French Submitted Surnames

French names are used in France and other French-speaking regions. See also about French names.
usage
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Dozier French
Meaning "lives near willow trees" or possibly someone who made goods, such as baskets, from willow wood.
Dragon French, English
Nickname or occupational name for someone who carried a standard in battle or else in a pageant or procession, from Middle English, Old French dragon "snake, monster" (Latin draco, genitive draconis, from Greek drakōn, ultimately from derkesthai "to flash")... [more]
Dragoo American, French (Huguenot)
Americanized form of Dragaud, a French (Huguenot) surname derived from the Germanic given name Dragwald, itself derived from the elements drag- meaning "to carry" and wald "power, rule".
Dreik French
Derived from the Old Norse given name Draki or the Old English given name Draca both meaning "dragon".
Drewitt English, French
English (Wiltshire Berkshire and Surrey): of Norman origin from the Old French personal name Druet a diminutive of Drue Dreu (from ancient Germanic Drogo); see Drew Alternatively the name may be from a diminutive of Old French dru ‘lover’
Dreyfus French, German, Jewish
French-influenced variant of Dreyfuss, popular amongst people of Alsatian Jewish descent.
Drouillard French
Probably a derogatory nickname, from a derivative of the regional term drouiller "to defecate", which also has various figurative senses.
Drury English, French, Irish
Originally a Norman French nickname, derived from druerie "love, friendship" (itself a derivative of dru "lover, favourite, friend" - originally an adjective, apparently from a Gaulish word meaning "strong, vigourous, lively", but influenced by the sense of the Old High German element trut, drut "dear, beloved").... [more]
Du Aimé French
The Duaime surname comes from an Old French word "hamel," which meant "homestead." It was likely first used as a name to describe someone who lived at a farm on the outskirts of a main town, or for someone that lived in a small village.
Duboi French
Variant of Dubois.
Dubosque French
DuBosque means 'of the forest' in french and was a surname given typically to someone from a rural treed area.
Dubreuil French
Topographic name derived from Old French breuil meaning "marshy woodland" (also derived from Late Latin brogilum, of Gaulish origin). In French the term later came to mean "enclosed woodland" and then "cleared woodland", and both these senses may also be reflected in the surname.
Dubuisson French
A topographic name for someone who lived in an area of scrub land or by a prominent clump of bushes, derived from Old French buisson meaning "small tree, bush, scrub".
Ducasse French
French: topographic name for someone who lived by an oak tree, from Old French casse ‘oak (tree)’ (Late Latin cassanos, a word of Celtic origin), with the fused preposition and article du ‘from the’... [more]
Duchemin French
Either a topographic name with fused preposition and definite article du "from the" for someone who lived beside a path from chemin "path way" (from Late Latin caminus a word of Gaulish origin); or a habitational name for someone from Le Chemin the name of several places in various parts of France.
Duchêne French
Means "from the oak (tree)" in French, used to denote a person who lived near an oak tree or an oak forest.
Duclos French
du 'from the' from Old French clos 'enclosure' (see Clos ) or a habitational name for someone from Le Clos the name of several places in various parts of France so it means "from the enclosure"
Dufau French
The name DUFAU come from two French words DU which means « of the » and FAU which is old French for a beech tree. Surnames in France were given later so the person with this name meant he/she had a beech tree in his property... [more]
Dufault French
Alternate spelling of Dufau, meaning "of the beech tree."
Dufresne French
Topographic name for someone who lived near a prominent ash tree from Old French fraisne fresne "ash" from Latin fraxinus "ash".
Duhamel French
Topographic name for someone who lived in a hamlet, from Old French hamel, a diminutive of ham "homestead", with fused preposition and definite article du.
Dujardin French
Means "from the garden" in French.
Dulin French
The surname Dulin is most common in France and is an occupational name meaning "from flax". Pronounced "du LIN" in English; however, in French it is pronounced "du LON". Anglicized in some cases as Duling, Dowling, or Dulong (a more common French surname brought to England, Ireland and Scotland from French Normans and later Huguenots).
Dumoulin French, Walloon
Variant with fused preposition and definite article du "from the" of Moulin meaning "from the mill" and This surname is also found in the Flemish part of Belgium and in the Netherlands.
Dupain French
Means "of the bread" in French, probably used as an occupational name for a baker.
DuPaul French
From the given name Paul.
Dupin French
Means "of the pine tree" in French, referring to a person who lived near a pine tree or was from any of various locations named Le Pin.
Duplain French
topographic name from Old French plain an adjective meaning "flat" and a noun meaning "plain" with fused preposition and definite article du "from the".
du Plessis Afrikaans, French Creole, French (Cajun), French (Huguenot)
French topographic name for someone who lived by a quickset fence, Old French pleis (from Latin plexum past participle of plectere ‘plait’, ‘weave’), with fused preposition and definite article du ‘from the’... [more]
Dupouy French
Variant of Dupuy.
Dupré French
Means "of the meadow" in French.
Durbin French
Derived from the place called D'urban or D'urbin in Languedoc
Duret French
Derived from French dur meaning "hard, tough".
Durieux French
Derived from Old French riu meaning "river, stream", originally used to indicate someone who lived by a stream.
Dutertre French
Means "of the hillock, of the mound" in French.
Dutroux French, Belgian
Last name of Marc Dutroux, Belgian serial killer and child molester.
Duvall French
Variant spelling of Duval.
Duvernay French
Means "from the alder grove," from Gaulish vern meaning "alder" combined with Latin -etum, whence Modern French -aie, forming names of orchards or places where trees/plants are grown)... [more]
Duvillard French
French surname, pronounced /dyvilaʁ/, whose bearers mainly live in Haute-Savoie. It means "from Le Villard", a village in the Rhône-Alpes region, whose name comes from the Latin 'villare' which means 'hamlet'... [more]
Eamer French, Anglo-Saxon
This interesting and unusual surname has two possible sources. ... [more]
Ecru French (?)
It means "unbleached" in French, but is used in English to mean brown.
Eleanor French
Derives from the given name Eleanor. Not popular as a last name.
Élias French
From the given name Élias.
Emery English, French, Norman
English and French from a Germanic personal name, Emaurri, composed of the elements amja ‘busy’, ‘industrious’ + ric ‘power’... [more]
Émilien French
From the given name Émilien.
Emperaire French
Means "Emperor".
Engelbert German, English, French
From a Germanic personal name composed of engel (see Engel) + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’. The widespread popularity of the name in France during the Middle Ages was largely a result of the fact that it had been borne by a son-in-law of Charlemagne; in the Rhineland it was more often given in memory of a bishop of Cologne (1216–25) of this name, who was martyred.
Érable French (Rare)
From érable meaning "maple."
Erasmus French, Dutch
it means beloved one or king
Erman German (Modern), French (Modern)
Erman is a shortened French adaption of the Swiss-German surname Ermendinger, itself derived from the older surname Ermatinger, a name connected to the village of Ermatingen on the Swiss shore of Lake Constance, and came into existence during the early or middle 18th century when Jean-Georges Ermendinger (1710-1767), a Swiss fur trader from Geneva, married into a French speaking Huguenotte family... [more]
Esprit French
From the given name Esprit.
Estimé Haitian Creole, French
Means "valued, esteemed" in French.
Eustache French
From the given name Eustache.
Évariste French
From the given name Évariste.
Évrard French
From the given name Évrard.
Fabergé French (Huguenot, Russified, ?), Popular Culture
From Russian Фаберже (Faberzhe), which is ultimately of Huguenot French origin, having evolved (since c. 17th century) from Favri; compare Favre... [more]
Fafard French
Possibly derived from the french 'fard' meaning 'made-up' or 'make-up'. This is in a theatrical sense and does not imply lying. Very possibly a derivation form a theatrical occupation
Fain French, English, Welsh
Deriving from the Latin fanum meaning "temple."
Falba Occitan (Archaic), French (Rare)
Possibly from French fauve "wildcat".
Farand English (Canadian), French (Quebec)
Derived from the given name FARIMOND or from the French word ferrer meaning "to be clad in iron" or "to shoe a horse".
Farge French
Reduced or Americanized form of La Farge/Lafarge.
Farragut Breton, French, Catalan, American
A Breton-French surname of unknown origin. A notable bearer was American naval flag officer David Farragut (1801-1870), who is known for serving during the American Civil War. His father was of Catalan ancestry... [more]
Faucette French
From French fausette, meaning "falsehood." Variant of Fasset and Faucet.
Faustin French
From the given name Faustin.
Favier French
Occupational name for a grower of beans or a bean merchant derived from Latin faba "bean".
Favri French (Huguenot), Medieval French
The medieval French word for Blacksmith.
Fayard French
Originally French topographic name for someone who lived by a beech tree or beech-wood.
Faye French, English
Refers to one who came from Fay or Faye (meaning "beech tree") in France.
Félicien French
From the given name Félicien
Fernel French
Derived from French ferronel, a diminutive of (obsolete) ferron "maker or seller of iron".
Ferrand French, English
This French surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from a nickname (thus making it a descriptive surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the medieval French masculine given name Ferrand, which was a variant form of the name Fernand, itself a contraction of Ferdinand.... [more]
Ferrandin French (Rare)
This French surname can be derived from a given name (thus making it a patronymic surname) as well as from the name of a profession (thus making it an occupational surname). In the case of a patronymic surname, the surname is derived from the masculine given name Ferrandin, which was a diminutive of the medieval French given name Ferrand... [more]
Ferron French
Variant of Feron.
Feuille French
This is actually a standard word in French, correctly pronounce like "furry" without the r's. It means "leaf", or "sheet" (i.e. feuille de papier).
Février French
Meaning, "February."
Fey German, English, French, Danish
English: variant of Fay. ... [more]
Figuier French
From French figuier ultimately from Latin ficus ''fig tree'' given to someone who lived near a fig tree. French cognitive of Figueroa.
Fils French
From fils "son", used to identify the younger of two bearers of the same personal name in a family.
Firman English, French
From a medieval personal name meaning "firm, resolute, strong man." Borne by early saints and bishops. First name variants Firman and Firmin... [more]
Flament French, Flemish
French and Flemish cognate of Fleming.
Flavigny French
French form of Flavinius. The Flavigny Abbey, in the French region of Burgundy, became famous because of the candies made by its Benedictine monks, called the anise of Flavigny... [more]
Fleury French, English
Either a habitational name from Fleury the name of several places in various parts of France which get their names from the Gallo-Roman personal name Florus (from Latin florus "blooming flowering") and the locative suffix -acum or from the given name Fleury.
Florent French
From the given name Florent.
Florentin Romanian, French, German
From the given name Florentin.
Florine French
From the given name Florine.
Flory French
Southern French surname derived from the given name Florius.
Font Catalan, Occitan, Spanish, French
topographic name for someone living near a spring or well Catalan and Occitan font "spring well" (from Latin fons genitive fontis).
Fontenot French (Cajun)
From the Old French word "fontaine", meaning "fountain."
Foret French, French Creole
From Old French forest ‘forest’, a topographic name for someone who lived in or near a royal forest, or an occupational name for a keeper or worker in one. See also Forrest... [more]
Forrest French
French and English last name
Fort French, Walloon, English, Catalan
Either a nickname from Old French Middle English Catalan fort "strong brave" (from Latin fortis). Compare Lefort. From Fort a French form of the Latin personal name Fortis (from fortis "strong brave") chosen by early Christians as a symbol of moral strength and steadfastness and borne by an obscure saint whose cult was popular during the Middle Ages in southern and southwestern France... [more]
Fortescue French
Means 'strong shield' from French elements fort meaning "strong" and escu meaning "shield#
Fortin French
Diminutive of Fort.
Foucault French
Derived from the Germanic given name Folcwald, which was composed of the elements folk "people" and walt "power, leader, ruler"... [more]
Fouche French
"people army"
Fouquereau French (Quebec)
Jean Fouquereau was born on November 6, 1617, in Anjou, Isère, France, his father, Louis, was 23 and his mother, Catherine, was 20. He married Renee Bataille on December 31, 1639, in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, France... [more]
Fouquet French
From a pet form or a diminutive of Fouques.
Foy French
From a medieval nickname based on Old French foi "faith", applied either to a notably pious person or to one who frequently used the word as an oath; also, from the medieval French female personal name Foy, from Old French foi "faith".
Frain French
Topographic name for someone who lived near a prominent ash tree from Old French fraisne fresne "ash" from Latin fraxinus "ash".
France French
Ethnic name for an inhabitant of France, a country in Europe.
Francisque French
From the given name Francisque.
Franck English, French
From the given name Franck.
Fray French, English
From the German surname Frey or the Old French given name FRAY.
Freer French
Dutch spelling of Frere (brother); another variant spelling is Frear.
Frémont French (Americanized), English (American)
Fremont is a French surname meaning Free Mountain. People include John Frémont a US Explorer and Politician who fought in the Mexican-American War to free California and many places named after him, Including Fremont, California, and Fremont Nebraska.
Frere French
From French frere meaning "brother".
Frink Anglo-Saxon, Norman
It was a name given to a person who was referred to as being free or generous. The surname was originally derived from the Old French franc, which meant "liberal, generous." ... The surname also has origins from the Norman official title, the frank which also means free.
Fromager French
Occupational name for someone who makes or sells cheese.
Furneaux French (Anglicized), English
Locational surname from any of several places in France called Fourneaux, or from fourneau "furnace".
Gabin French
From the given name Gabin.
Gagneau French
Variation of Gagne.
Gaines English, Norman, Welsh
English (of Norman origin): nickname for a crafty or ingenious person, from a reduced form of Old French engaine ‘ingenuity’, ‘trickery’ (Latin ingenium ‘native wit’). The word was also used in a concrete sense of a stratagem or device, particularly a trap.... [more]
Galant French
Original French cognitive of Galante.
Galante Italian, French, Jewish
Comes from the ancient French word "galant" meaning someone in love or who has fun. In the case of Mordecai Galante, a Spanish exile in 16th century Rome, his courteous manners won for him from the Roman nobles the surname "Galantuomo" (gentleman), from which Galante was eventually derived.... [more]
Galland French
Nickname for a cheerful or high-spirited or bold person from Old French galant "lively vivacious" also "bold valiant" (the meanings "gallant" and "attentive to women" developed only in the 16th century) the present participle of Old French galer "to be in good humor to enjoy oneself" a word of ancient Germanic origin... [more]
Galliard French
It resembles the French word "galliard," meaning "brave, cheerful, spirited." Marcel and Porco Galliard from Attack on Titan are known bearers of this name.
Gallois French
From Gallois meaning "Welsh".
Galloni D'istria French, Italian
Meaning "Gallons from Istria" in French and Italian.
Gally French
Derived from southern French gal "rooster", this name was used as a nickname for a vain or conceited person.
Galvin French
Variant of Gauvain.
Gambier French
Derived from gambier, a Northern French variant of jambier, the masculine form of jambière "greave (a piece of armour that protects the leg, especially the shin, and occasionally the tops of the feet)"... [more]
Gamelin French
From pet form of any of the compound personal names formed with gamal, related to Old Norse gamall, Old German gamel "old", "aged". ... [more]
Gandin French
From the French gandin, pronounced /ɡɑ̃dœ̃/, which is a word used for a dandy, an elegant young man with affected, quite often ridiculous, manners.
Garand French
nickname or status name from the Old French legal term garant "guarantor". perhaps from a personal name based on the ancient Germanic element warin "protection shelter" or "guard".
Garde French
from Old French garde "watch", "protection"; an occupational name for someone who kept watch or guard, or a topographic name for someone who lived near a vantage point or watchtower.
Garneau French
From a pet form of the Germanic given name Warinwald, composed of the elements war(in) meaning "guard" and waldan meaning "to govern".
Garrigues French, Provençal
This surname comes from Old Provençal garrique meaning "grove of holm oaks or kermes oaks."
Garson Scottish, French, English, German (Anglicized), Spanish, Jewish
Variant of Scottish Carson and Corston, French Garçon, Spanish-Jewish Garzon and English Garston, or an Americanised form of German Gerson... [more]
Gascon French
French cognitive of Gascoigne. Habitational name for someone from the province of Gascony Old French Gascogne (see Gascoigne).
Gasnier French
From Old French gaaigner meaning "to win, to earn" or "to till, to cultivate", possibly used as an occupational name for a farmer.
Gaubert French
From the given name Gaubert.
Gaucher French
Means "left-handed" in French.
Gaudin French
From the Old French personal name Gaudin Norman French Waldin Waudin a pet form of ancient Germanic names based on the element wald "rule power".
Gauvain French
From the given name Gauvain.
Gay English, French
Nickname for a lighthearted or cheerful person, from Middle English, Old French gai.
Gay English, Norman
Habitational name from places in Normandy called Gaye, from an early proprietor bearing a Germanic personal name cognate with Wade.
Gayheart German (Anglicized), French (Anglicized)
Americanised form of German Gerhardt or possibly French Jolicoeur. A famous bearer is American actress Rebecca Gayheart (1971-).
Gee Irish, Scottish, English, French
Irish and Scottish: reduced form of McGee, Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Aodha ‘son of Aodh’ (see McCoy). ... [more]
Gendron French
Either a diminutive of French gendre meaning "son-in-law" or a habitational name for someone from the town of Gendron in Belgium.
Généreux French
From the given name Généreux.
Gentry French
From the English word, which is in turn from French gentrie, referring to that which is "noble," or the "nobility." From earlier gentillece, which was originally from gentil, "refinement."
Geoffrey English, French
From the given name Geoffrey
Geoffroy French
From the given name Geoffroy
Gérald French
Derived from the given name Gérald.
Germaine French
Germaine was first found in Savoy in the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, where the family held a family seat from ancient times.
German English, Norman, German, Jewish, Greek
From Old French germain meaning "German". This sometimes denoted an actual immigrant from Germany, but was also used to refer to a person who had trade or other connections with German-speaking lands... [more]
Gervais English, French
From the French given name Gervais.
Gerwig German, French
Derived from the Germanic given name Gerwig, ultimately from the elements gēr meaning "spear" and wīg meaning "battle, fight". This surname is also found in France (mainly in the region of Alsace)... [more]
Gillard English, French, Swiss
English and French from an assimilated form of the personal name Gislehard, a compound of Old High German gisel ‘hostage’, ‘pledge’, ‘noble youth’ (see Giesel) + hard ‘hardy’... [more]
Gillette English, French
English: from a feminine form of Gillett.... [more]
Gilliard French, Swiss
French and Swiss French from a derivative of Gillier, from the Germanic personal name Giselher, composed of gisil ‘hostage’, ‘pledge’, ‘noble offspring’ (see Giesel) + heri ‘army’.
Gilly French
Southern French variant of Gilles.
Gilson English, French (Belgian)
Means "son of Gill" or "son of Giles".
Girardot French
Diminutive of the given name Gérard.
Giresse French
Alain Giresse is a French footballer and manager... [more]
Giroud French
Variant of Giraud.... [more]
Giscard French
Variant spelling of Guiscard. A famous bearer was the French president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (1926-2020).
Gober English, French
The surname Gober was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The Norman influence of English history dominated after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The language of the courts was French for the next three centuries and the Norman ambience prevailed.
Gobert French, German, English
From the given name Gobert a compressed form of Godebert composed of the ancient Germanic elements gōd "good" or god got "god" and berht "bright famous".
Godefroy French
From the given name Godefroy.
Godoy French, Spanish
It is derived from the personal name Gaudi.
Gognon French, Occitan
Nickname for an aggressive or belligerent man, from Old French Gagnon ‘ mastiff’, ‘guard dog’. Possibly from Occitan ganhon ‘young pig’, applied as an offensive nickname. See also Gonyeau.
Gombert French, German
French and German: from Gundbert, a Germanic personal name composed of the elements gund ‘battle’ + berht ‘bright’, ‘famous’... [more]
Gonthier French
Derived from the given name Gonthier.
Gonyeau French
Respelling of French Gagnon, found predominantly in New England, possibly also of Gagneau, from a diminutive of Gagne.
Gonzague French (Rare)
Gallicized form of Italian Gonzaga.
Gonze French
My family surname originated in southern French-speaking Belgium. There is a tiny village called Gonzeville in northern France near the Belgian border which you can find on Wikipedia. Many surnames from French speaking Belgium have 5 or 6 letters and end in -ze, such as Gonze and Meeze... [more]
Goose English, Norman
Occupational name for a goose-herd (a person who tends to geese) or a medieval nickname for a person who resembled a goose in some way. It could also be a English (of Norman French origins) cognate of Gosse.
Goulet French (Quebec), French
Of uncertain origin and meaning. Theories include a derivation from Old French goule "mouth" (combined with a diminutive suffix), in which case this name would have been a nickname for a glutton.
Goupil French
nickname for someone with red hair or for a cunning person from Old French goupil "fox" Late Latin vulpiculus a diminutive of classical Latin vulpes a distant cognate of Wolf . This was replaced as a vocabulary word during the Middle Ages by Renard originally a personal name.
Gourmaud French
A famous bearer is a journalist well known from the educational TV, Jamy Gourmaud
Gousset French
It is derived from the Old French word gousset, which means "purse" or "wallet". It is likely that this surname was originally given to someone who was a purse maker or a merchant who dealt in small items.
Grainville French
Original French form of Granville, from locations in France from the given name Guarin and ville "town" meaning "Guarin's town".
Grand French, Romansh
Derived from Old French grand, grant and Romansh grand "tall; large".
Grandin French
Diminutive of Grand.
Grandjean French, French (Swiss)
Derived from French grand meaning "tall, large" and the given name Jean 1, hence possibly a nickname for a tall or large person.
Grandpierre French
Derived from French grand meaning "tall, large" and the given name Pierre.
Grange English, French
English and French topographic name for someone who lived by a granary, from Middle English, Old French grange (Latin granica ‘granary’, ‘barn’, from granum ‘grain’)... [more]
Gras French
Means "fat" in french.
Grave French
Topographic name for someone who lived on a patch of gravelly soil, from Old French grave "gravel" (of Celtic origin).
Graves English, French
English: patronymic from Grave.
Graves French, English
Topographic name from the plural of Old French grave "gravel"
Graves English, French, German
Derives from someone who had an occupation as a grave digger or a caretaker for a graveyard.
Greeley English, Norman
English (of Norman origin): nickname for someone with a pock-marked face, from Old Northern French greslé ‘pitted’, ‘scarred’ (from gresle ‘hailstone’, of Germanic origin).
Grégoire French
From the given name Grégoire.
Grenier French
Occupational name for a grain merchant (from Latin granarius), or a topographic name for someone who lived by a granary (from Latin granarium) or a metonymic occupational name for someone who supervised or owned one.
Griffon French
From a diminutive of Old French griffe "claw", hence a nickname for a grasping or vicious person, or perhaps for someone with a deformed or otherwise remarkable hand.
Grignon French
From French 'grignard' meaning "angry" and "contemptuous", and Old French (of Germanic origin) 'grignier' "to grit the teeth" or "curl the lips".
Grindy German (Modern), French
I have seen elsewhere explanations about this name being German or French in origin. Sorry, I do not have the sources to hand
Grosjean French, French (Belgian)
Derived from French gros "large" and the given name Jean 1. As a nickname, it is sometimes applied to a person who is perceived as stupid.
Groulx French
French spelling, often found in Canada, of Groult, Grould, possibly reduced forms of Gréoul, a personal name of Germanic origin, composed of the elements gred "hunger" + wolf, wulf "wolf".
Guerlain French
Derived from the given name Guerlain.
Guerre French
French Cognitive of Guerra, from the element werra "war".
Guerrier French
Nickname for an aggressive person or occupational name for a soldier, from Old French guerrier "warrior". Making it a cognitive for Guerrero and Guerriero.
Guerry French
From the Germanic given name Wigric derived from the elements wig "battle" and ric "powerful".
Guichard French
From the medieval name Guichard derived form the Germanic name Wighard.
Guidry French (Cajun)
From a personal name based on the Germanic root waido ‘hunt’. The name is particularly associated with Cajuns in LA, who seem all to be descended from Claude Guédry dit Grivois, who arrived in Acadia before 1671.... [more]