FrEnNames
Plenty of players level on a French World of Warcraft client but grew up reading about Stormwind, Ironforge, and The Deadmines in English. FrEnNames is the addon that bridges those two worlds. It keeps place names, dungeon names, and NPC family names in English while everything else, from quests to spells to the interface, stays in French. Nothing more, nothing less.
If you have ever typed "download FrEnNames" hoping for a simple toggle rather than a full language overhaul, this is exactly that. The addon does one job and does it cleanly, without touching the parts of the game you already read comfortably in French.
What FrEnNames Actually Changes
The addon targets names rather than text blocks, which keeps your client readable while restoring the original English flavor of Azeroth's landmarks. The changes fall into four categories:
- Zones, cities, villages, and sub-zones: the zone banner, minimap text, and world map labels, including the breadcrumb trail, dropdown list, and hover tooltips.
- Dungeons and raids: "Les Mortemines" becomes "The Deadmines" everywhere the instance name appears.
- NPC family names: tooltips and dialogue show "Sylvanas Windrunner" instead of "Sylvanas Coursevent."
- Quest and dialogue text: names are swapped inside sentences, in both the default UI and the Immersion addon. "Rendez-vous aux portes de Hurlevent" becomes "Rendez-vous aux portes de Stormwind."
Names are pulled from the game's own French and English data tables rather than a hand-typed list, so they stay accurate across patches. A small override file lets you fix or exclude a word if something looks off.
You Decide What Stays English
Type /fren to open the settings window. From there you can search by name in French or English, browse a tree organized as World > Continent > Zone > District, and tick a name to show it in English or untick it to keep it in French. Ticking a parent node changes everything below it, which makes bulk edits fast. A "Where am I?" button jumps straight to your current zone.
The window also opens from the minimap button, the addon compartment, or Options > AddOns. Right-clicking the minimap button pauses the addon instantly if you want to see the game in French for a moment.
Commands at a Glance
/frenopens the settings window./fren pausepauses or resumes the addon./fren minimapshows or hides the minimap button./fren optionsopens the Options > AddOns panel./fren etatreports the current status.
Version Support and Compatibility
FrEnNames is built for the French client (frFR) and was originally developed for Retail. That said, the concept travels well across the game's eras. Players running Classic, The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King, Cataclysm, and Mists of Pandaria clients all benefit from the same idea: English landmark names on a French interface. Compatibility depends on the client's data tables, so always check the addon page for the exact game version before you install.
When you grab FrEnNames for World of Warcraft through the foxygame.net launcher, the whole process collapses into a single click, and the launcher's addon catalog keeps it updated automatically as new client builds roll out, so you never have to chase a matching version by hand.
How to Install FrEnNames
Manual installation follows the standard WoW routine. Close the game, extract the FrEnNames folder into your Interface/AddOns directory, and confirm the folder name matches the .toc file inside. Relaunch the client and check the AddOns list on the character selection screen. If you prefer a guided path, a launcher-based install removes the folder juggling entirely.
Good to Know Before You Start
- French client only; the addon has no effect on English, German, or Spanish clients.
- Names engraved into map artwork are images and cannot be changed.
- Nameplates and the target frame are left alone because unit names are protected in combat.
- NPC tooltips are only processed outside of combat.
- Other addons that identify zones by their French name may stop matching. If that happens, pause FrEnNames or disable the "Banner and minimap" layer.
- A few names with two valid English spellings stay in French inside sentences.
None of these limitations are dealbreakers. They simply reflect how the game protects certain strings and renders certain assets.
Final Thoughts
FrEnNames solves a very specific problem with a very specific tool, and that focus is its strength. You keep the French client you know, the quests and tooltips you read fluently, and you get back the English names that make Azeroth feel like the world you remember. Open /fren, tick what you want, and enjoy the best of both languages.