[name_f]Lovely[/name_f], intriguing list! I’ve put my favourites in bold.
[name_f]Albertine[/name_f] - Elegant and sweet. For me it’s part of the fun of names that they will be pronounced differently and translated in different parts of the world, but in any case I don’t think the English “[name_m]AL[/name_m]-buh-teen” is different enough from the [name_m]French[/name_m] “al-BARE-teen” for it to butcher the name.
[name_f]Antoinette[/name_f] - It’s so heavily tied to [name_f]Marie[/name_f] [name_f]Antoinette[/name_f] that I prefer [name_f]Antonine[/name_f].
[name_f]Apolline[/name_f] - Very pretty, but on trend in [name_f]France[/name_f] in that “Parisian chic” way which tends to niggle me. It hasn’t got as much backbone as some of the other options on your list.
[name_m]Beno[/name_m]îte - Unusual but very wearable; altogether pleasant.
[name_f]Bernadette[/name_f] - Strong, feminine and beautiful. I like the connection to [name_m]Saint[/name_m] [name_f]Bernadette[/name_f], as well.
Bénédicte - I like this even more than [name_m]Beno[/name_m]îte. Graceful and powerful.
[name_f]Claudine[/name_f] - A bit too much of the stereotypical “[name_m]French[/name_m] girl” name.
Clémence / Clémentine - Both are lovely, but I particularly like Clémence, which has a warm and sweet simplicity Clémentine lacks.
[name_u]Constantine[/name_u] - I think of it as a man’s name, but it could still be beautiful on a woman.
[name_f]Domitille[/name_f] - Stunning!
[name_f]Ernestine[/name_f] - This has the same feel as [name_f]Albertine[/name_f]. I do think, though, a name so obviously meaning “earnest” might be a bit oppressive for a child.
Eusébie - [name_f]Lovely[/name_f] and unusual, and the meaning is nice as well.
[name_u]Fran[/name_u]çoise - Smart and charming.
Hectorine - Intriguing and beautiful.
Immaculée - Another lovely one.
[name_f]Isaure[/name_f] - I prefer [name_f]Iseult[/name_f], but [name_f]Isaure[/name_f] has the advantage of not being connected to the tragic tale.
[name_f]Jocelyne[/name_f] - I have never been huge on the [name_f]Jocelyn[/name_f] crew for some reason, and I slightly prefer the spelling Josseline.
[name_m]Jos[/name_m]éphine - Classic and pretty.
[name_u]Laurence[/name_u] - People in the English-speaking world would assume [name_u]Laurence[/name_u] was a boy, which could be a bit of a headache, despite it being a lovely name for a woman.
Léopoldine - This makes me think of [name_m]Victor[/name_m] [name_m]Hugo[/name_m]'s ill-fated daughter. It’s a pretty name.
[name_f]Mercedes[/name_f] - I don’t like this. The car association is too strong, and the name comes across as a bit pretentious.
[name_f]Paulette[/name_f] - [name_f]Paulette[/name_f] seems a bit light and fluffy compared to the more solid [name_f]Pauline[/name_f] - they’re comparable to the difference in feel of [name_f]Antoinette[/name_f] and [name_f]Antonine[/name_f].
Pétronille -
Pélagie - I adore this! Its meaning is so evocative, and the name is the best combination of strength and prettiness.
Philothée - Beautiful. The meaning is lovely, and the name is strong, interesting, and just rolls off the tongue.
Zélie - It feels like the odd one out of the list, having a light and modern feel.
Some suggestions:
[name_f]Alphonsine[/name_f]
Irène
[name_u]Colombe[/name_u]
Philomène
[name_f]Anastasie[/name_f]
[name_f]Hortense[/name_f]
[name_f]Edwige[/name_f]
[name_f]Octavie[/name_f]
[name_f]Pierrette[/name_f]
Edmée
[name_f]Eglantine[/name_f]
[name_f]Hortense[/name_f], Philomène and [name_f]Eglantine[/name_f] are huge favourites of mine.