French Americans are U.S. citizens or nationals of French descent and heritage. The majority of Franco-American families did not arrive directly from France, but rather settled French territories in the New World (primarily in the 17th and 18th centuries) before moving or being forced to move to the United States later on (see Quebec diaspora and Great Upheaval). Also, the largest French territory in North America was sold to the U.S., absorbing their French citizens (see Louisiana Purchase). About 26 million U.S. residents are of French descent, and about 1.5 million of them speak the French language at home. Being isolated, mixed with different cultures, or ignored, the French-Americans developed particular cultures that reflect varying degrees of adaptation of their environments. This gave birth to streams of French-Americans like the Acadians, the Cajuns (an Anglicization of the autonym Cadien, from the French word for Acadian, Acadien), Louisiana Créoles and many others. In the 2020 United States census, French Americans (25.8 million or 7.4% of the population) were the 4th most common ancestral group, followed by German Americans (45 million), Irish Americans (38.5 million) and Mexican Americans (37.4 million) but ahead of English Americans (25.5 million), based on the self-reporting ancestry data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The following is a list of notable French Americans by occupation, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are French American or must have references showing they are French American and are notable.
Business General
John Vernou Bouvier III (1891–1957), Wall Street stockbroker and father of U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Roger E Brunschwig, highly decorated world wars hero, activist, businessman Warren Buffett, of French Huguenot ancestry and among the top wealthiest men in the world François Castaing, 27-year veteran automotive executive Clyde Cessna, aircraft designer Louis Chevrolet, co-founder with William C. Durant of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company Yvon Chouinard, rock climber, environmentalist and outdoor industry businessman John de Menil, President of Schlumberger North America Georges Doriot (1899–1988), one of the first American venture capitalists William C. Durant, founder of General Motors; a co-founder with Louis Chevrolet of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company Jean-Louis Gassée (born 1944), founder of Be Inc. King Camp Gillette, founder of the Gillette Safety Razor Company Stephen Girard (1750–1831), banker and tradesman from Bordeaux Augustus D. Juilliard (1836–1919), businessman whose philanthropy built the renowned conservatory of dance, music, and theater in New York City that bears his name Philippe Kahn (born 1952), mathematician and entrepreneur known as the inventor of the camera phone, a pioneer in the wireless industry, and the founder of Borland Joseph LaCombe, retired American businessman and owner of Joseph LaCombe Stable Inc., a thoroughbred horse racing stable Thomas W. Lamont, banker Robert LeFevre (1911–1986), libertarian businessman and radio personality Gérard Louis-Dreyfus, French businessman and father of actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus Étienne Lucier, fur trader from French Prairie André Meyer (1898–1979), Wall Street investment banker Pierre Omidyar (born 1967), French-born Iranian, founder of eBay Frank Perdue & Associates, the Perdue family is of French Huguenot ancestry, and can be traced back to Anjou, France; the family created the Perdue Chicken Company Ross Perot (1930–2019), entrepreneur, philanthropist and candidate for the Presidency of the United States Alexis F. du Pont (1879–1948), member of the American du Pont family and helped found St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware; father of Alexis Felix du Pont Jr.; founder of U.S. Airways Alexis Felix du Pont Jr. (1905–1996), American aviation pioneer, soldier, philanthropist, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family Eleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours, patriarch of a successful American business family; chemical industry Richard Chichester du Pont (1911–1943), American businessman and an aviation and glider pioneer Baroness Micaela Almonester de Pontalba, New Orleans-born businesswoman; French mother Felix Rohatyn (1928–2019), businessman, investment banker, served in public service as an ambassador Jacques Telesphore Roman (1800–1848), businessman Paul Tulane (1801–1887), businessman and philanthropist, Tulane University named in his honor
Entertainment Actors Renée Adorée, French-born American actress Jessica Alba, actress; mother is of partial French-Canadian ancestry Cliff Arquette (1905–1974), American actor was of part French-Canadian descent, and his family's surname was originally "Arcouet" Lewis Arquette (1935–2001), American actor, was of French-Canadian descent Patricia Arquette (born 1968), American actress, is of French-Canadian descent Alexis Arquette (July 28, 1969 – September 11, 2016), was an American actress, cabaret performer, underground cartoonist, and activist. Alexis was of French-Canadian descent. René Auberjonois (1940–2019), Tony Award-winner, American character actor (and grandson of the painter), best known for his early 1980s role as Clayton Endicott III on the television show Benson and his role as Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Tina Aumont, California-born actress; father was an immigrant from France Elle Burstyn, American actress with French ancestry. Alec Baldwin, actor, one of the four brothers; mother had part French-Canadian ancestry Daniel Baldwin, actor, one of the four brothers; mother had part French-Canadian ancestry Stephen Baldwin, actor, one of the four brothers; mother had part French-Canadian ancestry William Baldwin, actor, one of the four brothers; mother had part French-Canadian ancestry Lucille Ball (1911–1989), actress; mother was of partial French heritage Adrienne Barbeau (born 1945), 1980s B-movie actress; father was of part French-Canadian ancestry Jean-Marc Barr, French-American film actor and director Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), cowboy actor and artist, descendant of Nicolas Martiau Hugh Beaumont, actor with large filmography; father was of French ancestry Kimberly Beck, actress with mother of French descent; daughter of actress Cindy Robbins Pierre Bellocq, French-American artist and horse racing cartoonist Melissa Benoist, American actress, of partial French descent through paternal great-grandfather Marcheline Bertrand, actress of half French-Canadian ancestry, mother of actress Angelina Jolie Jessica Biel (born 1982), American actress with distant French roots JB Blanc (born 1969), actor; father of French descent Cate Blanchett, actress Joan Blondell (1906–1979), American actress; father Eddie was of French descent Caprice Bourret (born 1971), French American actress and model Charles Boyer (1899–1978), film actor, immigrant from France Elizabeth Bracco, actress with French and Italian ancestry Lorraine Bracco, actress with French and Italian ancestry Jules Brulatour, pioneering figure in American silent cinema Ellen Bry, actress best known for her work on the NBC medical drama series St. Elsewhere Mary Cadorette, former American actress Dove Cameron, American actor of French descent Dean Cain, American actor, of part French descent Trishelle Cannatella (born 1979), American actress, model; of Cajun ancestry
Leslie Caron (born 1931), film actress and dancer; born in France Charisma Carpenter (born 1970), American actress, of part French descent Jim Carrey, Canadian-American actor; father was of French-Canadian ancestry and family surname was Anglicization of Carré Lacey Chabert (born 1982), actress, father of mostly Cajun/French descent Loan Chabanol (born 1982), actress Pauline Chalamet (born 1992), American-French actress; born to a French father, of French and British descent, and an American Jewish mother, holds both passports Timothée Chalamet (born 1995), American-French actor; born to a French father, of French and British descent, and an American Jewish mother, holds both passports Lon Chaney Sr., silent film actor, of part French descent Lon Chaney Jr., actor and son of Lon Chaney Sr.; of part French descent David Charvet, French-born American actor and singer, husband of Brooke Burke Lilyan Chauvin, French-born actress Robert Clary (1926–2022), actor, published author, and lecturer" Claudette Colbert, French-American actress Bud Cort (born 1948), actor, of partial French descent Phil Cousineau, author, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker Daniel Craig, actor, naturalized American citizen Joan Crawford, actress, her father was of partial French Huguenot ancestry Marcia Cross, actress with French-Canadian heritage Billy Crudup, actor Willem Dafoe, actor, father was of partial French descent Lili Damita, French-born actress Bette Davis, film actress, born in Lowell, Massachusetts; father was of English descent and mother was of French-Canadian descent Robert De Niro, one of the most acclaimed actors of all time; two-time Academy Award winner; mother had small amount of French ancestry Ellen DeGeneres, actress, talk-show host; father was of part French descent Anthony Delon, actor, son of French actors Alain Delon and Nathalie Delon Johnny Depp (born 1963), actor; He is descended from a French Huguenot immigrant (Pierre Dieppe, who settled in Virginia around 1700) Lily-Rose Depp, French-born American actress and model. She is the daughter of American actor, producer, and musician Johnny Depp and French singer, actress, and model Vanessa Paradis.
Julie Delpy (born 1969), actress, immigrant from France Emilie de Ravin (born 1981), Australian actress; naturalized American citizen Emily Deschanel, actress and daughter of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, of partial French descent Zooey Deschanel, actress and daughter of cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, of partial French descent Arielle Dombasle (born 1958), singer and actress working primarily in the cinema of France Brad Dourif (born 1950), actor; paternal grandparents were immigrants from France Fiona Dourif (born 1981), American actress of part French ancestry, daughter of Brad Dourif Joanne Dru, actress; sister of actor and TV game show host Peter Marshall Val Dufour, actor, known for his role of Andre Lazar on The Edge of Night Nicole duFresne (1977–2005), playwright and actress Josh Duhamel (born 1972), actor, father is of partial French-Canadian ancestry Tiffany Dupont (born 1981), French American actress known for the film One Night With the King Shelley Duvall, American actress with distant French Huguenot heritage James Duval, actor, known for his roles as Frank in Donnie Darko and as Singh in Go; both parents are of partial French ancestry Clea DuVall, actress, father is of part French descent Robert Duvall, of distant French paternal ancestry Mireille Enos, actress; mother is French Jon Favreau, actor, director, screenwriter, voice artist, and comedian; father is of partial French-Canadian ancestry Robert Florey (1900–1979), actor, director, screenwriter Jorja Fox, actress, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, mother is of French-Canadian and Belgian ancestry Brendan Fraser, actor Elle Fanning, American actress with French ancestry through her father's lineage Dakota Fanning, American actress with French ancestry through her father's lineage Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, actress, mother is French-American Eva Le Gallienne, actress Brittny Gastineau (born 1983), American actress, and model; daughter of former NFL player Mark Gastineau and Lisa Gastineau Richard Gautier, actor Judy Garland, American actress and singer with French Huguenot ancestry. Cam Gigandet, actor, known for Never Back Down and Red Sky