  • Lyons (Lyon)
  • Marseilles (Marseille)
  • Rheims (Reims)
Largest cities of France - Marseille QXE325V by Sam741002 via Envato Elements
The old harbour of Marseille. Photo by Sam741002 via Envato Elements

 

Twin Towns between France and England

It is estimated that nearly 20,000 French people are actively participating in twinning programmes.

Out of 6,700 committees in France, nearly 1,100 include English-French twinning towns and villages (compared to 2,300 with Germany and 1,000 with Italy).

One of the first Franco-British twinnings brought together the water towns of Luchon and Harrogate during a French Week in May 1953.

 

Cities and towns sharing a common feature or interest

Many French and English twinned cities and towns share a common feature or interest.

As the saying goes: qui se ressemble s’assemble (like seeks like).

It could be:

  • a prestigious university (Grenoble and Oxford)
  • an industrial past (Lille and Leeds)
  • geographical proximity (Boulogne-sur-Mer and Folkestone, Calais with Dover)
  • a lofty cathedral (Chartres and Chichester, Reims with Canterbury)
  • a historic castle (Saumur and Warwick)
  • a large-size city with national influence (Marseille and Glasgow)
  • a prestigious site (Neuilly-sur-Seine and Windsor)
  • a historic bath town (Aix-en-Provence and Bath)
  • a port city (Le Havre and Southampton)
  • a military port (Toulon and Portsmouth)

 

Examples of English and French twinning towns

  • Andover with Redon
  • Ashford with Fougères
  • Ayr with Saint-Germain-en-Laye
  • Basildon with Meaux
  • Bathgate with Annecy
  • Bognor Regis with Saint-Maures-des-Fossés
  • Bristol with Bordeaux
  • Burgess Hill with Abbeville
  • Canterbury with Reims
  • Cardiff with Nantes
  • Colchester with Avignon
  • Coventry with Saint-Etienne
  • Cowes with Deauville
  • Darlington with Amiens
  • Deal with Saint-Omer
  • Dorchester with Bayeux
  • Dover with Calais
  • Edinburgh with Nice
  • Folkestone with Boulogne-sur-Mer
  • Gloucester with Metz
  • Gosport with Royan
  • Gravesham with Cambrai
  • Hastings with Béthune
  • Ipswich with Arras
  • Leicester with Strasbourg
  • Lewes with Blois
  • Lyme Regis with Barfleur
  • Middlesbrough with Dunkerque
  • Newcastle-upon-Tyne with Nancy
  • Newmarket & Exning with Maisons-Laffitte
  • Newquay with Dinard
  • Norwich with Rouen
  • Perth with Cognac
  • Peterborough with Bourges
  • Plymouth with Brest
  • Poole with Cherbourg-en-Cotentin
  • Portsmouth with Caen and Toulon
  • Preston with Nîmes
  • Sevenoaks with Pontoise
  • Stafford with Belfort
  • Sunderland with Saint-Nazaire
  • Tonbridge with Le Puy-en-Velay
  • Wadhurst with Aubers
  • Walsall with Mulhouse
  • Warwick with Saumur
  • York with Dijon

Click here for a comprehensive list of France-UK twinning programmes.

 

French towns not twinned with the UK

Curiously, some major towns in France are not twinned with a UK counterpart (and vice-versa):

 

England in French: Find out more!

Gems of Paris by French Moments
About the author

Pierre is a French/Australian who is passionate about France and its culture. He grew up in France and Germany and has also lived in Australia and England. He has a background teaching French, Economics and Current Affairs, and holds a Master of Translating and Interpreting English-French with the degree of Master of International Relations, and a degree of Economics and Management. Pierre is the author of Discovery Courses and books about France.

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