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Re: The French-Canadian surnames
Bernier: Old Germanic fornename, combination of Bern ("bear") and hari ("army"). Bernet is another version.
Cloutier: I thought this meant nail-maker, like the English Naylor, but Dauzat says a seller of nails.
Caron: forename and the name of a saint, Caraunus, which is the Latin form of the original Celtic.
Martel: means "hammer", apparently for a worker who used one.
Poulier: ocupational,a chicken farmer.
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