Proper nouns designate a unique entity and are used to identify precisely a person, a place, an institution, or a work. They are distinguished from Common Nouns because they refer to a particular referent rather than a general category. In French, they generally take an initial capital letter and do not use an article in most cases.

Anthroponyms are the proper names of people, whether a first name, a surname, or a set of names. Usage varies depending on the context: one may write Emmanuel Macron or President Macron depending on the degree of precision or function emphasized. When a title is followed by a proper name, it often remains without an article and retains its usual form.

IdéeIdea	ExempleExample
Le nom propre d’une personne commence par une majuscule initiale.A person’s proper name begins with an initial capital letter.	Marie lit un roman.Marie is reading a novel.
Un anthroponyme peut réunir plusieurs éléments de nom.An anthroponym may consist of several elements of a name.	Victor Hugo est cité en cours.Victor Hugo is studied in class.
Un titre peut précéder le nom propre selon le contexte.A title can precede the proper name depending on the context.	Président Macron parle ce matin.President Macron is speaking this morning.

Toponyms are the proper names of places, such as cities, mountains, countries, or regions. They also begin with an initial capital letter, but some are used with a definite article integrated into the name. The forms with article are common in toponyms like Le Havre or New Orleans, while other places do not take it.

IdéeIdea	ExempleExample
Un toponyme désigne un lieu unique.A toponym denotes a unique place.	Paris attire de nombreux visiteurs.Paris attracts many visitors.
Certains toponymes conservent un article défini.Some toponyms retain a definite article.	Le Havre se trouve en Normandie.Le Havre is located in Normandy.
Certains noms de lieux comportent un trait d’union.Some place names include a hyphen.	Saint Étienne est une ville connue.Saint-Étienne is a well-known city.

Proper nouns also designate organizations, administrations, companies, and establishments. They start with an initial capital letter, even when they consist of several words. The article is often absent, but the name may be accompanied by a generic element that specifies its nature, such as university or company.

IdéeIdea	ExempleExample
Une organisation peut porter un nom propre complet.An organization may bear a full proper name.	L’ONU publie un rapport.The UN publishes a report.
Une entreprise est souvent nommée par un nom propre.A company is often named by a proper noun.	Renault produit des voitures.Renault produces cars.
Un établissement peut être identifié par son nom propre.An establishment can be identified by its proper name.	Université de Lyon accueille des étudiants.The University of Lyon welcomes students.

The general rule for proper nouns is an initial capital letter, regardless of the type of entity designated. This capital helps distinguish the proper noun from the common noun in the sentence. In informal French, lowercase sometimes appears on social media, but it does not correspond to standard usage.

IdéeIdea	ExempleExample
Le nom propre commence généralement par une majuscule.The proper name generally begins with a capital letter.	Paris est une capitale.Paris is a capital city.
La minuscule peut apparaître dans un registre informel.Lowercase may appear in an informal writing style.	je pars à paris ce soir.I am leaving for Paris tonight.
La majuscule reste la norme dans l’écriture soignée.Capitalization remains the norm in careful writing.	Victor Hugo écrit en français.Victor Hugo writes in French.

When an adjective modifies a proper noun, it agrees in gender and number with the element it describes. This agreement follows the same principles as for other nouns, including with names of people, places, or works. The link with Nominal Gender and Nominal Number remains therefore essential.

IdéeIdea	ExempleExample
L’adjectif s’accorde avec le nom propre qu’il qualifie.The adjective agrees with the proper noun it qualifies.	La France est belle.France is beautiful.
L’accord suit le genre du nom propre.Agreement follows the gender of the proper noun.	Marie est contente.Marie is happy.
L’accord suit aussi le nombre quand il est nécessaire.Agreement also follows number when required.	Les Alpes sont magnifiques.The Alps are magnificent.

Works and certain proper nouns can be set off by quotation marks or italics according to typographic conventions. This treatment often signals a title more than a simple name of a person or place. For languages and adjectives of nationality, lowercase remains the norm, as French, unlike proper nouns.

IdéeIdea	ExempleExample
Un titre d’œuvre peut recevoir une marque typographique spéciale.A work title may receive special typographic treatment.	Les Misérables est un roman célèbre.Les Misérables is a famous novel.
Une langue s’écrit avec une minuscule en français.A language is written in lowercase in French.	Le mot français reste en minuscule.The French word remains in lowercase.
Un adjectif de nationalité s’écrit aussi en minuscule.A nationality adjective is also written in lowercase.	Elle parle italien avec aisance.She speaks Italian with ease.

Proper nouns serve to name uniquely people, places, organizations and works. They generally start with an initial capital letter, are often used without an article, and sometimes show well-established exceptions for certain toponyms. When an element depends on a proper noun, agreement and typography follow the ordinary rules of French.