Gentilly is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is the closest commune to Paris, located 4.1 km from the city center. The n…Gentilly is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is the closest commune to Paris, located 4.1 km from the city center. The name Gentilly was recorded for the first time in the 6th century as Gentilly, a royal estate of some importance where coinage was minted. The etymology of the name seems to be "estate of Gentilius", a Gallo-Roman landowner. However, some other researchers think that the name is connected with Latin gentilis in reference to foreign goldsmiths who may have settled in Gentilly in the Early Middle Ages.