List of French Americans



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 thirteen 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.

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.

General

 * Tom Bergeron, Emmy Award-nominated American television personality
 * John Vernou Bouvier III (1891–1957), Wall Street stockbroker and father of U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Lee Bouvier
 * Warren Buffett, of French Huguenot ancestry and among the top wealthiest men in the world
 * François Castaing, 27-year veteran automotive executive
 * Clyde Cessna,
 * Louis Chevrolet, co-founder with William C. Durant of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company
 * Yvon Chouinard, rock climber, environmentalist and outdoor industry businessman
 * Ellen DeGeneres, TV personality and businesswoman
 * 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 theatre 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
 * Louis J. Michot, businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist and a former Democratic state representative
 * 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
 * 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
 * John Davison Rockefeller
 * Felix Rohatyn, businessman, investment banker, served in public service as an ambassador
 * Jacques Telesphore Roman (1800–1848), businessman
 * Chloë Sevigny (born 1974), actress with French-Canadian ancestry
 * Paul Tulane (1801–1887), businessman and philanthropist, Tulane University named in his honor
 * Valmont Industries

Actors

 * Renée Adorée, French-born American actress
 * Jessica Alba, actress; mother is of partial French-Canadian ancestry
 * Odette Annable (born 1985), American actress of Cuban and French/Italian (by way of Colombia) descent
 * René Auberjonois (born 1940), 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
 * Alec Baldwin, actor, one of the four brothers; mother was of part French-Canadian ancestry
 * Daniel Baldwin, actor, one of the four brothers; mother was of part French-Canadian ancestry
 * Stephen Baldwin, actor, one of the four brothers; mother was of part French-Canadian ancestry
 * William Baldwin, actor, one of the four brothers; mother was of 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
 * Pierre Bellocq, French-American artist and horse racing cartoonist
 * Marcheline Bertrand, actress of half French-Canadian ancestry, mother of actress Angelina Jolie
 * Jessica Biel (born 1982), American actress with distant French roots
 * 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
 * Mary Cadorette, former American actress
 * 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
 * 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 (born 1926), actor, published author, and lecturer
 * Claudette Colbert, French-born actress
 * Bud Cort (born 1948), actor, of partial French descent
 * Phil Cousineau, author, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker
 * Joan Crawford, actress, her father was of partial French Huguenot ancestry
 * 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
 * Julie Delpy (born 1969), actress, immigrant from France
 * 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
 * Dennis Deveaugh, first-generation French-American actor and stuntman
 * 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
 * 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
 * James Duval, actor, known for his roles as Frank in Donnie Darko and as Singh in Go; both parents are of partial French ancestry
 * 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
 * Jorja Fox, actress, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, mother is of French-Canadian and Belgian ancestry
 * Brendan Fraser, actor
 * Rani Fujikawa, actress, father and mother of part French descent
 * Eva Le Gallienne, actress
 * Brittny Gastineau (born 1983), American actress, and model; daughter of former NFL player Mark Gastineau and Lisa Gastineau
 * Ava Gaudet, actress, known for portraying Beckett 'Becks' Scott in Ugly Betty
 * Richard Gautier, actor
 * Cam Gigandet, actor, known for Never Back Down and Red Sky
 * Drake Glover, actor, mother has small amount of French-Canadian ancestry
 * Legend Glover, actor, mother has small amount of French-Canadian ancestry
 * Robert Goulet (1933–2007), actor/singer
 * Adrian Grenier, actor, mother has small amount of French ancestry
 * Zach Grenier, actor, of partial French descent
 * Alice Guy-Blaché, pioneer filmmaker; first female director in the motion picture industry
 * Anne Hathaway (born 1982), film actress; of mostly Irish and French ancestry
 * Kyle Hebert, voice actor
 * Frances Heflin, actress, of partial French descent
 * Van Heflin, actor, of partial French descent
 * Gillian Jacobs, actress, known for her role on the NBC sitcom Community; of part French descent
 * Celina Jade, actress, singer and martial artist
 * Angelina Jolie (born 1975), actress, maternal grandfather was of French-Canadian descent
 * Victoria Justice (born 1993), father is of part French descent
 * Minka Kelly (born 1980), American actress; known for role of Lyla Garrity on NBC's Friday Night Lights; biological father is aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufay, born in France, to American parents
 * Rod La Rocque (1898–1969), film actor of French Canadian descent
 * Shia LaBeouf (born 1986), actor, Cajun (French) father
 * Christopher Lambert (born 1957), actor
 * Cynthia Lamontagne, actress
 * Dorothy Lamour (1914–1996), film actress, mother was of French Cajun ancestry
 * John Larroquette, Emmy Award-winning film and television actor
 * Eva LaRue (born 1966), actress best known for portraying Natalia Boa Vista on CSI: Miami; was on a soap opera for many years; ovarian cancer spokesperson
 * Lash LaRue (1917–1996), actor
 * Taylor Lautner (born 1992), actor, martial artist, of partial French descent
 * Sabrina Le Beauf (born 1958), actress, French Creole, known for playing Sandra on The Cosby Show
 * Eva Le Gallienne, well-known actress, producer, and director, during the first half of the 20th century
 * Christian LeBlanc (born 1958), two-time Emmy Award-winning American actor
 * Matt LeBlanc (born 1967), American actor,y known as Joey Tribbiani on the show Friends; father was of French-Canadian heritage
 * Adam LeFevre, actor, Taxi, of partial French descent
 * Harry Lennix, actor, Suspect Zero, 24, of partial French descent
 * Jennifer LeRoy, adult film actress, actress and model
 * Hal LeSueur, actor and brother of Joan Crawford; father is of partial French Huguenot ancestry
 * Jared Leto, actor and frontman of Thirty Seconds to Mars, of French Cajun descent
 * Jon Lormer, French-American actor
 * Julia Louis-Dreyfus, daughter of French-Jewish businessman Gérard Louis-Dreyfus; known for her roles in the series Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine
 * Brook Mahealani Lee (born 1971), Eurasian model; former miss Hawaii, Miss USA, and Miss Universe 1997
 * J. P. Manoux, Marquant actor, Phil of the Future, Angel, Smallville, Scrubs, Charmed, and Crossing Jordan
 * Mike Marshall, French-American actor; son of director William Marshall and half-brother of Tonie Marshall
 * Tonie Marshall, French-American actress; son of director William Marshall and half-sister of Mike Marshall
 * Rosita Marstini (1887–1948), dancer, stage personality, silent and sound film actress from Nancy, France
 * The Marx Brothers, whose father Sam Marx was born in France
 * Rose McGowan (born 1973), American actress best known for Charmed; of Irish paternal and French maternal ancestry
 * Meiling Melançon, actress
 * Christopher Meloni (born 1961), American actor, mother is of French-Canadian heritage
 * Adolphe Menjou (1890–1963), film actor, especially from the 1920s–1940s
 * Jesse Metcalfe (1978), played John Rowland in Desperate Housewives; father is of partial French ancestry
 * Wentworth Miller, mother has distant French ancestry
 * Yvette Mimieux (born 1942), American actress, of French and Mexican ancestry
 * Nathan Fillion (born 1970), actor
 * Victor Pépin, circus master with the Circus of Pépin and Breschard
 * Ryan Phillippe, of part French descent
 * Tyrone Power, actor, mother was of part French-Canadian descent, father was of partial French Huguenot ancestry
 * Maggie Quigley (born 1979), Euro-Asian American actress and former fashion model, known for Mission Impossible III and Balls of Fury, father of part French-Canadian descent
 * Mickey Rourke, actor, mother of part French descent
 * Brandon Routh, actor, of partial French heritage
 * Carol Roux, actress
 * Kiele Sanchez (born 1977), actress, mother of French descent
 * Reni Santoni, film, television and voice actor
 * April Scott (born 1977), American actress of French, Native American, and Spanish ancestry
 * Michael Sinterniklaas (born 1972), voice actor
 * Tom Sizemore (born 1961), actor of maternal part French ancestry
 * Leelee Sobieski (born 1983), film actress, father is an immigrant from France, who is of Polish and Swiss descent
 * Shannyn Sossamon (born 1978), born in Honolulu, Hawaii, of French, Hawaiian, Dutch, English, Irish, Filipino, and German descent
 * Sylvester Stallone (born 1946), actor and film producer; mother is half French; maternal grandmother is from Brest
 * Aden Strong (born 2004), voice actor, father of part French-Canadian descent
 * Sammy Strong (born 2002), voice actor, father of part French-Canadian descent
 * Stéphanie Szostak (born 1975), actress
 * Charlize Theron (born 1975), born in South Africa, now an American actress of French Huguenot, Dutch, and German descent
 * Justin Theroux, actor, screenwriter and director, father is of French-Canadian and Italian heritage
 * Franchot Tone, Hollywood actor, of partial French descent
 * Beth Toussaint, actress, Red Eye
 * Michael Vartan, actor, born in France (not of French descent)
 * Tessa Gräfin von Walderdorff, actress of French, Swiss, Dutch and German ancestry

Artists

 * Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), artist and sculptor, "Cowboy of Cowboy Artists"
 * Tom Bergeron, TV host, Emmy Award-nominated
 * Louise Bourgeois (1911–2010), abstract expressionist artist; born in Paris, married an American
 * Brooke Burke (born 1971), television personality and model, known for hosting Wild On! (1999–2002); of French, Irish, Jewish, and Portuguese ancestry
 * Isabelle Collin Dufresne (born 1935), artist, author, and former colleague of Andy Warhol
 * Katie Couric, TV personality, most of her ancestry is French
 * Ellen DeGeneres, TV personality, father is of French Cajun ancestry
 * Leah Dizon (born 1986), actress, model, and singer; of French, and Asian (Filipino-Chinese) ancestry
 * Angela Dufresne, artist based in Brooklyn, New York
 * Edgar de Evia, Mexican-born photographer and son of French pianist Pauline Joutard
 * Sean Flynn, photograph whose death in Cambodia remains a mystery; son of actress Lili Damita
 * Melody Gardot (born 1985), jazz singer from Philadelphia
 * Peter Grain (1785–1857), painter, architect and panoramist
 * Van Heflin
 * Gaston Lachaise (1882–1935), sculptor
 * Danielle Lacourse (born 1986), French American Miss USA runner-up
 * Bonnie Jill Laflin (born 1976), model and actress; of French descent
 * Don LaFontaine, voiceover artist; recorded more than 5,000 film trailers and hundreds of thousands of television advertisements, network promotions, and video game trailers; his nicknames include "Thunder Throat" and "The Voice of God"
 * Allie LaForce (born 1988), beauty queen from Vermilion, Ohio; Miss Teen USA 2005
 * Ali Landry, actress, model
 * Jennifer Lavoie (born 1971), Playboy Playmate, model, Internet entrepreneur
 * Brook Mahealani Lee (born 1971), Miss USA and Miss Hawaii USA prior to winning the Miss Universe 1997 pageant; of mixed Korean, Portuguese, French, Hawaiian and Chinese ancestry
 * Paul de Longpré, flower painter
 * Madonna (born 1958), international singer; mother is of French-Canadian descent
 * Josie Maran (born 1978), American supermodel of partial French ancestry
 * Michelle Maylene (born 1987), pornographic actress; of Filipino, and French ancestry
 * Maria McBane (born 1946), model and actress, Playboy Playmate of the Month May 1965
 * Linda Moon, Playboy magazine Playmate of the Month October 1966
 * Frederic Remington (1861–1909), western artist and sculptor
 * Bernard Renaud (Renot) (1935), French-born American artist, sculptor, illustrator and author
 * René Ricard, artist, poet, and philosopher
 * Jasmin St. Claire (born 1974), pornographic actress; of Italian, Russian, and French ancestry
 * Patrick Tatopoulos, French-American production designer
 * Tila Tequila (born 1981), model, singer, and actress; of 3/4 Vietnamese, and 1/4 French ancestry
 * Stephanie Trudeau (born 1986), French American Miss Montana winner

Musicians

 * Phil Anselmo (born 1968), heavy metal musician
 * Sara Bareilles (born 1979), American singer, her first single was "Love Song"
 * David Benoit (born 1953), American jazz pianist
 * Jello Biafra, singer for 1970s punk band Dead Kennedys
 * Brent Bourgeois (born 1958), American rock musician, songwriter, and producer
 * Wellman Braud, jazz string bass player
 * Colbie Caillat, young singer and daughter of Ken Caillat
 * Lucien Cailliet (1897–1985), American composer, conductor, arranger and clarinetist
 * Marcel Chagnon, American country music singer-songwriter
 * Cher, American singer, actress
 * Ciara (born 1985), American R&B singer of Creole, German, and Irish heritage
 * Kurt Cobain (1967–1994), lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for band Nirvana
 * Amie Comeaux (1976–1997), country singer
 * Alice Cooper (born 1947), American singer; has French Huguenot ancestry
 * Joe Dassin (1938–1980), French-speaking musician
 * Paul De Lisle, singer, Smash Mouth
 * Gavin DeGraw (born 1977), American singer of French descent
 * Marianne Dissard (born 1969), French-born singer
 * Leah Dizon (born 1986), singer, model, actress of French and Asian ancestry
 * Michael Doucet, singer, songwriter and founder of the Cajun band BeauSoleil
 * Mary Gauthier, folk singer and songwriter
 * George Girard, musician
 * Dan Ingram, Top 40 disc jockey with a forty-year career on radio stations such as WABC and WCBS-FM in New York City
 * JoJo (born 1990), American pop/R&B singer-songwriter and actress
 * Beyoncé Knowles (born 1981), American R&B singer-songwriter and actress; a French Creole of French and African-American and Native American descent
 * Solange Knowles (born 1986), R&B singer; a French Creole of French and African-American and Native American descent
 * Ray Lamontagne (born 1974), American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter
 * Amel Larrieux (born 1973), American R&B/soul singer-songwriter
 * Calixa Lavallée, lived in Rhode Island and served in the American Civil War as lieutenant
 * Mylon LeFevre, gospel singer and writer
 * Iry LeJeune, one of the best-selling and most popular musicians during 1940
 * Paz Lenchantin, bass player part of the band A Perfect Circle
 * J. B. Lenoir, Chicago blues guitarist, singer and songwriter
 * Charles Martin Loeffler, French-born composer
 * Madonna (born 1958), French-Canadian on her mother's side of the family
 * W. A. Mathieu, composer, pianist, choir director, music teacher, and author
 * Pierre Monteux (1875–1964), orchestra conductor
 * Dave Mustaine, founder of heavy metal Band  Megadeth; former member of Metallica
 * Madeleine Peyroux, American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist
 * Lily Pons (1898–1976), coloratura soprano
 * Elvis Presley, American singer-songwriter and actor, often referred to as "the King of Rock and Roll", or simply "the King"
 * Shandi Sinnamon, singer-songwriter
 * Izzy Stradlin, American rock musician
 * DeVante Swing, member of R&B group Jodeci
 * Edgard Varèse, French-born composer
 * Jaci Velasquez (born 1979), American singer, Grammy Award, and Dove Award winner of Mexican, French, and Spanish ancestry
 * Maïa Vidal, singer-songwriter
 * Rufus Wainwright (born 1973), singer-songwriter
 * Clarence White, musician for The Byrds

Other entertainers

 * Charlotte d'Amboise, American actress and dancer and daughter of Jacques d'Amboise
 * Christopher d'Amboise, American dancer, choreographer, writer, and theatre director, son of Jacques d'Amboise
 * Jacques d'Amboise, American ballet dancer and choreographer
 * Kevyn Aucoin, make-up artist and photographer
 * Anthony Bourdain, author and the "Chef-at-Large" of Brasserie Les Halles, based in New York City with locations in Miami, Florida, and Washington, D.C. and host of the Travel Channel's culinary and cultural adventure program Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
 * Joseph C. Brun (1907–1998), French-born American cinematographer
 * Damien Chazelle, American director and screenwriter
 * Vance DeGeneres, performer, producer, and writer of several television shows
 * Caleb Deschanel, American cinematographer
 * Lynsey DuFour, soap opera writer
 * Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau (1859–1915), artist's model, also known as "Madame X"
 * Paul Germain, animation screenwriter and producer
 * Michael Goudeau, juggler and ex-circus clown; writer and executive producer for the Showtime series Bullshit!
 * Marianne Gravatte, Playboy playmate
 * Lloyd Jacquet, comic-book innovator
 * Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865–1915), physician; 3/4 Native, 1/4 French
 * Ted LeFevre, theatrical set designer
 * Monique Lhuillier (born 1971), fashion designer
 * Yolanda "Tongolele" Montes, exotic dancer and actress of the Cinema of Mexico
 * Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929–1994), First Lady and wife of the late John F. Kennedy; maiden name is Bouvier and she is usually referred to by all three of her surnames together; father was of French descent
 * Jean-Paul Poulain (died 2007), Maine Franco-American cabaret recording artist
 * Carrie Prejean, model and beauty pageant contestant; father is of French descent
 * Lee Radziwill (Caroline Lee Bouvier), daughter of stockbroker John Vernou Bouvier III and sister of former first lady Jacqueline Onassis
 * Oliver Stone, director
 * Cyril Takayama, Japanese/French American illusionist
 * Susette LaFlesche Tibbles (1854–1903), sister of Susan La Flesche, writer, and artist
 * Garry Trudeau, cartoonist, best known for the Doonesbury comic strip
 * Paul Verdier, stage director, actor, and playwright; had a number of guest parts on American television

Explorers

 * Étienne de Veniard, Sieur de Bourgmont (1679–1734), French explorer who made the first maps and documentation of the Missouri and Platte rivers
 * Jean Baptiste Baudreau II, the only man in American history executed by breaking wheel
 * Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, founder of New Orleans, Biloxi, Natchez; co-founder of Mobile; served as colonial Governor of Louisiana (New France) for four terms, totaling 30 years
 * Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, founder of Detroit and one-time colonial governor of Louisiana (New France)
 * Jean-Baptiste Charbonneau, born on the Lewis and Clark expedition, depicted on a US $1 coin
 * Toussaint Charbonneau, member of the Lewis and Clark expedition
 * François Chouteau (1797–1838), first white settlers of Kansas City, Missouri
 * René Auguste Chouteau (1749–1829), trader with American Indians; founder of and influential figure in early St. Louis
 * Georges Doriot (1899–1987), one of the first venture capitalists; brigadier general in World War II
 * George Drouillard, translator on the Lewis and Clark expedition
 * Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (1745–1818), first permanent settler in Chicago, Illinois
 * Marquis Duquesne (1700–1778), French Governor of New France; served from 1752-1755; best known for his role in the French and Indian War
 * Peter Faneuil (1700–1743), colonial merchant and philanthropist who donated Faneuil Hall to Boston
 * John Lewis Gervais, statesman and planter from South Carolina; formed delegate to the Continental Congress
 * Joseph Gervais, pioneer settler and trapper in the Columbia District of the Hudson's Bay Company
 * Antoine LeClaire, founder of Davenport, Iowa
 * Alexander McGillivray (1750–1793), leader of the Creek Indians
 * Henry Davis Minot, railroad executive
 * John Bevins Moisant (1868–1910), aviator
 * Paul Revere (1734/1735–1818), silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution
 * Daniel Roberdeau (1727–1795), merchant
 * Charles Rochon, founder of modern-day Mobile, commemorated with a plaque at Fort Conde
 * William Sublette (1799–1845), explorer, fur trapper, mountain man

Governors and presidents

 * Armand Beauvais (1783–1843), Governor of Louisiana
 * Newton C. Blanchard (1849–1922), United States Representative, Senator, and Governor of Louisiana
 * Kathleen Blanco, Governor of Louisiana
 * Pierre Derbigny (1769–1829), Governor of Louisiana
 * Jacques Dupre, Louisiana State Representative, State Senator and Governor of Louisiana
 * William Pope Duval (1784–1854), first Governor of Florida
 * Edwin Edwards (born 1927), Louisiana Governor for four terms
 * Elizabeth II, Queen of England, a descendant of 1620 Jamestown settler of Nicolas Martiau
 * Paul Octave Hébert (1818–1880), Governor of Louisiana from 1853–56 and a General in the Confederate Army
 * John Jay, second Governor of New York and first Chief Justice of the United States
 * Robert M. La Follette Sr., Governor of Wisconsin and progressive reformer
 * Earl Long (1895–1960), three-time Democratic governor of Louisiana
 * Huey Long (1893–1935), Louisiana Governor and a U.S. senator
 * Alexander Mouton (1804–1885), United States Senator and Governor of Louisiana
 * Thomas Nelson Jr. (1738–1789), Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Virginia
 * Pierre S. du Pont, IV, Governor of Delaware, U.S. Representative
 * Aram J. Pothier, twice Governor of Rhode Island; of French Canadian descent
 * Andre B. Roman (1795–1866), Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives and twice elected Governor of Louisiana
 * Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States
 * John Sevier, Governor of Tennessee until his death; house representative
 * Henry S. Thibodaux (1769–1827), Governor of Louisiana; father-in-law of Alexander Hamilton
 * Jacques Villeré (1761–1830), second Governor of Louisiana
 * George Washington (1732–1799), General of the American Revolutionary War, first American President, descendant of French-American Nicolas Martiau

Congressmen and senators

 * Les AuCoin, former Democratic congressman from Oregon
 * Kelly Ayotte (born 1968), New Hampshire former U.S. Senator
 * Joe Biden, U.S. Senator and Vice President of the United States.
 * Elias Boudinot (1740–1821), early American statesman
 * James Carville, French-American (Cajun) from Louisiana; outspoken Democrat and served in the Clinton administration; has been a political commentator for many years
 * Hillary Clinton (born 1947), United States Secretary of State, former Democratic member of the United States Senate from New York; wife of William Jefferson Clinton; former first lady of the US
 * Davy Crockett (1786–1836), folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and Congressman from Tennessee
 * Tom DeLay (born 1947), former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Sugar Land, Texas, the former House Majority Leader, prominent member of the Republican Party
 * Mike Gravel (born 1930), Alaska former U.S. senator and candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination
 * F. Edward Hebert, former Congressman, Chairman of Armed Services Committee
 * Hiram Johnson, Governor of California, Congressman and U.S. Senator.
 * Philip La Follette, Governor of Wisconsin two separate terms
 * Robert M. La Follette, Sr. (1855–1925), politician who served as a U.S. Congressman, the 20th Governor of Wisconsin from 1901–1906, and Senator from Wisconsin from 1905–1925 as a member of the Republican Party
 * John Baptiste Charles Lucas, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
 * Bernard de Marigny, early President of the Louisiana Senate
 * Michael Michaud (born 1955), Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Millinocket, Maine, first elected in 2002
 * Wilmer Mizell (1930–1999), Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives for North Carolina, 1969–1975
 * Gary Peters, junior Senator from Michigan (his mother was from France)
 * Julien de Lallande Poydras (1740–1824), represented the Territory of Orleans in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1809-1811; a self-made businessman, philanthropist, poet, and educator
 * Daniel Roberdeau (1727–1795), represented Pennsylvania from 1777 to 1779 in the Continental Congress and served as a brigadier general in the state militia during the Revolutionary War
 * Joseph Rosier, Senator
 * John Sevier (1745–1815), served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as governor of Tennessee, and as a US Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death

Mayors

 * Prudent Beaudry mayor of Los Angeles
 * Paul Bertus, mayor of New Orleans
 * Etienne de Boré, first Mayor of New Orleans
 * Jack Breaux, former Republican mayor of Zachary, Louisiana
 * Paul Capdevielle, Confederate army officer, then mayor of New Orleans
 * Joey Durel, mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana
 * Barry E. DuVal, mayor of Newport News, Virginia, 1990
 * Peter Force (1790–1868), mayor of Washington D.C., and archivist
 * William Freret, thirteenth mayor of New Orleans
 * Charles Genois (1793–1866), mayor of New Orleans
 * Nicholas Girod, mayor of New Orleans
 * John Brennan Hussey, former mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana
 * Moon Landrieu, judge, former mayor of New Orleans, and former United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
 * Dud Lastrapes, former mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana
 * Damien Marchessault, mayor of Los Angeles
 * Joseph Edgard Montegut, mayor of New Orleans
 * Ashton J. Mouton, former mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana
 * James Pitot, second mayor of New Orleans
 * Louis Philippe de Roffignac, mayor of New Orleans
 * Jacques Roy, former mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana
 * J. A. D. Rozier, mayor of New Orleans
 * Roy R. Theriot, former Louisiana comptroller and Mayor of Abbeville, Louisiana
 * Charles Trudeau, fifth mayor of New Orleans
 * Joanne Verger, mayor of Coos Bay, serving four terms; served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2001–2004; elected to the Oregon State Senate in 2004

Other politicians

 * P. G. T. Beauregard, civil servant, politician, inventor, author, and the first prominent general for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
 * Jonathan Blanchard, lawyer, statesman; delegate for New Hampshire to the Continental Congress in 1784
 * Charles Joseph Bonaparte, Secretary of the Navy (1905) and US Attorney General (1906) in the Theodore Roosevelt Administration; founder of the Bureau of Investigation in 1908, renamed in 1935 the Federal Bureau of Investigation
 * Merle Boucher, North Dakota House of Representatives, representing the 9th district since 1991
 * Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
 * James Carville, political consultant
 * Todd Chretien, activist
 * Eugene Debs, union organizer
 * F.O. "Potch" Didier, Louisiana sheriff
 * Cat Doucet, Louisiana sheriff
 * George H. Durand, politician, jurist, and attorney
 * Henry Durant, first President of the University of California
 * Henry Fowle Durant, founder of Wellesley College
 * Michael Raoul Duval, investment banker and lawyer; had Senior White House positions while serving under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, where he rose to the position of Special Counsel to the President
 * Christopher Emery (born 1957), author, Chief Enterprise Architect, and former White House Assistant Chief Usher
 * Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant, architect and urban planner
 * John C. Frémont, military officer, explorer and the first candidate of the Republican Party for the office of President of the United States
 * Edmond-Charles Genêt, French Ambassador to the U.S. during the American Revolution
 * John Lewis Gervais, American statesman from South Carolina; delegate to the Continental Congress from 1782 to 1783
 * Izabel Goulart (born 1984), Brazilian model of French and Italian ancestry; Victoria's Secret Angel
 * John Grenier, one of the figures responsible for the rise of the Republican Party in Alabama
 * Alexander Hamilton (1755–1804), American founding father, army officer, lawyer, politician, leading statesman, financier, and political theorist
 * Russel L. Honoré, retired Lieutenant General who served as the 33rd commanding general of the U.S. First Army
 * Caroline Kennedy (born 1957), daughter of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and John F. Kennedy
 * Donald Ray Kennard, former educator and a politician in the Louisiana House of Representatives
 * John F. Kennedy, Jr. (1960–1999), son of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and John F. Kennedy
 * Eric LaFleur, Louisiana House of Representatives
 * Raymond "Lala" Lalonde, former Democratic Louisiana state representative
 * Lyndon LaRouche, American political figure
 * Dudley J. LeBlanc, popular member of Democratic Party
 * Edwin O. LeGrand, one of the fifty-seven men who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence
 * William Lenoir, American Revolutionary War officer and prominent statesman
 * Charlton Lyons, pioneer of the Republican Party in Louisiana
 * Nathaniel Macon, spokesman for the Old Republican faction of the Democratic-Republican Party
 * Robert B. Macon, representative
 * Alexander McGillivray, leader of the Creek Indians
 * Ernest Nathan Morial, American political, legal, and civil rights leader
 * Libby Pataki, former First Lady of New York
 * Joel Roberts Poinsett, physician, botanist and American statesman
 * Pierre S. du Pont, IV, member of the Republican Party; served three terms as U. S. Representative from Delaware and two terms as Governor of Delaware
 * Hope Portocarrero (1929–1991), former First Lady of Nicaragua
 * Julien de Lallande Poydras (1740–1824), French-American politician who served as Delegate from the Territory of Orleans to the United States House of Representatives
 * Pierre Salinger, press secretary
 * Pierre Soulé, U.S. politician and diplomat during the mid-19th century, best known for writing the Ostend Manifesto in 1854 as part of an attempt to annex Cuba to the United States
 * Billy Tauzin, politician
 * Joanne Verger, Mayor of Coos Bay, serving four terms; served in the Oregon House of Representatives from 2001–2004; elected to the Oregon State Senate in 2004
 * David Vitter, politician

Authors and writers

 * Laura Albert, better known under her pen-name JT LeRoy, writer and publisher
 * Louis L'Amour, author
 * P. G. T. Beauregard, author, civil servant, politician, inventor, and the first prominent general for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
 * Stephen Vincent Benét (1898–1943), author, poet, short story writer and novelist
 * Bryan Bergeron, author
 * Edd Cartier, pulp magazine illustrator
 * Kate Chopin (1851–1904), author of short stories and novels
 * Ève Curie, French author and writer, married an American and worked for the UNICEF
 * John Dufresne, American author
 * Will Durant (1885–1981), philosopher, historian, and writer
 * John Crittenden Duval, author
 * Kelly Le Fave (born 1959), poet
 * Richard Le Gallienne, man of letters
 * Robert Grenier, contemporary American poet who is often associated with the Language School
 * Jack Kerouac (1922–1969), novelist, writer, poet, artist, and part of the Beat Generation
 * Theodore de Laguna, American philosopher; early feminist
 * Sidney Lanier (1842–1881), musician and poet
 * Steve Lavigne, comic book illustrator best known for his lettering and coloring on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics
 * Jonathan Littell, French-American author
 * Grace Metalious (1924–1964), author, best known for Peyton Place
 * Alice Miel, author
 * Anaïs Nin (1903–1977), known for published diaries
 * William Pène du Bois, author, illustrator and publicist
 * Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours (1739–1817), writer, economist and statesman
 * Annie Proulx
 * Paul Theroux
 * Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), author of many articles and essays, development critic, naturalist, transcendentalist, pacifist, tax resister and philosopher; known for Walden, Civil Disobedience, Resistance to Civil Government
 * Gerald Vizenor (born 1934), poet, novelist and literary theorist;t known as an Anishinaabe writer, but he has written extensively about his French ancestors in texts such as Wordarrows (the narrative persona, "Clement Beaulieu", was the name of his uncle)
 * Marguerite Yourcenar, author and first woman to be elected to the Académie Française, in 1980

Education

 * Jonathan Blanchard, pastor, educator, social reformer, abolitionist and the first president of Wheaton College
 * Richard Grenier, neoconservative cultural columnist for The Washington Times; film critic for Commentary and The New York Times
 * Vladimir Lefebvre, mathematical psychologist at the University of California, Irvine
 * Jean Mayer (1920–1993), French-American nutritionist; tenth president of Tufts University from 1976 to 1992
 * Eric H. du Plessis, professor
 * Jeffrey Vitter, Frederick L. Hovde Dean of Science at Purdue University

Journalism

 * Andrew Anglin, editor of The Daily Stormer
 * Abbie Boudreau, CNN investigative journalist
 * Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (1929–1994), former journalist and First Lady of the United States
 * Ric Bucher, NBA analyst for ESPN
 * Steven Goldman, sports writer on baseball and a commentator on the New York Yankees and at times on the New York Mets
 * Richard Grenier, neoconservative cultural columnist for The Washington Times; film critic for Commentary and The New York Times
 * Adras LaBorde (1912–1993), Louisiana-based reporter, editor, and columnist
 * Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, journalist
 * Connie LeGrand, television journalist; served in broadcasting in South Carolina; host of Speed News (now The Speed Report)
 * John R. MacArthur, reporter for The Wall Street Journal (1977), the Washington Star (1978), The Bergen Record (1978–1979), Chicago Sun-Times (1979–1982); assistant foreign editor at United Press International (1982)
 * Suzanne Malveaux, CNN correspondent, of French Creole ancestry
 * E. Annie Proulx, American journalist and author
 * Pierre Salinger (1925–2004), news correspondent and presidential press secretary for John F. Kennedy

Military

 * Augustin de La Balme, General of Cavalry during the American Revolution
 * P. G. T. Beauregard, general for the Confederate Army during the American Civil War, writer, civil servant and inventor
 * Albert Gallatin Blanchard, Civil War General in the Confederate Army
 * Joseph Blanchard, Lieutenant during the French-Indian War
 * Benjamin Bonneville, French-born officer in the United States Army, fur trapper, and explorer in the American West
 * Mitch Bouyer (1837–1876), interpreter/guide in the Old West following the American Civil War, killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876
 * Claire Lee Chennault, World War II aviator and founder of the Flying Tigers
 * Claudius Crozet, French-born educator and civil engineer
 * Stephen Decatur (1779–1820), naval officer notable for his heroism in actions at Tripoli, Libya in the Barbary Wars and in the War of 1812
 * Lewis DuBois, American Revolutionary War commander
 * Michael Durant, Army pilot officer
 * William G. Fournier, Army soldier and a recipient of the military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II.
 * Rene Gagnon (1925–1979), one of the U.S. Marines immortalized in the famous World War II photograph (by Joe Rosenthal) of the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima
 * Richard Grenier, lieutenant in the Naval Academy
 * Robert Grenier, longtime CIA officer who served as the CIA's top counter-terrorism official in 2005
 * Florent Groberg, Medal of Honor recipient. Born in France to French mother and American father
 * Jean Joseph Amable Humbert, figure in New France's military who settled in New Orleans in 1808
 * Papa Jack Laine, bandleader
 * Leon J. LaPorte, four-star general
 * Robert E. Lee (1807–1870), General of the Confederate Army during the American Civil War 1861-1865, a descendant of military engineer Nicolas Martiau
 * William Lenoir, American Revolutionary War officer and prominent statesman in late 18th-century and early 19th-century North Carolina
 * Andrew Lewis, pioneer, surveyor, and soldier from Virginia
 * Robert C. Macon, Army General during World War II; commanded the 83rd Infantry Division during the drive across Europe and served as military attaché in Moscow
 * Francis Marion (1732–1795), Brigadier-General during American Revolutionary War; known as "Swamp Fox"; one of the fathers of modern guerilla warfare
 * Nicolas Martiau (1591–1657), military engineer of Jamestown, Virginia 1620, ancestor of President George Washington
 * Benjamin McCulloch (1811–1862), Texas Ranger, military officer, California 49er, sheriff, U.S. Marshall, U.S. Peace Commissioner ending the Utah War of 1857-58, a descendant of Nicolas Martiau
 * Henry Eustace McCulloch (1816–1895), Texas Ranger, military officer in the Texas Revolution as well as the Mexican-American War and the American Civil War, a descendant of Nicolas Martiau
 * Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (1757–1834), aristocrat, considered a national hero in both France and the United States for his participation in the French and American revolutions, for which he became an honorary citizen of the United States
 * Alfred Mouton, Confederate general in the American Civil War
 * Prince Achille Murat, former colonel who settled in New France
 * Thomas Nelson Jr. (1738–1789), Brigadier General, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Virginia, descendant of Nicolas Martiau
 * Frederick Rosier, Royal Air Force commander
 * Pierre Sprey, defense analyst and member of Fighter Mafia group

Religion

 * Antoine Blanc, fourth Bishop and first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans
 * Roy Bourgeois, American priest in the Maryknoll order of the Roman Catholic Church and founder of the human rights group SOA Watch
 * Charles J. Chaput, 9th and current Archbishop of Philadelphia
 * Anton Docher (1852–1928), The Padre of Isleta and Indians protector, New Mexico
 * Claude Marie Dubuis, second Roman Catholic bishop of Texas
 * Peter L'Huillier, retired archbishop of the Orthodox Church in America's Diocese of New York and New Jersey
 * Jean-Baptiste Lamy (1814–1888), first Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico
 * Mathias Loras (1792–1858), priest who later became the first Bishop of the Dubuque Diocese in what would become the state of Iowa
 * Tammy Faye Messner
 * Michael Portier (1795–1859), Roman Catholic bishop and the first Bishop of Mobile

Science

 * Paul André Albert (born 1926), metallurgist and technology pioneer
 * John James Audubon (1785–1851), ornithologist, naturalist, and painter
 * Daniel Barringer, geologist and son of Daniel Moreau Barringer, congressman
 * William Beaumont, surgeon in the Army; known as the "father of gastric physiology"
 * P. G. T. Beauregard, inventor, author, civil servant, politician, and the first prominent general for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
 * Jonathan Betts-LaCroix, chief technical officer of OQO
 * Thomas Blanchard, inventor, awarded over 25 patents for his creations
 * Octave Chanute, railway engineer and aviation pioneer hailed as the father of aviation
 * Louis Chevrolet, co-founder of the Chevrolet brand cars with William C. Durant
 * Philippe Cousteau Jr., environmentalist
 * René Dubos (1901–1982), microbiologist, experimental pathologist, environmentalist, humanist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author
 * William C. Durant, leading pioneer of the United States automobile industry, co-founder of Chevrolet cars with Louis Chevrolet
 * William F. Durand, forerunner of NASA, first civilian chair of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, naval officer and pioneer mechanical engineer
 * Karl Guthe Jansky, physicist.
 * Pierre Charles L'Enfant (1754–1825), architect and urban planner
 * Napoleon LeBrun, architect of several notable Philadelphia churches
 * William B. Lenoir, former NASA astronaut
 * John Bevins Moisant (1868–1910), American aviator
 * Matilde E. Moisant (1878–1964), American pioneer aviator and sister of John Bevins Moisant
 * Paco Nathan, computer scientist, author, and performance art show producer
 * Norbert Rilleaux, inventor, engineer
 * Michel (Michael) Ter-Pogossian (1925–1996), physicist; the father of positron emission tomography
 * Edward Livingston Trudeau (1848–1915), physician who established the Adirondack Cottage Sanitorium at Saranac Lake for treatment of tuberculosis
 * Vincent du Vigneaud, American biochemist and Nobel Prize winner

Baseball

 * Danny Ardoin, baseball player (catcher)
 * Peter Bergeron, player, currently free agent
 * Brett Bochy, baseball pitcher
 * Bruce Bochy, baseball manager
 * Lou Boudreau, Hall of Fame baseball player
 * Mike DeJean, baseball player
 * Jim Duquette, current vice president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles
 * Leo Durocher, Brooklyn Dodgers player and Manager and Hall of Famer
 * Andre Ethier, baseball player, French father
 * Mike Fontenot (born 1980), Louisiana State University and Major League Baseball infielder
 * Ray Fontenot (born 1957), former Major League pitcher
 * Jeff Francoeur, baseball player
 * Chad Gaudin, baseball player
 * Tom Glavine, baseball pitcher
 * Ron Guidry, former baseball player
 * Cal Hubbard, former baseball umpire
 * Nap Lajoie, Hall of Fame former second baseman in Major League Baseball
 * Gene Lamont, former catcher and who managed the Chicago White Sox (1992–1995) and Pittsburgh Pirates (1997–2000)
 * Jim Lefebvre, former second baseman, third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball
 * Edward LeRoux, club owner
 * Max Macon, Major League Baseball player and manager
 * John Maine, current New York Mets pitcher
 * Charlie Manuel, manager of the Philadelphia Phillies
 * Rabbit Maranville, Major League Baseball Hall of Famer
 * Jason Marquis, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs
 * Wilmer Mizell, Major League Baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals
 * Bill Monbouquette, baseball player, member of Red Sox Hall of Fame
 * Andy Pettitte, starting pitcher for the NY Yankees
 * Jerry Remy, Red Sox second baseman; later TV presenter
 * Edd Roush, center field baseball player and Hall of Famer
 * Scott Servais, manager of the Seattle Mariners
 * Ryan Theriot, second baseman for the Chicago Cubs; born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Basketball

 * Paul Arizin, former basketball player and Hall-of-Famer
 * Bob Cousy, former NBA player and Hall-of-Famer
 * Pat Durham, American former professional basketball
 * Dave Fergerson, basketball player who mostly plays in Europe
 * Edwin Jackson, basketball player for Unicaja Malaga
 * Zach LaVine, NBA basketball player (Minnesota Timberwolves)
 * Joakim Noah, NBA basketball player (Chicago Bulls)
 * Tony Parker, NBA basketball player (San Antonio Spurs)
 * Mickaël Piétrus, former NBA basketball player
 * Robert Sacre, Canadian-American basketball player, son of Greg LaFleur
 * Dominique Wilkins, NBA basketball player

Football



 * George Andrie, player for the Dallas Cowboys
 * David Bergeron, player, with Carolina Panthers
 * Steve Broussard, former punter for the Green Bay Packers
 * Steve Broussard, former NFL running back; played for Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks, and the Cincinnati Bengals
 * Chris DeFrance, wide receiver for the Washington Redskins
 * Joe DeLamielleure, former American football offensive lineman
 * Jake Delhomme, NFL quarterback
 * Greg DeLong, former NFL tight end
 * Keith DeLong, former linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
 * Billy Joe DuPree, Cowboys player of French Creole descent
 * Brett Favre (born 1667), NFL quarterback, descended from Jean Faure / Favre; born in Royan, Poitou-Charentes, France
 * Jerry Fontenot, NFL offensive center for the Bears, Saints and Packers
 * Gus Frerotte, NFL quarterback
 * Mitch Frerotte (died 2008), NFL lineman; cousin of Gus Frerrote
 * Mark Gastineau, former New York Jets
 * Joe Germaine, NFL player, originally drafted by the St. Louis Rams in 1999
 * Ray Guy, former punter for the Oakland Raiders
 * Dorial Green-Beckham, NFL wide receiver, Tennessee Titans
 * Bobby Hebert, former NFL quarterback
 * Brock Huard, Seattle Seahawks former quarterback
 * Damon Huard, former quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Francisco 49ers
 * Dick Jauron, Buffalo Bills head coach
 * Charlie Joiner, San Diego Chargers player
 * David LaFleur, player in heart of Dallas Cowboys
 * Greg LaFleur, former player; now the athletic director at Southern University; father of Robert Sacre
 * Curly Lambeau, player, coach, and founder of the Green Bay Packers
 * Jack Lambert, NFL Hall of Famer and one of the Steelers' greatest players
 * Greg Landry, former Detroit Lions quarterback
 * Tom Landry, coach, Dallas Cowboys
 * Steve Largent, NFL Hall of Famer
 * Chad Lavalais, NFL player
 * Dick LeBeau, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator; former football player
 * Roger LeClerc, former player for the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears
 * Stefan LeFors, football quarterback
 * Frank LeMaster, former linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles
 * Josh LeRibeus, guard for Washington Redskins
 * Billy Lyon, former defensive tackle for the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings
 * Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona Cardinals player, French Creole
 * Tommy Mont, former Washington Redskins quarterback
 * Luke Petitgout, NFL defender on the New York Giants team
 * Noel Prefontaine, CFL kicker with the Edmonton Eskimos
 * Darrell Royal, winningest football coach in University of Texas Longhorn history; College Football Hall of Fame member
 * Bob St. Clair, NFL Hall of Famer; player for the 49ers
 * Brian St. Pierre, quarterback originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers
 * Jim Thorpe (1888–1953), Hall of Fame football player; 1/2 Native American, 1/4 Irish, and 1/4 French; also a star baseball, basketball, and an Olympic star
 * Mike Tolbert, player for the Carolina Panthers
 * Dick Vermeil, former NFL player
 * Christian Yount, American football long snapper for the Cleveland Browns

Hockey

 * Bryan Berard, former professional ice hockey player
 * Brian Boucher, professional ice hockey goaltender for the San Jose Sharks
 * Francis Bouillon, former professional ice hockey player
 * Sean Couturier, professional ice hockey currently playing for the Philadelphia Flyers
 * Guy Hebert, former professional ice hockey goaltender
 * John LeClair, former professional ice hockey player
 * Paul Martin, hockey player
 * Zach Parise, professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Minnesota Wild
 * Philippe Sauvé, professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Boston Bruins

NASCAR

 * Greg Biffle, NASCAR driver
 * Brett Bodine, NASCAR driver
 * Geoff Bodine, NASCAR driver
 * Todd Bodine, NASCAR driver
 * Bill France, Sr. (1909–1992), co-founder of NASCAR
 * Bobby Labonte, NASCAR driver and brother of Terry Labonte
 * Terry Labonte, NASCAR driver and brother of Bobby Labonte
 * Randy LaJoie, NASCAR driver
 * Jack Roush, NASCAR team owner

Rodeo

 * Earl W. Bascom (1906–1995), rodeo pioneer, rodeo champion, rodeo hall of fame inductee, "father of modern rodeo"

Soccer

 * Davy Arnaud, current striker for the Montreal Impact
 * Roger Levesque, midfielder for the Seattle Sounders
 * Brian Maisonneuve, former soccer player
 * Bert Patenaude, Hall-of-Famer and first player to score a hat-trick in a FIFA World Cup
 * David Regis (born 1968), former soccer defender
 * Quentin Westberg (born 1986), football (soccer) goalkeeper, playing for Troyes AC in France's Ligue 1

Tennis



 * Jim Courier (born 1970), professional tennis player
 * Robert LeRoy, professional tennis player
 * Melanie Oudin, professional tennis player
 * Mary Pierce, tennis player who won multiple Grand Slam titles

Other sports

 * Laila Ali (born 1977), professional boxer; daughter of Muhammad Ali and his Louisiana Creole wife
 * Surya Bonaly (born 1973), professional figure skater
 * Walter Cartier, boxer
 * Randy Couture, mixed martial arts champion
 * Jean Cruguet (born 1939), thoroughbred horse racing jockey who won the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
 * Bryson DeChambeau, professional golfer
 * Eddie Delahoussaye, former quarter-horse jockey
 * Kent Desormeaux, Hall of Fame jockey
 * Bob Duval, professional golfer; known for being the father of David Duval, formerly the top-ranked player in the world
 * David Duval, professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour
 * Eric Guerin, Hall of Fame jockey
 * Hulk Hogan, professional wrestler; French on his maternal side
 * Philip Lafond, professional wrestler
 * Jack LaLanne, fitness, exercise and nutritional expert
 * Jason Lamy-Chappuis, French Nordic combined athlete who has been competing since 2002
 * Edward LeMaire, pro figure skater
 * Greg LeMond, cyclist and three-time winner of the Tour de France
 * Lash LeRoux, professional wrestler
 * Louis Meyer (1904–1995), American Hall of Fame race car driver best known as the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500
 * Francis Ouimet, golf player
 * Allaire du Pont, American sportswoman and a member of the prominent French-American Du Pont family
 * Steve Prefontaine, legendary middle and long-distance runner and first athlete to represent the Nike brand
 * Nicolas Rossolimo (1910–1975), Chess Grandmaster, chess champion of France and U.S. Open champion
 * Régis Sénac, fencer and instructor
 * Craig Titus, IFBB professional bodybuilder
 * Triple H (born 1969), professional wrestler
 * Benny Valger, nicknamed "The French Flash", American professional featherweight boxer who fought from the late 1910s until the 1930s

Art

 * Jack E. Boucher, photographer
 * Joe Doucet, artist and designer
 * Xavier Fourcade, art dealer
 * Steve Lavigne, American comic book illustrator best known for his lettering and coloring on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics
 * Raymond Loewy, designer
 * Richard Marquis, glass artist
 * Daniel Wildenstein, art dealer

Cuisine

 * Anthony Bourdain, author and the "Chef-at-Large" of Brasserie Les Halles
 * Wylie Dufresne, chef and owner of WD~50 restaurant in Manhattan
 * Nathalie Dupree, chef, cookbook author, and cooking show host
 * Emeril Lagasse, celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author
 * Jacques Pépin, chef
 * Pierre Franey, chef
 * Paul Prudhomme, chef
 * Justin Wilson, chef

Miscellanea

 * Frank Abagnale (born 1948), impostor
 * Mary Katherine Campbell (1905–1990), Miss America titleholder, 1922 and 1923; first runner-up 1924; of Cajun ancestry
 * Simon Favre, 18th-century interpreter of Muscogean languages; ancestor of Brett Favre
 * Charles Guiteau, assassin of U.S. President James Garfield
 * Alice Heine, American-born Princess of Monaco
 * Jean Lafitte, sometimes spelled Laffite (c. 1780–c. 1826), Gulf of Mexico pirate, who provided critical support and expert artillery gunners to the American forces under Gen. Andrew Jackson in January 1815, at the Battle of New Orleans
 * Marie Laveau, voodoo queen
 * Ervil LeBaron, Mormon fundamentalist prophet; ordered the killings of many of his opponents
 * Carlene LeFevre, competitive eater; wife of Rich LeFevre
 * Rich LeFevre, nicknamed "The Locust"; competitive eater; husband of Carlene LeFevre
 * Nadia McCaffrey, humanitarian
 * Bugs Moran, born Adelard Cunin to Jules and Marie Diana Gobeil Cunin, French immigrants, in Saint Paul, Minnesota
 * Georges de Paris, French-American tailor of the United States presidents
 * Elmo Patrick Sonnier, convicted murderer and rapist executed
 * Virginie de Ternant (1818–1887), owner and manager of Parlange Plantation