French Submitted Surnames

French names are used in France and other French-speaking regions. See also about French names.
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Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
LAFLAMME French (Quebec)
Means "The Flame" in French.
LAFLÈCHE French (Quebec)
A French-Canadian secondary surname from "Richer dit Laflèche," used independently since 1746. Laflèche is derived from the French town of La Flèche, in the former province of Anjou.
LA FORGE French
This is my Grandmother's maiden name
LAGASSE French
French: nickname from Old French agace, agasse ‘magpie’ + the definite article l’.
LAGRANGE French
French: topographic name for someone who lived by a granary, a variant of Grange, with the definite article la.
LAHAIE French
Locational name for someone who lived near a hedge or large bush, from old French "La" the and "Haie" hedge.
LALAURIE French (Cajun)
A French surname meaning "the laurel".
LA LIVERES French
Means 'the books' in French
LALONDE French
French (Normandy): habitational name from any of various places in Normandy, so named from Old Norse lundr ‘grove’, with the definite article la.
LAMARCHE French
French: topographic name or habitational name, a variant of LaMarque.
LAMBILLOTTE French (Modern)
Currently, a common name in Wallonia, Belgium with some descendants in USA. Believed to be derived from three terms..."lamb" "ill" "otte". The first term has remained unchanged from early Germanic term; the second is latin for "of the" and the third a dimiuative or feminine form suffix... [more]
LAMONT Scottish (Modern), Northern Irish, French
Scottish and northern Irish: from the medieval personal name Lagman, which is from Old Norse Logmaðr, composed of log, plural of lag ‘law’ (from leggja ‘to lay down’) + maðr, ‘man’ (genitive manns).... [more]
L'AMOREAUX French
French surname meaning "The Lovers"
LAMOUREAUX French
Means "the lover" in French. It would be the nickname of an amorous person.
LANDE French, Norwegian, Jewish
French: topographic name for someone living on a heath, lande (from Gaulish landa ‘space’, ‘land’), or a habitational name from any of numerous minor places named La Lande from this word.... [more]
LANDRY French, English
From the Germanic personal name Landric, a compound of land "land" and ric "powerful, ruler".
LANSDOWNE French, English
The first marquis lansdowne, land owners for there lords and farmers also know as tenants.
LAPIN French
Means "Rabbit" in French.
LAPORTE French
Topographic name for someone who lived near the gates of a fortified town (and often was in charge of them; thus in part a metonymic occupational name), from Old French porte "gateway", "entrance" (from Latin porta, "door", "entrance"), with the definite article la... [more]
LARIVIÈRE French (Modern)
From the region of Bourgoigne, in France, meaning 'the river'. The name is likely a topographic reference to the physical location, likely a river in this case.
LASALLE French
1. French: local name or occupational name for someone who lived or worked at a manor house, from Old French sal(e) ‘hall’ (modern French salle; see also Sale), with the definite article la. ... [more]
LASCELLES French
French location name from Lacelle in Orne, northern France and referring to "small rooms or cells inhabited by monks".
LAURENCE English, French
From the given name Laurence.
LAVALLE French
means "of the valley" in english.
LAVEAU French (Cajun)
A Cajun surname meaning "the calf".
LAVELLE French
From Old French val "valley".... [more]
LAVELY French (Anglicized, ?)
Possibly an English variant of Lavallée.
LAVERDIÈRE French
Habitational name from various places named La Verdière in France, or a variant of the name Leverdier (see VERDIER).
LAVERDURE French
From the French place name La Verdure meaning "greenness, greenery".
LAVIOLETTE French, French (Quebec), French (Acadian)
A secondary surname, associated with some forty family names in Canada and also used independently since 1698, a nickname from the flower violette ‘violet’, with the definite article la. In feudal France it was a name given to soldiers and domestic servants.
LE BRETON French
Describes someone from the French region Breton.
LECHAT French
Means "The Cat" in French.
LECOQ French
Coq means rooster or fowl
LEDGER English, Norman, French, Dutch
English: from a Norman personal name, Leodegar, Old French Legier, of Germanic origin, composed of the elements liut ‘people’, ‘tribe’ + gar, ger ‘spear’. The name was borne by a 7th-century bishop of Autun, whose fame contributed to the popularity of the name in France... [more]
LEDOUX French
Means "the amiable" from French doux meaning "sweet, soft, gentle".
LEFRANÇOIS French, French (Quebec)
Derived from the given name François.
LEGAULT Norman (Gallicized)
From the French "le Gaul," meaning simply "the Gaul." Gaul refers to the northern part of modern-day France.
LE HOUÉROU Breton
Derived from Breton c'hwerv "bitter".
LELOUP French
Means “the wolf” in French.
LE MAISTRE French
From French meaning 'master'
LEMERCIER French
French surname designating a vendor of sewing materials, from the word mercier.
LEMOINE French, French (Quebec)
Means "The Monk" in French. Lemoine is also an English given name derived from this surname.
LENOIR French
French surname which was originally a nickname for a person with dark hair or skin, derived from noir "black" combined with the definite article le. A famous bearer is Étienne Lenoir (1822 - 1900), the inventor of the internal combustion engine.
LÉOTARD French
From the given name Leopold. Jules Léotard was an acrobat who popularized the leotard, a gymnastics garment. The garment is named after him.
LE PEN Breton
Le Pen is a Breton surname meaning "the head", "the chief" or "the peninsula".
LE ROUX French
Nickname for a person with red hair, from Old French rous "red." Variant spelling of Leroux.
LESUEUR French
Occupational surname for a shoemaker, cobbler, or rarely a tailor; derived from Old French sueur "one who sews" (from Latin sutor).
LE TALLEC Breton
Tallec derives from talek which means someone with a large forehead in Breton.
LETOURNEAU French
From Old French estournel 'starling'.... [more]
LEVA Bulgarian (Rare), Czech (Rare), French (Rare), Jewish (Rare)
From the Hebrew given name Lev, meaning Lion. It is also the name of the currency in Bulgaria, and a verb in French meaning to lever or to lift.
LEVAN French, English
Comes from le vent, meaning "the wind."
LEVASSEUR French
Status name from Old French vasseor, a short form of vavasour, a term of the feudal system for a tenant ranking immediately below a baron. Such a tenant would have been a prosperous man, and the surname may have been used for someone in his service more often than for the man himself... [more]
LEVER French, English
Nickname for a fleet-footed or timid person, from Old French levre ‘hare’ (Latin lepus, genitive leporis). It may also have been a metonymic occupational name for a hunter of hares... [more]
LEVIN Jewish, Lithuanian, Belarusian, German, Russian, French (Quebec, Anglicized), Various
As a Lithuanian Jewish and Belarusian Jewish name, it is a Slavicized form of Levy. As a German and German Jewish name, it is derived from the given name Levin. As a Jewish name, it can also be related to Loewe... [more]
LEVY English, French, Jewish
There are three possible sources of this surname. ... [more]
L'HEUREUX French
Means "the happy one" in French.
LINCOURT French (Quebec)
Possibly a habitational name.
LISLE Norman, English, French
English (of Norman origin) and French: variant spelling of Lyle.
LOISEAU French
Means "The Bird" in French.
LORAIN French
Occupational name for a saddler, derived from the Old French word lorain, meaning "a leather strap used on a horse's breastplate".
LORANG French
Surname of uncertain origin. Might be derived from:... [more]
LORD French
Nickname from Old French l'ord "the dirty one".
LOUIS English, French, Greek (Rare), Dutch
From the given name Louis. In Greece, it is known for Spyridon Louis.
LOVETT English, French
From Ango-Norman French "louvet" meaning "young wolf".
LOZAC’H Breton
From a Breton word meaning “husband” or “patriarch”
LUPIN French
Lupin is a variant on the Latin word "lupus", meaning "wolf". Two important literary characters, Arsène Lupin, the famous French gentleman-burglar, and Professor Remus Lupin, from the world of Harry Potter, have this name... [more]
LUXENBERG German, Jewish, Luxembourgish, Belgian, French, Walloon
Habitational name from various places named Luxenberg, Luxemberg, Luxenburg, or Luxembourg, including the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
LYÉ French
A habitational name from places named Lié located in Deux-Sèvres and Vendée.
MACE English, French
English: from a medieval personal name, a survival of Old English Mæssa, which came to be taken as a pet form of Matthew.... [more]
MACK Scottish, Irish, German, Dutch, French
Scottish (Berwickshire) and Irish: from the Old Norse personal name Makkr, a form of Magnus (Old Irish Maccus). Shortened form of any of the many Scottish and Irish names beginning M(a)c-.... [more]
MACON French, German
French: See Maçon. An occupational name for a mason, French maçon. Habitational name from places so called in Saône-et-Loire, Allier, Aube, the Côte d’Or, Gers, and Deux-Sères. ... [more]
MAFFRET French
beleived to originated in{ NICE, france} in the late 19th century, emmigration from france to london,{stepney}, where the surname was mistakenly added an extra letter "T" resulting in the surname MAFFRETT
MAIN Scottish, English, French, Norman
Various origins explained include:... [more]
MAINE French
French topographic name from Old French maine ‘dwelling’, ‘residence’, ‘abode’, or a habitational name from any of numerous places so named.
MAISON French
Means "house" in French.
MALECUIT French
Means "doughy," "soggy," or "undercooked" in French.
MALFAIT French
Derived from French mal fait, which literally means "poorly done, badly done". In the context of the surname, it refers to the first bearer being "malformed" or "deformed" (as it was in the eyes of people from older times), which means that he either was physically disabled or able-bodied but with a physical trait that deviated from the norm.
MALFOY French
Malfoy is a French name roughly translating to "bad faith"
MALIN English, French, Dutch
From the given name Malin (English), and from the given name Madalin composed of the Germanic element madal meaning "council" (French, Dutch).
MALPASS English, Scottish, French
Habitational name from any of various places named Malpas, because of the difficulty of the terrain, from Old French mal pas "bad passage" (Latin malus passus). It is a common French minor place name, and places in Cheshire, Cornwall, Gwent, and elsewhere in England were given this name by Norman settlers... [more]
MANSELL English (Canadian), Norman
Of Norman origin, a habitational or regional name from Old French mansel ‘inhabitant of Le Mans or the surrounding area of Maine’. The place was originally named in Latin (ad) Ceromannos, from the name of the Gaulish tribe living there, the Ceromanni... [more]
MANSELL Anglo-Norman, French
A status name for a particular type of feudal tenant, Anglo-Norman French mansel, one who occupied a manse (Late Latin mansa ‘dwelling’), a measure of land sufficient to support one family... [more]
MANUEL Spanish, Portuguese, French, German
Derived from the given name Manuel.
MARC French
Derived from the French given name Marc.
MARCEAU French
From the given name Marcellus.
MARCELIN Haitian Creole, French
From the given name Marcelin.
MARCHANT French, English, Spanish
Variant of Marchand, from French marchand meaning "merchant, mercantile". Though it is of French origin, it was transferred into the Spanish-speaking world, especially Chile, by French invasion of the Iberian Peninsula.
MARRIOTT English, French
Derived from Mary.
MARTELLE English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese
English and German: from a medieval personal name, a pet form of Martin or Marta.... [more]
MARTINEAU French
Used in Western France. From a pet form of Martin.
MARTINET French
From a pet form of the personal name Martin.
MARY French
Habitational name from places in Saône-et-Loire, Seine-et-Marne, and Nièvre, named in Latin as Mariacum meaning "estate of Marius".
MASEY English, Scottish, French, Norman
English and Scottish (of Norman origin) and French: habitational name from any of various places in northern France which get their names from the Gallo-Roman personal name Maccius + the locative suffix -acum.... [more]
MASSE English, French, Dutch
English: variant of Mace ... [more]
MATHENY French (Anglicized)
Of French origin. According to Matheny family tradition, this surname comes from the name of a village in France named Mathenay. This may also have been a French Huguenot surname.
MATHIAS French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese
French, Dutch: from the personal name Mathias (see Matthew).... [more]
MATHIS German, French
From the given name Mathis.
MATURIN French
From the French male personal name Maturin, from Latin Mātūrīnus, a derivative of Mātūrus, literally "timely". It was borne by the Irish "Gothic" novelist Charles Maturin (1782-1824).
MAURICE English, French
This surname is taken from a given name which is derived from the Roman name Mauritius, a derivative of Maurus.
MAXIME French
From the French given name Maxime.
MAYNE French
French variant of Maine.
MAYSONET Provençal
Mason,Mason "Deriving from the Old French word machun, which meant 'stone cutter.' Inferring the original bearer of the name worked in stone or mason."
MAZARIN French
French form of Italian Mazzarino.
MEAUX French
Habitational name from a place in Seine-et-Marne, so named from the Gaulish tribal name Meldi, or from Meaux-la-Montagne in Rhône.
MÉE French
French habitational name from places called (Le) Mée in Mayenne, Eure-et-Loir, and Seine-et-Marne, derived from Old French me(i)s ‘farmstead’ (Latin mansus).
MENEZ Breton
Menez means mount or mountain in Breton.
MESLY French
Variant of Mesley.
MESSIAEN Dutch, French
Derived from Messiaen, the (archaic) Dutch form of the latinate first name Messianus, which itself is ultimately derived from the Roman praenomen Messus. The meaning of Messus is not wholly certain; it may be derived from the Latin verb meto "to reap, to harvest, to cut, to sever", or from the latinized form of Greek mesos or messos "(the) middle, (the) middle one"... [more]
MESSIER French
Occupational name for someone who kept watch over harvested crops, Old French messier 'harvest master' (Late Latin messicarius, agent derivative of messis 'harvest').
METREJON Louisiana Creole (?), French (?)
Maiden surname of Constance Leto (nee Metrejon). She was born in Louisiana and has Cajun(French) ancestry. The Metrejon line is traced back to Joseph Marie Maitrejean, who was born c. 1778, in Belle-Île-en-Mer, France, an island off the coast of Brittany.
MEUNIER French
French word for "miller."
MÉZEC Breton
Mézec derives from mezeg which means physician in Breton
MICHELET French (Latinized, Rare)
Its name comes from the name Michael, the angel.
MICKLEY French
It originated when an immigrant family named Michelet came to New York from Northern France. Because they had a foreign surname, they made up the names Mickley and Michelin. The originator was Jean Jacques Michelet (John Jacob Mickley), a private in the Revolutionary War... [more]
MINOR English, German, French
English: variant spelling of Miner.... [more]
MIRAMON French
MIRAMON is a French name with Spanish origins. ... [more]
MONNIER French
It means Miller, someone operating a mill; from "meunier" or "mounier" in Old French.
MONTAGNET French, Basque
Meaning "mountains," this name is commonly found in the Basque Pyrenees.
MONTEBLANCO French, Spanish
Originally from France "Mont Blanc" but translated when arrived in Spain.
MONTESQUIEU French
From French montagne, meaning "mountain" and possibly also from queue, meaning "line". Charles Montesquieu was a 17th-century French aristocrat, philosopher and politician.
MONTY French, English
Topographic name for a mountain dweller, from Old French mont 'mountain' (Latin mons, montis).
MORALEE English, French
First found in Norfolk where they were seated from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings.
MOTEL French
Topographic name from a derivative of Old French motte ‘fortified stronghold’.
MULLINIX French
A locational name "of de Moloneaux" probably from the noble family who trace their descent from William the Conqueror, from Molineaux-sur-Seine, near Rouen. The name came to England during the wake of the Norman Conquest... [more]
MUSKOW French (Archaic)
French Variant of Moscow.
NADEAU French
Variant of Nadal, which can be a name or the meaning "Christmas".... [more]
NAULT French
From a short form of various medieval personal names derived from Germanic personal names formed with wald 'rule' as the final element, in particular Arnold.
NAVARRE French
The name means "By the sea". Originally a country of its own, located between Spain and France, Navarre became a part of France in 1284 when the Queen of Navarre married King Philip IV of France. After much war, becoming independent once again, and falling into Spanish rule, the Kingdom of Navarre is now split between Spain and France.
NAVARRO Spanish, French, English
Describes a former member of the ancient kingdom of Navarre. Possibly means 'the treeless country' or 'the country above the trees'
NEUGER German, French (?)
Was popularized by the German community. Famous bearers include investors Win Neuger and Dan Neuger, author Christie Cozad Neuger.
NICOLAY German, French
From the given name Nicolay, a form of Nicholas through Russian Nikolay. This is the name of a French family of nobility.
NICOLIN French
From the given name Nicolas.
NOBLE English, Scottish, Irish, French
Nickname from Middle English, Old French noble "high-born, distinguished, illustrious" (Latin nobilis), denoting someone of lofty birth or character, or perhaps also ironically someone of low station... [more]
NOËL French
Means "Christmas".
NOIR French
Means "black" in French, originally used in Northern France as an ethnic nickname for someone from Southern France, Spain, Italy or North Africa. It also may have been used for someone who wore dark clothing or for someone who had an occupation during the night or was associated with the night.
NOISETTE French
This is a French surname meaning "hazelnut".
NOLAND Irish, French
Irish: variant of Nolan.... [more]
NOONS French
From the Portuguese name Nunes.
NORMAND French
Means North Man, meaning vikings
OCTOBRE French
Means "October" in French.
ODELIN French
Not to be confused with the similarly spelled ODELÍN, which is Spanish rather than French, though they could have similar origins in name.
ODIGE French, African
A Name from french Odige (O.DI Zeouf) zeouf with means egg Zeouf is spelled as ge to shorten the name. This surname means fighter The French has been known to be Lovely and the language of love un-violent... [more]
ONFROY French
From a form of the given name Humphrey.
ORLEANS French
From France. Middle ages??
OUELLETTE French (Quebec)
Canadian spelling of French (Norman and Champenois) Ouilet, from a Frenchified form of Willet, a pet form of William.
PACKARD English, Norman, Medieval English, German (Anglicized)
English from Middle English pa(c)k ‘pack’, ‘bundle’ + the Anglo-Norman French pejorative suffix -ard, hence a derogatory occupational name for a peddler. ... [more]
PADGETT French
In French the meaning of the name Padgett is: Attendant
PAQUETTE French
From the personal name Paquet, a pet form of Pascal.
PARAMORE French (Rare)
origin is unknown but the meaning of the name is lover used in France and England
PARROT French
Form of Pierone.... [more]
PARSLEY Medieval French, English, Norman, French
Derived from Old French passelewe "cross the water."... [more]
PASTEUR French
French for "shepherd" or "preacher, pastor". Famous bearer Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), French chemist who created the first rabies vaccine, gave his name to the process of 'pasteurization'.
PÊCHEUR French
French for "fisher."
PEEVEY Norman, English
Means "a place with a fine view". Composed of the Old French roots beu, which means "fair" and "lovely", and voir, which means "to see".
PELKEY French (Anglicized)
Anglicized version of French surnames Peltier and Pelltier.
PELTIER French
Variant of Pelletier (from Old French pellet, a diminutive of pel "skin, hide").
PÉPIN French
From the Old French name Pepis, itself a form of the given name Pépin. Alternatively, it may be derived from French pépin meaning "(fruit) seed", thus making it an occupational name for a gardener or someone who grew fruit-bearing trees.
PERDUE English, Irish, French
English and Irish from Old French par Dieu ‘by God’, which was adopted in Middle English in a variety of more or less heavily altered forms. The surname represents a nickname from a favorite oath... [more]
PEREIRE Breton (Latinized, Archaic)
This surname is the Gallic (Gaulish) origin and it means wild pear tree. There are also similar spellig in the Iberian Peninsula such as Pereiro, Pereyro, Pereiros, Perero and Pereros. These surnames (last names) correspond to families of the Celtiberian culture.
PERESS Breton (Latinized, Rare, Archaic)
It means Son of Peter (Pedro).
PEUREUX French
In the war there was a French resistance fighter named Maurice Peureux.
PEYRON French
Unknown meaning. French surname. Famous bearer of this name is Bruno Peyron and the German princess Louise Peyron (1918-1989).... [more]
PHÉNIX French (Quebec)
French Canadian variant of Phoenix.
PHENIX French (Quebec, Anglicized)
Either (i) an anglicization of French Canadian Phénix, literally "phoenix", probably originally a nickname of now lost import; or (ii) a different form of Fenwick.
PICARD French
Picard is the name given to a person from Picardy, a historical region and cultural area of France. The Star Trek: Next Generation Jean-Luc Picard has this name.
PIEDNOEL French
Modern (and also more common) form of Piénoel.
PIÉNOEL French (Rare)
French surname that possibly refers to the buckled shoes that the original bearer was wearing, in which case it is derived from Old French pié meaning "foot" combined with Old French noiel meaning "buckle"... [more]
PIKETTY French
Perhaps related to the English surname Pickett. A notable bearer is French economist Thomas Piketty (1971-).
PILLOT French
Meaning unknown, possibly derived from Middle French pilot or pillot both meaning "stake, pole". This is the name of a wealthy merchant family from Besançon, France.
PIN French, Dutch
A topographic name for someone living by a pine tree or in a pine forest, or a habitational name from a place named with the Old French word pin, meaning ‘pine’.
PITTLER French
A surname which originally belonged to a person who lived by a pit or hollow. Meaning "King of the Pit" or "King of the Hollow".
PLATTE French
From Old French plat, meaning "flat."
PLIMSOLL French (Acadian)
I don't know the meaning, but it is my maiden name, and I understand it to be French. Samuel Plimsoll is my ancestor. He was born in Bristol, UK. He was an MP who spoke up in parliament and subsequently the Plimsoll or loading line was introduced on ships... [more]
PLUMIER French, Belgian
Possibly an occupational name for a dealer in feathers and quills, from an agent derivative of Old French plume "feather, plume" (compare English and Dutch Plumer). This was borne by French botanist and monk Charles Plumier (1646-1704), after whom the genus Plumeria is named.
POIROT French, Literature
A French occupational name referring to a merchant who sells pears (poire). Used by Agatha Christie for her Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot, but she came up with the name by combining the surnames Poiret and Popeau, the names of two contemporary fictional detectives.
POISSON French
Poisson is the French word for fish, and was given to one who was a fishmonger, fisherman, or could be a nickname for one who had the appearance similar to a fish.
POLAND English, German, French (Anglicized), Irish (Anglicized)
English and German name is derived from the Middle High German Polan, which means "Poland". The surname originally signified a person with Polish connections.This French surname originated from an occupational name of a poultry breeder, or from a fearful person; it is derived from the Old French poule, which means "chicken".In other cases, particularly in Ireland, the English Poland is a variant of Polin,which is in turn an Anglicised form of the original Gaelic spelling of Mac Póilín, which translated from Irish means "son of little Paul"... [more]
POLEY French, German, Jewish
French: variant of Polet, Paulet, pet forms of Paul.... [more]
POMPEY French, English
Variant of Italian POMPEI.
PONTIFF French
Means "bridge builder". Comes from the French word pont, which means bridge. ... [more]
POPUCHET French
Wise and classy
PORTUGAL Spanish, Portuguese, English, Catalan, French, Jewish
Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, English, French, and Jewish surname meaning ethnic name or regional name for someone from Portugal or who had connections with Portugal. The name of the country derives from Late Latin Portucale, originally denoting the district around Oporto (Portus Cales, named with Latin portus ‘port’, ‘harbor’ + Cales, the ancient name of the city)... [more]
POSEY English, French
Derived from the Greek word "desposyni." The Desposyni is a term referring to a group of people that are allegedly direct blood relatives to Jesus. They are mentioned in Mark 3:21 and Mark 3:31. American actress Parker Posey is a famous bearer.
POTEET English, French
From the French name Pottet, which is derived from pot meaning "pot", originally a name for a potter.
POTTIER French
A variant of the french word for potter, potier.... [more]
PREVOST French, English
Derived from Old French prevost meaning "provost" (ultimately from Latin praepositus, the past participle of praeponere meaning "to place in charge") which is a status name for any of the various officials in a position of responsibility.
PREVOT French
A prevot was a govenment position during the Ancient Régime
PRIMEAU French
First found in Burgundy France.
PRINCE English, French
Nickname from Middle English, Old French prince (Latin princeps), presumably denoting someone who behaved in a regal manner or who had won the title in some contest of skill.
PRIVETT French, English, Welsh (?)
French, from the given name Privat (see PRIVATUS). Also an English habitational name from a place so named in Hampshire, derived from Old English pryfet "privet".
PROPHET English, Scottish, French, German
Scottish, English, French, and German: nickname from Middle English and Old French prophete, Middle High German prophet ‘prophet’, ‘seer’, ultimately from Greek prophetes ‘predictor’, from pro ‘before’ + a derivative of phemi ‘to speak’... [more]
PROUST French
Variant of the French nickname Preaux meaning "wise, worthy, valiant". A famous bearer is Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust--simply known as Marcel Proust--(1871-1922), a French author.
PROVENCHER French
From the French word for the flower periwinkle. (pervenche) Brought to Canada from France in 1660 by Sebastien Provencher.
PROVOST English, French
Derived from the Middle English provost; referring to the person who heads a religious chapter in a cathedral or educational establishment. It was also used as a nickname for a self-important person and is a French variant of Prevost.
PRUDHOMME French, English, Norman, Medieval French
French (Prud’homme) and English (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French prud’homme ‘wise’, ‘sensible man’, a cliché term of approbation from the chivalric romances. It is a compound of Old French proz, prod ‘good’, with the vowel influenced by crossing with prudent ‘wise’ + homme ‘man’... [more]
PRUE English, French
English: nickname for a redoubtable warrior, from Middle English prou(s) ‘brave’, ‘valiant’ (Old French proux, preux).... [more]
PRUITT English, French
French and English: nickname from a pet form of Old French proux ‘valiant’, ‘brave’, or ‘wise’ (see Proulx, Prue).
PULVER Low German, French, English
I comes from the Latin verb meaning "to make powder." This name was given to either an alchemist or one who made gunpowder.
PUSEY French
Habitational name form Pusey in Haute-Saône, so named from a Gallo-Roman personal name, Pusius, + the locative suffix -acum.
RAISON English, Scottish, French
From a medieval nickname for an intelligent person (from Old French raison "reason, intelligence").
RAMAGE French, Scottish
From a medieval Scottish nickname for a hot-tempered or unpredictable person (from Old French ramage "wild, uncontrollable" (applied to birds of prey)).
RAMBEAU French (Rare), Ancient Germanic (Frankish)
Altered spelling of the southern French family name Rambaut, from an Old French personal name, Rainbaut, composed of the Germanic elements ragin "counsel" + bald "bold", "brave", or alternatively from the Germanic personal name Hrambehrt or Hrambald, composed of the elements hramn "crow" & berht "bright" or bald "bold", "brave".
RANCOURT French (Quebec)
Habitational name from places in France named Rancourt.
RANDEL French, German
French: from a pet form of the Germanic personal name Rando, a short form of various compound names formed with rand ‘(shield) rim’ as the first element. Compare Randall.... [more]
RANGE German, French
German: nickname for a ragamuffin, from Middle High German range ‘naughty boy’, ‘urchin’.... [more]
RANGER English, German, French
English: occupational name for a gamekeeper or warden, from Middle English ranger, an agent derivative of range(n) ‘to arrange or dispose’.... [more]
RAVENEL English, French
Habitational name from Ravenel in Oise or a metonymic occupational name for a grower or seller of horseradish, from a diminutive of Old French ravene ‘horseradish’ (Latin raphanus)... [more]
RAYMOND English, French
From the Norman personal name Raimund, composed of the Germanic elements ragin "advice, counsel" and mund "protection".
RÉAL French
This can derive from several different sources: southern French réal "royal", a word which was applied to someone either as a nickname (presumably given to people perceived as being regal) or as an occupational name (given to a person in the service of the king); or the French place name Réal, in which case this is a habitational name taken from any of various places which were named for having been part of a royal domain (also compare Reau, Reaux).
REISS German, Jewish, French (Huguenot)
German: variant of Reis or from any of several Germanic personal names composed with ric ‘power(ful)’. Also from the French Huguenot forename Ris, rendered as Reis and Reiss.... [more]
RENAUDIN French
From the given name Renaud.
REVERE English, French, Judeo-Italian
French: variant of Rivière, Rivoire, or Rivier, topographic name for someone living on the banks of a river, French rivier ‘bank’, or habitational name from any of the many places in France named with this word.... [more]
RHINE German, French, English, Irish
A habitational name for an individual whom lived within close proximity of the River Rhine (see Rhein). The river name is derived from a Celtic word meaning 'to flow' (Welsh redan, 'flow').... [more]
RICHE English, French
English: variant spelling of Rich. ... [more]
RITCHINGS French, German, English
This surname has at least three distinct separate origins. ... [more]
RIVES French, Jewish
Jewish (eastern Ashkenazic): from the Yiddish female personal name Rive a back-formation from Rivke (see Rifkin).... [more]
RIVET French, English
French: from a diminutive of Old French rive ‘(river) bank’, ‘shore’ (see Rives).... [more]
RIVETT English, French
English (East Anglia): metonymic occupational name for a metalworker, from Middle English, Old French rivet ‘small nail or bolt’ (from Old French river ‘to fix or secure’, of unknown origin).... [more]
RIVIERE French, French (Quebec), French (Acadian)
Possibly from the French word meaning "river"