French Bulldog Colors: Full List from Most Common to Rarest

French bulldogs – also called Frenchies – are adorable little dogs that come in a bewildering array of colors and patterns. Some of these are common while others are very rare – and therefore cost a lot more money. Unfortunately, certain French bulldog colors also come with attendant health issues. What’s more, the American Kennel Club (AKC) doesn’t recognize many of them. Starting with the most common, we’ll work our way down a list of French bulldog colors and patterns until we get to the rarest of them all!

16. Brindle

Brindle is the standard French bulldog color with a distinctive “tiger stripe” pattern. These dogs feature a mixture of black, brown, tan, blue, and sometimes gold. Some puppies sport white chests or other white markings. Depending on the exact shade of the base coat, brindle Frenchies can be very dark, very light, or something in between.

• Rarity: Standard
• AKC: Recognized

Brindle and White

The brindle and white Frenchie are similar to the brindle but with white markings. Although these white marks typically occur on their chests, they can show up anywhere on the coat. They also vary in size and shape.

• Rarity: Common
• AKC: The AKC recognizes both “brindle and white” and “white and brindle” as official French bulldog colors.

Black Brindle

The black brindle Frenchie is a less common variation of the brindle Frenchie. The base coat is black with fawn streaks.

• Rarity: Fairly common
• AKC: Recognized

15. Cream

Cream Frenchies have very pale coats, usually off-white or ivory. The ears may feature lighter cream edges. The color occurs as a result of a recessive gene from the fawn variation.

• Rarity: Common
• AKC: Recognized

14. Fawn

The fawn variation is one of the more common French bulldog colors. The coat ranges from beige to light tan like a baby deer (fawn) to a golden or reddish tan. Below are a couple of similar variations.

• Rarity: Common
• AKC: Recognized

Fawn and White

These Frenchies are similar to the fawn variety but with white patches. The base coat ranges from light tan to reddish tan.

• Rarity: Common
• AKC: The AKC recognizes both “fawn and white” and “white and fawn” as official French bulldog colors.

Fawn Brindle

This variation is similar to the fawn but with a brindle pattern.

• Rarity: Common
• AKC: The AKC recognizes both “fawn brindle” and “fawn brindle and white” as official French bulldog colors.

13. Pied (Piebald)

The pied color variation is more of a pattern: a white or light base coat with different colored markings. Although pied Frenchies are standard, some of the variations are uncommon.

• Rarity: Fairly common
• AKC: Recognized

Black Pied

This type of Frenchie has a white base coat with variable black markings.

• Rarity: Fairly common
• AKC: Recognized

Red Pied

This type of Frenchie has a white base coat with variable red markings.

• Rarity: Fairly common
• AKC: Recognized

Blue Pied

This type of Frenchie has a white base coat with variable blue markings.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Recognized

12. Red

These French bulldogs have light brown coats with a reddish tint. They also typically have black masks and white chest patches.

• Rarity: Fairly common
• AKC: Not recognized

Red Fawn

The red fawn Frenchie is similar to the red Frenchie but with an ashy sheen to the coat.

• Rarity: Fairly common
• AKC: Not recognized

11. Beige

The beige Frenchie is a lighter shade of fawn, similar to red. These dogs may or may not come with a black mask.

• Rarity: Fairly common
• AKC: Not recognized

10. Black and White

Unlike the black pied, the black and white French bulldog has a black base coat with white markings. The markings vary greatly in size and quantity, often changing as the puppy approaches maturity.

• Rarity: Fairly common
• AKC: Not recognized

9. White

People often mistake the white Frenchie for the cream or platinum varieties, but it remains its distinct variation. Genetically, the coloration may be the result of brindle, leucism, albinism, or merle genes. Health issues are common, including skin, eye, and ear problems. An all-white French bulldog is quite unusual, but the AKC recognizes it as a standard color.

• Rarity: Unusual
• AKC: Recognized

8. Tan

Tan is one of those French bulldog colors that’s more of a pattern. These Frenchies have a solid base coat with tan or fawn markings. Below are a few tan Frenchie variations.

• Rarity: Unusual
• AKC: Not recognized

Black and Tan

The black and tan Frenchie has a black base coat with a variable tan pattern.

• Rarity: Unusual
• AKC: Not recognized

Blue and Tan

The blue and tan Frenchie has a blue base coat with a variable tan pattern.

• Rarity: Unusual
• AKC: Not recognized

Chocolate and Tan

The chocolate and tan Frenchie has a chocolate base coat with a variable tan pattern.

• Rarity: Unusual
• AKC: Not recognized

Lilac and Tan

The lilac and tan Frenchie has a lilac base coat with a variable tan pattern.

• Rarity: Unusual
• AKC: Not recognized

Merle and Tan

The merle and tan Frenchie combines the merle and tan patterns.

• Rarity: Unusual
• AKC: Not recognized

7. Chocolate

The chocolate French bulldog sports a lovely rich chocolate coat that ranges from light to dark. It may also come with tan patterns, including a brindle pattern. The gene for this color is recessive, meaning both parents need to carry it to produce chocolate offspring. Because it’s a rare variation, you can expect to pay a pretty penny to bring home one of these dogs.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

6. Pure Black

Pure black French bulldogs are striking but rare. They typically lack markings of any kind, though some individuals may have white chests.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

5. Platinum

The platinum Frenchie appears similar to the albino but has a more lustrous, often silvery, coat. It’s popular among breeders because its puppies will retain the color of whichever dog it mates with.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

4. Merle

The merle variation in French bulldogs is incredibly striking. These Frenchies feature a light base coat with dark dappling. One or both eyes may be blue. Despite the beauty of this coloration, merle French bulldogs suffer from a wide range of health issues. For this reason, it’s not advisable to either breed or buy merle Frenchies. In particular, a merle Frenchie should never be bred with another merle. Below are a few common merle varieties.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

Black Merle

The black merle Frenchie has a light coat with black mottling.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

Blue Merle

The blue merle Frenchie has a light coat with blue mottling.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

Lilac Merle

The lilac merle Frenchie has a light coat with lilac mottling.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

3. Blue

The blue variation is one of the rarest French bulldog colors. It ranges from light grey to bluish-grey to nearly black. Some individuals also sport a white chest. The bluish tint is most visible in strong light. Unfortunately, this variation comes with a variety of health issues that are often exacerbated by improper breeding practices. Despite the rarity of this morph, it’s one of the most popular Frenchie colors.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

Blue Fawn

This incredible variation of the blue Frenchie combines a bluish tint with a light fawn shade. It also features a bluish mask instead of the more typical black mask.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

Blue Brindle

The blue brindle French bulldog is a variation of both the blue and brindle types. The base coat is blue with light fawn streaks.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

2. Lilac

Lilac Frenchies are similar to blue Frenchies but are even rarer. Their coats are ashy or silvery and appear lilac in certain lights. Some individuals sport white patches and a greyish-blue or reddish-pink nose. The eyes are usually yellow, light brown, or blue. Breeders produce this unique variation by pairing blue and chocolate Frenchies (at a minimum, the chocolate gene must be present). Be wary of breeders who reproduce this variation for profit at the expense of the puppies’ health.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

Lilac Fawn

Lilac fawn Frenchies are similar to blue fawn Frenchies but are even rarer. Their fawn coats have a silvery rather than a blue sheen with an ashy mask. They also have light blue eyes with a reddish tint.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

Lilac Sable

One of the rarest French bulldog colors is lilac sable. These Frenchies are similar to the lilac fawn variety but with black fur growing all over their bodies. This tends to darken their coats.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

1. Isabella

The Isabella French bulldog is the rarest Frenchie in the world. This means it comes with a hefty price tag . Each Isabella Frenchie has two copies of the chocolate gene and two copies of the dilution gene. To label a Frenchie an Isabella, the breeder must conduct genetic testing to confirm that the dog carries the chocolate gene. It looks similar to the lilac Frenchie with a combination of blue and chocolate that results in a greyish liver base coat.

• Rarity: Rarest
• AKC: Not recognized

Honorable Mention: Fluffy

Though it isn’t a color in its own right, the fluffy Frenchie deserves an honorable mention. This extremely rare variation has longer and fluffier fur than that of the typical French bulldog. It occurs in conjunction with the colors black, chocolate, blue, or lilac and their combinations. The gene responsible for it is known as the Fibroblast growth factor.

• Rarity: Rare
• AKC: Not recognized

Summary of French Bulldog Colors: Full List from Most Common to Rarest

This list contains all variations of French bulldog colors from most common to rarest.

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