Message: "What Does My last name Mean?"

What Does My last name Mean?

by Valerie Leclair (guest)

2/15/2006, 2:08 PM

Other spellings of this last name include Leclair, LeClair, Leclerc, LeClerc, Leclaic, LeClaic. Any info would be greatly appreciated!

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- Sagani (guest) +2

2/15/2006, 3:00 PM

It comes from the medieval word "clericus". Originally this word distinguished priest from the rest of the people.
Afterwards the word "Clerc" was used to indicate a cultivated person a sort
of nickname.

- Andy ;—) (guest) +1

2/15/2006, 10:58 PM

Spontaniously I had a different idea and according to the Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, this is indeed another possible derivation of the name: "bright, famous".

http://www.ancestry.com/search/SurnamePage.aspx?sourcecode=13304&html=b&fn=&ln=leclair&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

So maybe something easier to identify with …

- Valerie Leclair (guest)

2/21/2006, 2:57 PM

thanks alot guys!!

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