French Origin Surnames

Abel 1 English, French, Danish, Spanish, Portuguese
Derived from the given name Abel.

Abraham Jewish, English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch
Derived from the given name Abraham.

Adam u & m English, French, German, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian, Jewish
Derived from the given name Adam.

Albert English, French, Catalan, Hungarian, Romanian, German
Derived from the given name Albert.

Allard French, English
Derived from the given name Adalhard (or the Old English cognate Æðelræd).

André French
Derived from the given name André.

Archambault French
From the archaic French given name Archambault, which is related to Archibald.

Arnaud French
From the given name Arnaud.

Arthur English, French
From the given name Arthur.

Aubert French
From the given name Aubert.

Augustin French, German
From the given name Augustin.

Baanders Dutch
Dutch cognate of Banner.

Babin French
From the given name Babin, a medieval diminutive of Babylas.

Babineaux French
Variant of Babin.

Banderas Spanish
Spanish cognate of Banner.

Banner English
Occupational name for a flag carrier, derived from Old French baniere meaning "banner", ultimately of Germanic origin.

Bannerman English
Variant of Banner.

Barbier French
French cognate of Barber.

Barr English
Indicated a person who lived near a barrier, from Old French barre.

Barre French
French cognate of Barr.

Basile Italian, French
From the given name Basilio or Basile.

Baudin French
From the given name Baud, French form of Baldo.

Beake English
Variant of Beck 3.

Beauchêne French
From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and chêne "oak".

Beaufort French
From various French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and fort "strong place, fortress".

Beaulieu French
From various French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and lieu "place".

Beaumont French, English
From French place names derived from beau "beautiful" and mont "mountain".

Beck 3 English
From a nickname for a person with a big nose, from Middle English bec meaning "beak".

Becket English
Variant of Beckett.

Beckett English
Originally a diminutive of Beck 1 or Beck 3.

Bélanger French
From the given name Bérenger.

Belcher English
From a Middle English version of Old French bel chiere meaning "beautiful face". It later came to refer to a person who had a cheerful and pleasant temperament.

Bellamy French, English
From Old French bel ami meaning "beautiful friend".

Bellerose French
Means "beautiful rose" in French.

Belmont French, English
French and English form of Belmonte.

Belrose French
Variant of Bellerose.

Benoit French
From the given name Benoît.

Béranger French
From the given name Bérenger.

Berger 1 French
Occupational name meaning "shepherd", from Old French bergier.

Béringer French
From the given name Bérenger.

Bernard u & m French, English, Dutch, German, Czech, Slovene
From the given name Bernard.

Bertrand French
Derived from the given name Bertrand.

Bisset English
From Old French bis meaning "drab, dingy", a nickname for someone who looked drab.

Bissette English
Variant of Bisset.

Blaise French
Derived from the given name Blaise.

Blanc French
Means "white" in French. The name referred to a person who was pale, or whose hair was blond.

Blanchard French, English
Derived from the given name Blanchard.

Blanchet French
From a diminutive of the name Blanc.

Blanchett French (Anglicized)
Anglicized form of Blanchet or Blanchette.

Blanchette French (Quebec)
Variant of Blanchet.

Boivin French
Nickname for a wine drinker, from Old French boi "to drink" and vin "wine".

Bone 1 English
Derived from Old French bon meaning "good".

Bonfils French
Derived from Old French bon fils meaning "good son".

Bonham English
English form of Bonhomme.

Bonheur French
From Old French bonne heure meaning "good time" or "lucky".

Bonhomme French
Derived from Old French bon homme meaning "good man".

Bonnaire French
French form of Bonner.

Bonnay French
Variant of Bonnet.

Bonner English
From Middle English boneire "kind, courteous", derived from Norman French bon aire "good bloodline".

Bonnet French
From the given name Bonitus.

Boon 1 English
Variant of Bone 1.

Boon 2 English
Originally indicated a person from the town of Bohon, in Manche in France. The town's name is of unknown origin.

Boone English
Variant of Boon 1 or Boon 2.

Borde French
From Old French bord meaning "board, plank", derived from Frankish *bord. This name belonged to a person who lived in a house made of planks.

Borgnino Italian
From a nickname derived from the Piedmontese dialect word borgno meaning "one-eyed". This was the real surname of American actor Ernest Borgnine (1917-2012).

Bouchard French
From the Old German given name Burkhard.

Boucher French
Means "butcher" in French.

Bourdillon French
Diminutive form of Borde.

Bourreau 1 French
Variant of Bureau.

Bourreau 2 French
Occupational name for an executioner or torturer, derived from bourrer "to hit, to stuff with cloth" (derived from French boure "stuffing").

Bouvier French
Means "cowherd" in French, from Latin boviarus, a derivative of bos "cow".

Bret French
French form of Brett.

Brisbois French
Referred to a person who cleared land, from Old French briser "to cut" and bois "forest".

Brodeur French
Means "embroiderer" in French.

Brun French, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish
Means "brown" in French, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. It was originally a nickname for a person who had brown hair or skin.

Brunet French
From a diminutive of French brun meaning "brown".

Bunker English
Derived from Old French bon cuer meaning "good heart".

Bureau French
From Old French burel, a diminutive of bure, a type of woollen cloth. It may have originated as a nickname for a person who dressed in the material or as an occupational name for someone who worked with it.

Burrell English
English form of Bureau.

Butcher English
Occupational name for a butcher, derived from Old French bouchier.

Butler English, Irish
Occupational name derived from Norman French butiller "wine steward", ultimately from Late Latin butticula "bottle". A famous bearer of this surname is the fictional character Rhett Butler, created by Margaret Mitchell for her novel Gone with the Wind (1936).

Calvin French (Latinized)
Latinized form of Chauvin, used to refer to the French theologian Jean Cauvin (1509-1564).

Caron French
Variant of Charron.

Carpentier French
French form of Carpenter.

Chaplin English, French
Occupational name for a chaplain, or perhaps for the servant of one, from Middle English, Old French chapelain. A famous bearer was the British comic actor Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977).

Chaput French
From a diminutive of the Old French word chape meaning "cloak, hood". The name referred to a person who made, sold or often wore cloaks.

Charbonneau French
Derived from a diminutive form of French charbon "charcoal", a nickname for a person with black hair or a dark complexion.

Charles French
From the given name Charles.

Charpentier French
French cognate of Carpenter, derived from Old French charpentier.

Charron French
Means "cart" in Old French, used to denote a carter or a cartwright.

Chastain French
From Old French castan "chestnut tree" (Latin castanea), a name for someone who lived near a particular chestnut tree, or possibly a nickname for someone with chestnut-coloured hair.

Chauvin French
From a diminutive of French chauve "bald".

Chevalier French
From a nickname derived from French chevalier meaning "knight", from Late Latin caballarius "horseman", Latin caballus "horse".

Chevrolet French
From a diminutive of chèvre meaning "goat", indicating a person who cultivated goats.

Christian English, French, German
Derived from the given name Christian.

Clément French
Derived from the given name Clément.

Cloutier French
Derived from French clou meaning "nail", referring to someone who made or sold nails.

Colbert English, French
Derived from the given name Colobert.

Colin French
From a diminutive of the given name Nicolas.

Comtois French
Indicated a person from Franche-Comté, a province in eastern France, which translates to "free county".

Constantin Romanian, French
From the given name Constantin.

Coste French
French form of Costa.

Côté French
French form of Costa.

Courtemanche French
Means "short sleeve" in French.

Courtenay 1 English
From the name of towns in France that were originally derivatives of the Gallo-Roman personal name Curtenus, itself derived from Latin curtus "short".

Courtney English
Variant of Courtenay 1 or Courtenay 2.

Courtois French
French form of Curtis.

Cousineau French
Derived from Old French cosin meaning "cousin".

Couture French
Means "tailor" in Old French.

Curie French
Occupational name for a farm hand, from Old French éscuerie "stable". Famous bearers were the married scientists Marie (1867-1934) and Pierre Curie (1859-1906), who studied radioactivity.

Dabney English
Variant of Daubney.

Daniau French
Derived from the given name Daniel.

Daniel u & m English, French, German, Portuguese, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Romanian
Derived from the given name Daniel.

D'Aramitz French
Originally denoted one who came from Aramits, the name of a town in the French Pyrenees that is possibly derived from Basque haran meaning "valley".

Daubney English
From any of the various towns in France called Aubigny, derived from the Gallo-Roman personal name Albinus.

Daviau French
From a diminutive form of David.

David u & m English, French, German, Welsh, Czech, Portuguese, Romanian, Jewish
From the given name David.

Deforest French
Means "from the forest" in French.

DeGarmo French (Anglicized)
Americanized form of French de Garmeaux, which may derive from a place called Garmeaux in Normandy.

Delacroix French
Means "of the cross" in French. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads. A notable bearer was the French painter Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863).

De La Fontaine French
French cognate of De la Fuente.

Deniau French
Variant of Daniel.

Deniaud French
Variant of Daniel.

Deniel French
Variant of Daniel.

Denis French
From the given name Denis.

Dennel French
Variant of Daniel.

Deschamps French
Means "from the fields", from French champ "field".

Descoteaux French
Means "from the hillside", from French coteau "hillside".

Desjardins French
Means "from the gardens", from French jardin "garden".

Desroches French
Means "from the rocks", from French roche "rock".

Desrosiers French
Means "from the rose bushes", from French rosier "rose bush". It probably referred to a person who lived close to, or cared for a rose garden.

Devin 2 French, English
Nickname for a person who acted divinely or prophetically, from Old French devin meaning "divine" or "seer, fortune teller", ultimately from Latin divinus.

Dior French
Possibly from French doré meaning "golden". A famous bearer was the French fashion designer Christian Dior (1905-1957).

Droit French
Means "right, straight" in French, a nickname for an upright person.

Dubois French
Means "from the forest", from French bois "forest".

Duchamp French
Variant of Deschamps. A famous bearer was the French artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968).

Duchamps French
Variant of Deschamps.

Dufort French
Means "from the fort", from French fort "stronghold".

Dufour French
Occupational name for a baker, from French four "oven".

Duguay French
Means "from the ford", from French gué "ford".

Dumas French
Means "from the farm", from Occitan mas "farmhouse", from Latin mansus "dwelling". A famous bearer was the French author Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870).

Dumont French
Means "from the mountain", from French mont "mountain".

Dupond French
Variant of Dupont.

Dupont French
Means "from the bridge", from French pont "bridge".

Dupuis French
Means "from the well", from Old French puts, Latin puteus "well".

Dupuy French
Means "from the hill", from Occitan puy "hill", from Latin podium "platform".

Durand French, English
From Old French durant meaning "enduring", ultimately from Latin durans. This was a nickname for a stubborn person.

Durant English, French
Variation of Durand.

Duval French
Means "from the valley" in French.

Émile French
Derived from the given name Émile.

Étienne French
From the given name Étienne.

Fabien French
Derived from the given name Fabien.

Fabron French
Diminutive form of Fabre.

Faron French
From the given name Faron.

Faucher French
Occupational name meaning "mower" in French, ultimately from Latin falx meaning "sickle, scythe".

Faucheux French
Variant of Faucher.

Favager French
Possibly indicated a person from the town of Faverges in eastern France, derived from Old French faverge meaning "forge".

Favre French
Southern French variant of Fèvre.

Favreau French
Diminutive of Favre.

Fay 1 French, English
Referred to a person who came from various places named Fay or Faye in northern France, derived from Old French fau "beech tree", from Latin fagus.

Fay 2 English
From a nickname for a person who was thought to have magical qualities, from Middle English faie meaning "magical, enchanted".

Félix French, Spanish, Portuguese
From the given name Felix.

Fèvre French
Occupational name meaning "blacksmith" in Old French, derived from Latin faber.

Firmin English, French
From the given name Firmin.

Fontaine French
Derived from Old French fontane meaning "well, fountain", a derivative of Latin fons.

Forest English, French
Originally belonged to a person who lived near or in a forest. It was probably originally derived, via Old French forest, from Latin forestam (silva) meaning "outer (wood)".

Forester English
Denoted a keeper or one in charge of a forest, or one who has charge of growing timber in a forest (see Forest).

Forestier French
French cognate of Forester.

Forrest English
Variant of Forest.

Fortier French
Derived from Old French fort "stronghold", indicating a person who lived near or worked at such a place.

Fosse English, French
Derived from Old French fosse "ditch".

Foster 1 English
Variant of Forester.

Fournier French
Occupational name for a baker, from French fourneau meaning "oven".

François French
Derived from the given name François.

Frank 1 English
Derived from the given name Frank.

Frank 2 English
From Old English franc meaning "free".

Franklin English
Derived from Middle English frankelin meaning "freeman". It denoted a landowner of free but not noble birth, from Old French franc meaning "free". Famous bearers include American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) and American singer Aretha Franklin (1942-2018).

Franklyn English
Variant of Franklin.

Gage French, English
Occupational name derived either from Old French jauge "measure" (a name for an assayer) or gage "pledge, payment" (a name for a moneylender). Both words were ultimately of Frankish origin.

Gagné French (Quebec)
Variant of Gagneux. This surname is especially common in Quebec.

Gagneux French
Derived from Old French gagnier meaning "to farm, to cultivate".

Gagnier French
Variant of Gagneux.

Gagnon French
Derived from old French gagnon "guard dog". The name most likely originated as a nickname for an aggressive or cruel person.

Garçon French
Means "boy" in French, referring to a servant.

Gardener English
Occupational surname for one who was a gardener, from Old French jardin meaning "garden" (of Frankish origin).

Gardiner English
Variant of Gardener.

Gardinier French
French form of Gardener.

Gardner English
Variant of Gardener.

Garner 2 English
Variant of Gardener.

Garnet English
Variant of Garnett 1 or Garnett 2.

Garnett 1 English
Occupational name referring to a person who made hinges, from Old French carne "hinge".

Garnier 1 French
From the given name Garnier.

Gaspard French
From the given name Gaspard.

Gauthier French
Derived from the given name Gauthier.

Gautier French
From the given name Gautier.

Gérard French
From the given name Gérard.

Germain French
From the French given name Germain.

Géroux French
Derived from the Germanic name Gerulf.

Giffard French, English
Possibly from Old French gifart meaning "chubby" or possibly from the Germanic name Gebhard. Walter Giffard was one of the Norman companions of William the Conqueror.

Gilbert English, French
Derived from the given name Gilbert.

Girard French
From the given name Gérard.

Giraud French
From the given name Gérald.

Giroux French
Derived from the Germanic name Gerulf.

Godard French
Derived from the Germanic given name Godehard.

Gosse French
Derived from the Norman given name Gosse.

Gosselin French
Derived from a diminutive of the French given name Gosse.

Granger English, French
Means "farm bailiff" from Old French grangier, ultimately from Latin granum meaning "grain". It is borne in the Harry Potter novels by Harry's friend Hermione Granger.

Grant English, Scottish
Derived from Norman French meaning "grand, tall, large, great". A famous bearer was the American general and president Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885).

Granville English
Derived from a Norman place name Grainville.

Grenville English
Variant of Granville.

Gros French
Means "thick, fat, big" in French, from Late Latin grossus, possibly of Germanic origin.

Guérin French
From the Old German given name Warin.

Guillaume French
From the given name Guillaume.

Guillory French
Derived from the Old German given name Williric.

Guillot French
From a diminutive of the given name Guillaume.

Hardy English, French
From Old French and Middle English hardi meaning "bold, daring, hardy", from the Germanic root *harduz.

Hébert French
Derived from the given name Herbert.

Herbert English, German, French
Derived from the male given name Herbert.

Hubert French, German, English
Derived from the given name Hubert.

Jacques French
From the French given name Jacques.

Jacquet French
From a diminutive of the given name Jacques.

Janvier French
Either from the given name Janvier or the French word janvier meaning "January", perhaps indicating a person who was baptized in that month.

Jardine English, Scottish
Means "garden", denoting someone who worked as a gardener.

Jean French
From the given name Jean 1.

Jérôme French
Derived from the given name Jérôme.

Joly French
From Old French joli meaning "happy, jolly, pretty".

Jordan 1 English, French, German
Derived from the given name Jordan.

Joseph English, French
Derived from the given name Joseph.

Joubert French
From the given name Gaubert.

Julien French
From the given name Julien.

Kay 2 English
Derived from Old French kay meaning "wharf, quay", indicating one who lived near or worked on a wharf.

Key 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Keyes 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Keys 1 English
Variant of Kay 1 or Kay 2.

Labelle French
Means "fair, beautiful" in French.

Lacey English
Derived from Lassy, the name of a town in Normandy. The name of the town was Gaulish in origin, perhaps deriving from a personal name that was Latinized as Lascius.

Lachance French
Means "chance, luck" in French, a nickname for a lucky person.

Lachapelle French
Means "the chapel" in French, most likely used to denote a person who lived by a church or a chapel.

Lacroix French
Means "the cross" in French. It denoted one who lived near a cross symbol or near a crossroads.

Lacy English
Variant of Lacey.

Lamar French, English
Originally from a place name in Normandy, derived from Old French la mare meaning "the pool".

Lamarre French
Variant of Lamar.

Lambert French
Derived from the given name Lambert.

Lane 2 French
Derived from a French word meaning "wool", designating one who worked in the wool trade.

Langlais French
Means "the Englishman" in French.

Langley 2 French (Anglicized)
Americanized spelling of Langlais.

Langlois French
Variant of Langlais.

Lapointe French
Means "the point (of a lance)" in French, possibly a nickname for a soldier.

Larue French
Means "the street" in French.

Laurent French
From the given name Laurent.

Lavigne French
Means "the vineyard" in French, referring to a person who lived close to a vineyard, or was from the town of Lavigny.

Lavoie French
Means "the road, the lane" in French, a name for someone who lived close to a road.

Léandre French
Derived from the given name Léandre.

Leavitt English
From the name of various places called Livet in Normandy, France. They are possibly of Gaulish origin.

Lebeau French
Nickname for a handsome person, from French le "the" and beau "beautiful, handsome".

Leblanc French
Means "the white", from French blanc "white". The name referred to a person who was pale or whose hair was blond.

Lebrun French
From a nickname meaning "the brown", from French brun "brown".

Leclair French
Either a variant of Leclerc or from French clair meaning "bright".

Leclerc French
Means "the clerk" in French.

Leclercq French
Variant of Leclerc.

Lécuyer French
From French écuyer meaning "squire, shield-bearer".

Lefebvre French
Variant of Lefèvre.

Lefèvre French
Occupational name meaning "blacksmith" in Old French, derived from Latin faber.

Legrand French
Means "the tall, the large" in French.

Lemaire French
Means "the mayor" in French. It was a title given to a town official, or else a nickname for someone who was pompous and officious.

Lémieux French
Derived from the place name Leymieux, a town in the Rhône-Alpes region of France.

Lemoine French
Means "the monk" in French. This was typically a nickname or an occupational name for a person who worked in a monastery.

Léon French
Variant of Lyon 1, Lyon 2 or Lyon 3.

Leroux French
Means "the red", from Old French ros "red". This was a nickname for a person with red hair.

Leroy French
Variant of Rey 1, using the definite article.

Lesauvage French
French form of Savage.

Lestrange French
From Old French estrange, a cognate of Strange.

Lévêque French
Variant of Lévesque.

Lévesque French
Derived from French évêque, a cognate of Bishop.

Levitt English
Variant of Leavitt.

Louis French
From the given name Louis.

Lucas English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch
Derived from the given name Lucas. A famous bearer of this surname is George Lucas (1944-), the creator of the Star Wars movies.

Lyon 1 English, French
Originally denoted a person from the city of Lyon in central France, originally Latin Lugdunum, of Gaulish origin meaning "hill fort of Lugus". It could also denote a person from the small town of Lyons-la-Forêt in Normandy.

Lyon 2 English, French
From a nickname derived from Old French and Middle English lion meaning "lion".

Lyon 3 French, English
From the given name Leon.

Macey English
Variant of Massey.

Maçon French
French cognate of Mason.

Macy English
Variant of Massey.

Marchand English, French
Occupational name meaning "merchant", ultimately from Latin mercari "to trade".

Marie French
From the given name Marie.

Marin Romanian, French
From the given name Marin.

Marion French
Derived from the given name Marion 1.

Martel 1 English, French
Derived from the given name Martel, a medieval diminutive of Martin.

Martel 2 French, English
Nickname for a smith, derived from Old French martel "hammer", ultimately from Late Latin martellus.

Martin English, French, German, Swedish
Derived from the given name Martin. This is the most common surname in France.

Massey English
Derived from Massy, the name of several towns in France. The name of the town is perhaps derived from a personal name that was Latinized as Maccius.

Masson 1 French, Scottish
Variant of Mason.

Masson 2 French
From a short form of the given name Thomasson, itself a diminutive of Thomas.

Mathieu French
Derived from the given name Mathieu.

Maurin French
Derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus.

Melville Scottish
From the place name Malleville meaning "bad town" in Norman French.

Melvin Scottish
Variant of Melville.

Mercier French
French form of Mercer.

Merle French
French form of Merlo.

Meunier French
Means "miller" in French.