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French  Surnames Family History Resources

Surnames, their origin and their meaning

Many surnames are associated with the place/locality of where the family lived and in those cases the location is noted as the meaning.
Many surnames are associated with the occupation of the person given the name.

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Surname		Origin	Meaning
Abbee		French	abbey
Adnett		French	son of Adam
Albany		French	Albi(g)ny, now Aubigny, France
Ambler		French	Ambleur, an officer of the king's stables
Ames		French	Amie, a friend, beloved
Angell		French	Angel, Messenger
Arceneau		French	gunmaker
Aucoin		French	Alcuin, of German origin, meaning friend of the temple
Babin		French	Babylas
Badeau		French	the Parisians who admired every thing that seems a little extraordinary
Bagot		French	A stay or walking staff
Baillie		French	bailiff
Baines		French	The healing baths
Bains		French	The healing baths
Bancroft		French	bain, a bath, a hot-house
Bannister		French	The keeper of a bath
Barret		French	barat, strife, deceit
Basset		French	A little fat man with short legs
Beauvais		French	beautiful place
Bedeau		French	a beadle, mace-bearer
Beecher		French	Beau chère, fine entertainment
Belcher		French	Bel-chère, good cheer, fine entertainment
Bellamont		French	beautiful mount
Bellamy		French	bel, fair or beautiful, and ami, a friend or companion
Belmont		French	fair mount
Benoit		French	Benedictus, blessed
Berry		French	the province of Berri, in France
Bessette		French	bas meaning either low, low-born, or short
Beveridge		French	Belvoir, fine prospect; and ridge, the back or top of a hill
Bewley		French	Beaulieu, a beautiful place
Bigler		French	One who squints
Blain		French	the town of Blain, in Bretagne, France
Bodine		French	Waggish, merry, sportive
Bonner		French	Bonheur, happiness, good-fortune, prosperity
Bontecou		French	Bonte, goodness, strength, fruitfulness, and cul, the bottom behind
Boucher		French	butcher
Bourg		French	someone who lived in a fortified town
Bourque		French	someone who lived in a town that had been fortified
Boutin		French	Bout meaning someone who lived at the edge of a town or village
Bouvier		French	A drover
Bovie		French	Beauvais, a town in France
Bracy		French	Bracy, a town in Normandy
Braud		French	a place in Gironde named Braud
Breuilly		French	A coppice
Brierly		French	bruyere, shrubs growing on commons and heaths
Broussard		French	brush
Brun		French	brown
Bruyere		French	A common or heath covered with shrubs
Bucher		French	A wood-house
Bussey		French	the town of Bussey, in the province of Burgundy, France
Byron		French	De Biron, from the town of Biron, in the province of Guienne, France
Cabbell		French	Cabel
Cabel		French	Cabel
Cabell		French	Cabeau
Cable		French	Cabeau
Callander		French	calandre
Callard		French	Caillard
Callender		French	calandre
Damant		French	D'Amont = From Up the River
Damont		French	D'Amont = From Up the River
Dancey		French	Dantus's Estate
Dancy		French	Dantus's Estate
Dangerfield		French	D'Angerville, rom Angerville, a town in the province of Orleans, France
Dannatt		French	Little Dan
Dannett		French	Little Dan
Dansie		French	Dantus's Estate
Danvers		French	De Anverso, from the town of Anvers, in France
Darch		French	arc, arche, an arched structure
Darcy		French	D'Arcy, D'Arcey, D'Arcay = Of Arcy
Dare		French	D'Aire = Of Aire or the Area
Darly		French	D'Erle, from the town of Erle in France
Darsey		French	D'Arcy, D'Arcey, D'Arcay = Of Arcy
Darsie		French	D'Arcy, D'Arcey, D'Arcay = Of Arcy
Daubeny		French	D'Aubigny = Of Aubigny or Albinus's Estate
D'Aubigne		French	Aubigne, a town in France, in the department of Cher
Daubney		French	D'Aubigny = Of Aubigny or Albinus's Estate
Dauby		French	Aubigne, a town in France, in the department of Cher
Dauche		French	Dutch
Dauchy		French	Dutch
Daunay		French	D'Aunay = Of Aunay or the Alder-Grove
Dauney		French	D'Aunay = Of Aunay or the Alder-Grove
Daunt		French	D'Aunet = Of Aunet or the Alder-Grove
Daunton		French	Danton
Davall		French	Daval or D'Aval = From Down the River
Davitt		French	Little David
Davoll		French	Daval or D'Aval = From Down the River
Dawtrey		French	De Hauterive = Of Hauterive Normandy or The High Bank or Shore
Dawtry		French	De Hauterive = Of Hauterive Normandy or The High Bank or Shore
De Vere		French	Of Ver
De Vries		French	De Frise = Of Friesland
Death		French	D'Aeth or D'Ethe
Deathe		French	D'Aeth or D'Ethe
Deeth		French	D'Aeth or D'Ethe
Defoe		French	De Fau = Of the Beech
Defrece		French	De Frise = Of Friesland
Defries		French	De Frise = Of Friesland
Defriez		French	De Frise = Of Friesland
Delaflote		French	From the fleet
Delamare		French	De la Mare = Of The Pool
Delamater		French	Le maitre, the master, overseer, landlord, preceptor
Delamere		French	De la Mare = Of The Pool
Delamore		French	De la Mare = Of The Pool
Delancy		French	De Lancy, from the town of Lancy, in the province of Burgundy, France
Delauney		French	the town of Lorme, in the province of Livernoi, France
Delorme		French	the town of Lorme, in the province of Livernoi, France
Delven		French	De Elven or D'Elven, from Elven, a town in Brittany, France
Denew		French	De Noue = Of the Marsh-Pasture
Denyer		French	denier, money, cash
Depaul		French	son of Paul
Desmarais		French	marshy places
Devereaux		French	D'Evreux = Of Evreux Eure, Normandy
Devereux		French	D'Evreux = Of Evreux Eure, Normandy
Devey		French	De Vey or De Vay = Of Vey or Vay, the Ford
Deville		French	village or town
Dicey		French	Dicy, Dissay, or Disse, all names of places in France
Maigny		French	An old province of France lying to the east of Bretagne
Mallery		French	Mallieure
Manners		French	Manoir to stay or to abide
Marchant		French	merchant
Massenger		French	messager
Mechant		French	bad, wicked
Merle		French	blackbird
Merril		French	blackbird
Meshaw		French	Mechant, bad, wicked
Molyneux		French	Moulin, a mill
Montague		French	De Mont aigue, from the sharp or steep mountain
Mooney		French	Meunier,a miller
Moreau		French	a Moor
Mott		French	A round artificial hill
Mullins		French	miller
Murrell		French	A sea wall or bank, to keep off the water
Naffis		French	From Nefils, that is, born son, from Ne and fils
Neff		French	Naif, artless, candid
Neveu		French	nephew
Neville		French	a town in Poitou, France
Noel		French	Christmas
Orme		French	elm-tree
Paine		French	pagan
Case		French	A hut, a hovel
Cash		French	casse, a case
Cattell		French	Castle
Cattle		French	Castle
Cazenove		French	New House
Chaff		French	Chauve = Bald
Chaffe		French	Chauve = Bald
Chaffee		French	Chafe, to heat, to grow warm or angry
Chambres		French	Chamber-Attendant
Champ		French	Field
Champe		French	champ, a field
Champney		French	Champ, a field, and ey, water-the wet country or country near the water
Chant		French	song
Chastel		French	Castle
Chastell		French	Castle
Cheever		French	Chevir signifies to master or overcome
Dillamore		French	De la Mare = Of The Pool
Dillimore		French	De la Mare = Of The Pool
Diprose		French	Depreaux = Of Preaux or the Meadows
Dive		French	Dinmore, Great Hill-Fort
Dives		French	Dinmore, Great Hill-Fort
Dobney		French	D'Aubigny = Of Aubigny or Albinus's Estate
Dobree		French	D'Aubry/D'Aubray, Of Aubry/Aubray or the White Poplar Grove
Doree		French	Dore, with Golden Hair
Dorey		French	Dore, with Golden Hair
Dorree		French	Dore, with Golden Hair
Dory		French	Dore, Golden Hair
Douay		French	the town of Douay, in the province of Artois, France
Doust		French	Doucet
Dowse		French	Douce
Dowsett		French	Doucet
Dowsing		French	Doussin = Douss- for Douce
Dubock		French	Of The Wood
Dubois		French	Of The Wood
Ducat		French	Ducat, Ducquet = Duc Little Duke
Duckett		French	Ducat, Ducquet = Duc Little Duke
Duckitt		French	Ducat, Ducquet = Duc Little Duke
Ducloss		French	The Enclosure claudere clausum, to close
Pelletier		French	A furrier, or skinner
Perry		French	from Pierre
Pierpont		French	stone bridge
Poindexter		French	poin being derived from pungo, to pierce, to prick, and dexter, right, as opposed to left
Pomeroy		French	Pomme-roi, a kind of apple, the royal apple, king's apple, or king of apples; a name probably given to a gardener for his skill in raising them
Porcher		French	slaying the boar
Prideaux		French	Presd'eaux, near the water
Renard		French	A fox, cunning
Reyes		French	king from Latin rex
Rouse		French	red-haired
Rousseau		French	reddish hair
Roux		French	someone with red hair
Rufus		French	Red
Rye		French	From Rive, a coast, a shore, a bank, border
Sanxay		French	Town in Poitou, France
Sommer		French	to sum or cast up
Chenery		French	Chenevrey
Cheney		French	Chene, an oak
Chennell		French	Little Chene, an oak
Clare		French	Clarus, pure, renowned, illustrious
Clear		French	Clarus, pure, renowned, illustrious
Cleare		French	Clarus, pure, renowned, illustrious
Coggin		French	coquin knave, rascal
Duley		French	Du Lieu, Of The Place
Duly		French	Du Lieu, Of The Place
Dumas		French	The Little Farm or Estate
Dummett		French	Dumet
Dumont		French	Of The Mount
Dunville		French	Donville
Duparc		French	Of The Park
Dupont		French	Of The Bridge
Dupree		French	Of The Meadow
Duprey		French	Of The Meadow
Dupuis		French	Of The Well or Pit
Dupuy		French	Of The Height
Durandu		French	Durandeau, Little Durand
Durbin		French	Durban
Durell		French	Durel = Hard, Stern, Severe
Dury		French	Dur's Estate
Duval		French	Of The Valley
Duvall		French	Of The Valley
Dyall		French	Deicola the patron-saint of Franche Comte = Worshipper of God
Dyne		French	Dion
Facet		French	Facette, a little face
Fasset		French	Fausette, falsehood, cheat, forgery
Faucet		French	Fausette, falsehood, cheat, forgery
Fisk		French	From Fisc, revenue, public funds
Fletcher		French	A maker of arrows, or superintendant of archery
Follet		French	Frolicksome, merry, gay
Folliot		French	Frolicksome, merry, gay
Sully		French	the town in the province of Orleans, France
Tibbits		French	Theobald powerful or bold over the people
Trotter		French	Trotteur, a person always on the trot; a rambler
Vacher		French	A cow-herd; a keeper of cows
Vasser		French	Vavasour, one who holds an estate next to a lord.
Wilmot		French	Guillemot, a name frequent in France in early times, derived from Guillaume
Colline		French	A hill that rises by degrees
Colvile		French	Col's Estate or Farmstead
Colvill		French	Col's Estate or Farmstead
Colville		French	Col, a neck, strait, or defile; a pass between hills; and ville, a town
Coppin		French	Little Jacob
Copps		French	copeiz, brushwood
Corbet		French	A raven
Corbie		French	A raven
Cording		French	Little Corde
Cosson		French	Broker, Agent
Covell		French	Colville, Cove
Covelle		French	Colville, Cove
Covill		French	Colville, Cove
Fournier		French	baker cooking dough in the fourneau ‘oven’
Friar		French	a brother, a member of a religious order
Garenneir		French	A warrener, a keeper of a warren
Garnier		French	Garnir, to summons, warn, call out, furnish, supply
Gaudet		French	Waldo
Girard		French	Gerard
Godeno		French	A Jack in the box
Godenot		French	A Jack in the box
Goodenough		French	A Jack in the box
Goupil		French	An obsolete French word for fox
Granville		French	A town in France on the English channel
Grinell		French	Grenelle, a town in France
Grosvenor		French	A great hunter or the grand huntsman, from Gros veneur
Hardy		French	Bold, free, noble
Curnew		French	the Cornel-Tree Grove
Curnow		French	the Cornel-Tree Grove
Curzon		French	courcon, courchon, as 'a piece of land shorter than the others'
Cusack		French	Breton coat
Cushman		French	maker of cuish, or thigh-armour
Cussack		French	Breton coat
Cussen		French	Cuss's Son
Cussin		French	Cuss's Son
Cusson		French	Cuss's Son
Dalbiac		French	D'Albiac or Albus's Estate
Homfray		French	Homme-vrai, a true man
Jetter		French	to overthrow
Landry		French	Landric meaning powerful ruler
Laraway		French	Le roi
Laroche		French	The rock, a lonely mass of stone
Laroque		French	The rock, a lonely mass of stone
Larway		French	Le roi
Laurent		French	Lorens
Lavender		French	Lavandière one who washes
Leferre		French	Le Ferre, the smith
Lefevre		French	ironworker or smith
Lemon		French	Le Moin, the monk
Leroy		French	rey, roy king
Leveque		French	bishop
Lewis		French	Louis
Lisle		French	L'isle, an island

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