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.
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.
Goudeau Germanic (Rare, Archaic), French
Possible variant of the surname Goethe. It also possibly derives from the diminutive Old French of "gode", meaning "happy-go-lucky, debauched".
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.
Gourmand French, Walloon
From French gourmandise meaning "gluttony, greedy eating". Perhaps a nickname for someone who eats a lot.
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 called Grainville 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.
Grandis Italian, French
Ultimately from Latin meaning "big, tall".
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
Topographic name for someone who lived by a granary, from Middle English, Old French grange (Latin granica "granary, barn", from granum "grain"). In some cases, the surname has arisen from places named with this word, for example in Dorset and West Yorkshire in England, and in Ardèche and Jura in France... [more]
Granier French
French for a grain merchant (from Latin granarius), a topographic name for someone who lived by a granary (from Latin granarium) or a metonymic role name for someone who monitors or owned one.
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).
Gravelotte French
Derived from a commune (town) in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France, near Metz.
Graves French
Topographic or habitational name derived from 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, Belgian
Derived from the given name Grégoire.
Grenard French, Walloon, English (British)
Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Henri, Armand, Emile, Jacques, Marielle, Michel, Monique, Olivier, Pierre, Remi, Serge.... [more]
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
Grisel French, French (Swiss)
Derived from the Old French adjective grisel, a variant of gris meaning "grey". It was a nickname for a person with grey hair a grey complexion or who habitually wore grey.
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
Altered form of Guéroult.
Grove French (Anglicized)
Anglicized spelling of the French surname Le Grou(x) or Le Greux (see Groulx)
Grullon Dominican, Mexican, French
Possibly from a derivative of Spanish grulla "crane (bird)" presumably applied as a nickname for tall thin person; in Mexico however grulla denotes a crafty person
Guay French
Variant of Guyet or Guet.
Guay French
Variant of Gay.
Guerlain French
Derived from the given name Guerlain.
Guéroult French
Old French form of an uncertain Ancient Germanic given name, possibly composed of Old Germanic warōną "to watch, protect, guard", gredaz "desire, hunger" or gernaz "eager, willing", or Old High German ger "spear" combined with either wolf "wolf" or walt "power, authority".
Guerre French
French cognate of Guerra and variant of Laguerre, from the element werra "war".
Guerrier French, Haitian Creole
Nickname for an aggressive person or occupational name for a soldier, from Old French guerrier "warrior". Cognate of Guerrero and Guerriero.
Guerry French
From the Germanic given name Wigric derived from the elements wig "battle" and ric "powerful".
Guertin French
A French surname that evolved from the Old Germanic given name Warin meaning "to guard" or "protection". This surname was often given as an occupational name for a guard, or someone who served as a protector in their community.
Guet French
French - From Old French guet "lookout, watchman".
Guibert French
From the given name Guibert.
Guichard French
From the medieval name Guichard derived form the Germanic name Wighard... [more]
Guidry French (Cajun), Louisiana Creole
Derived from the given name Witeric. This surname is particularly associated with Cajuns in Louisiana, United States, who seem all to be descended from Claude Guédry dit Grivois, who arrived in Acadia before 1671.
Guignard French
from the old Germanic name Winihard composed of the elements wini "friend" and hart "hard strong".
Guilbeau French
Possibly from Ancient Germanic wil, meaning "will, power", and Latin bellus, meaning "beautiful".
Guilbert French, Guernésiais
Either from the given name Guilbert the French form of Wilbert or a variant of Gilbert.
Guiles French
Of uncertain origin; it could be a variant of French Guill or of English Guile or Giles .
Guillard French
Derived from the given name Willihard and French cognate of Willard.
Guilleaume French, German
Possibly related to the French given name Guillaume.
Guilliot French
From a pet form of the personal name Guille, itself a short form of Guillaume.
Guillotin French
From a diminutive of Guillaume and a variant of Guillot. A notable user is Joseph-Ignace Guillotin whom the guillotine was named after.
Guillou French, Breton
Possibly derived from the given name Guillaume.
Guimond French, French (Quebec)
from the medieval French name Guimond from the Germanic name Wigmund composed of the ancient Germanic elements wig "battle combat" and mund "protection"... [more]
Guin French
From the given name Guin the French form of Wino a short form of names with the element win "friend".
Guion French
French: from the Germanic personal name Wido (see Guy 1).
Guiraud French
From the given name Gérald.
Guiscard French
Derived from the Medieval French given name Guiscard.
Guitry French
Derived from the given name Witeric. A famous bearer of this name was Sacha Guitry (1885-1957), a French actor, playwright, screenwriter and director.
Gullette French
Comes from Guillemme or William of Normandy. Reference 1066: The Battle of Hastings.
Gurney English, French, Norman
Originated from the region Normandy in France, is also a biospheric name from Gournay-en-Bray, a commune in France. It is also a fictional character's maiden name, Jacqueline "Jackie" Bouvier from the animated sitcom show, The Simpsons.
Guy English, French
From a French form of the Germanic personal name Wido, which is of uncertain origin. This name was popular among the Normans in the forms Wi, Why as well as in the rest of France in the form Guy.
Guyet French
Derived from Guy.
Guyon French
From a diminutive of Guy 1.
Gyatt English, French
Variant of Guyatt, Guyet, or Guyot, all diminutives of Guy.
Haëntjens French, Belgian, Dutch, Luxembourgish
Either a diminutive form of the surname De Haan, or a pet form of the given name Hanne 1.
Halart French
Derived from the Germanic given name Halhard.
Hamel French
topographic name for someone who lived and worked at an outlying farm dependent on the main village Old French hamel (a diminutive from an ancient Germanic element cognate with Old English ham "homestead"); or a habitational name from (Le) Hamel the name of several places in the northern part of France named with this word.
Hamon Breton, French, English
From the given name Hamon. English variant of Hammond.
Hanon Irish, Walloon, French
Variant of Hannon. Borne by French pianist Charles-Louis Hanon.
Harcourt French
This name is of locational origin either from the town and ancient chateau of Harcourt near Brionne in Normandy.
Harduin French
From the given name Harduin.
Hargier French
Known back to the 15th or 16th century in France.... [more]
Harmel French
Derived from the given name Armel.
Harold English, Norman, German
English from the Old English personal name Hereweald, its Old Norse equivalent Haraldr, or the Continental form Herold introduced to Britain by the Normans... [more]
Harrett French
France, England
Hasard French
Variant of Hazard.
Hässli German (Swiss), French (Rare)
Swiss German diminutive form of Haas. This is a French surname via Alsace-Lorraine. A notable bearer is French footballer (soccer player) Eric Hassli (1981-).
Haste English, French
Derived from Old French haste meaning "(roasting) spit" (ultimately from Latin hasta "spear, lance, pike"), an occupational name for a seller of roast meat or a servant who turned the spit to cook meat.
Hauteville French
From French haute "high" and ville "town, estate".
Hazard French, Flemish
From Middle Dutch hase "hare".
Hazard English, French
Nickname for an inveterate gambler, a crafty person, or a brave or foolhardy man prepared to run risks, from Middle English hasard via Old French hasart "dice game, game of chance", later used metaphorically of other uncertain enterprises... [more]
Hebert French, German
From the personal name Hebert or Egbert.
Helfrich German, French
from the personal name Helfrich composed of the ancient Germanic elements helfa "help" and rih "power rule".
Hennard French
From the ancient Germanic personal name Haginhard composed of the elements hag "enclosure protected place" and hard "strong hardy".
Henri French
From the first name Henri.
Herbarth German, Norman
References Old Norse Deity "Odin" being one of the "Son's of Odin". Remember that the Geats became the Ostrogoths through the Denmark pass--referenced in Beowulf. Or, it means "Warrior of the Bearded One", perhaps a King... [more]
Hermès French
Either a topographic name for someone who lived in a deserted spot or on a patch of waste land from Occitan erm "desert waste" (from Greek erēmia) and the topographic suffix -ès, or from the given name Hermès.
Heron French, Caribbean
Either derived from the given name Heron, or given to someone who resembled a heron bird.
Herve French
From the given name Hervé.
Hervé French, Breton
From the Breton given name Hervé or from the ancient Germanic personal name Hariwig, composed of the elements hari "army" and wig "battle"... [more]
Heureaux French (Caribbean)
Possibly from French heureux "happy, lucky, good". Ulises Heureaux (1845-1899) was the 22nd, 26th, and 27th president of the Dominican Republic
Hilaire Haitian Creole, French
From the given name Hilaire.
Hilbert German, French, Dutch, English
From the Germanic personal name Hildiberht.
Hildreth Norman
English (Durham): of Norman origin, a variant of the male personal name Hildred (ancient Germanic Hild(i)rad, from hild 'battle' and rād 'counsel'). German: from the ancient Germanic personal name composed of hild 'fight, battle' + rāt 'counsel'.
Hilger German, Dutch, French
From the personal name Hilger, composed of the elements hild "strife, battle" and ger "spear".
Hillard French
From the given name Hilaire.
Hippolyte French, Haitian Creole
From the given name Hippolyte 2, Variant of Hyppolite.
Hoddson French
Variation of the surname, HODSON.
Hollande French
French form of Holland 2, indicating someone from the province of Holland in the Netherlands.
Hollier English, French
Occupational name for a male brothel keeper, from a dissimilated variant of Old French horier "pimp", which was the agent noun of hore "whore, prostitute". Hollier was probably also used as an abusive nickname in Middle English and Old French.... [more]
Homme Norwegian, French
Habitational surname "small valley" from Old Norse hvammr, variant of French Hommet
Houard French
Variant of Huard.
Houde French
From either of the given names Hildo or Audo.
Houdin French
Variant of Bodin , a pet form of Bodo, a short form of any of various ancient Germanic personal names with the element bod ‘messenger’.... [more]
Houdini French
Originated as a stage name. He chose it as an homage to the French magician Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin.
Houle French (Quebec)
Either from Old French hole, houle, "hole, cave", or a deformation of Houde.
Hourmilogué Occitan, French
Meaning unknown.
Houseal French (Anglicized), German (Anglicized)
French (Lorraine) spelling of German Häusel, a topographic name meaning ‘small house’, a diminutive of Haus... [more]
Huard French
From the Old French given name Huard the French form of Hughard... [more]
Huber French
Derived from the given name Hubert.
Hue French
From the given name Hue a variant of Hugues.
Huet English, French
From the nickname from given name Hugh, Hugues, Hugo or Hubert.
Huette French
French variant of Huet.
Hugo French
Victor Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. He was also the writer of 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame' and 'Les Misérables'.
Huguenot French
Meaning uncertain. It could be denoted as a French Protestant who held the Reformed tradition of Protestantism, possibly derived from Middle French eiguenot "Swiss confederate", from Swiss republican Besançon Hugues, or a diminutive form of Hugues, from the same person... [more]
Hugues French
From the given name Hugues.
Huguet French, Catalan
From a diminutive of Hugo.
Huot English, French
Variant of Huet.
Hurrell English, Norman
English (of Norman origin) from a derivative of Old French hurer ‘to bristle or ruffle’, ‘to stand on end’ (see Huron).
Husson French
From a pet form of Hue a variant of Hugues.
Huval French (Cajun)
The Huval name has historically been labeled German or Acadian (Cajun), however, recently more information has been discovered that shows the Huvals came directly from France.... [more]
Hyppolite French, French (Caribbean)
From the given name Hyppolite, variant of Hippolyte.
Ignace French
From the given name Ignace
Iles English (British), French
English (mainly Somerset and Gloucestershire): topographic name from Anglo-Norman French isle ‘island’ (Latin insula) or a habitational name from a place in England or northern France named with this element.
Imbert French
From the medieval French personal name Imbert, of Germanic origin and meaning literally "vast-bright".
Isaac Jewish, English, Welsh, French
Derived from the given name Isaac.
Isabelle French, English
From the given name Isabelle.
Isabeth French
A matronym derived from the given name Élisabeth/Elisabeth.
Iselle French
Frenchified forms of Iseli, a Swiss German variant of Eisele.... [more]
Isidore French
From the given name Isidore.
Jacobi Jewish, Dutch, German, French
Latinized patronymic form of Jacob.
Jacot French
Variant spelling of Jacquot.
Jacqueman French
Alsace-Lorraine
Jacquemin French
From a pet form of the given name Jacques.
Jacquot French
From the given name Jacquot, a diminutive of Jacques.
Jade English, French
From the given name Jade. It could also indicate someone with jade green eyes.
Janisse French
Possibly a respelling of French Janisset, from a pet form of Jan, a variant spelling of Jean, French equivalent of John.
Japon Filipino, Spanish, French
Ethnic name or regional name for someone from Japan or who had connections with Japan.
Jaques English, Portuguese, Spanish, French
Derived from the given name Jacques.
Jardel French
Of debated origin and meaning; theories include a derivation from Old French jardel, a diminutive of jard (jardin in Modern French), meaning "garden".
Jardin French, English
Derived from Old French jardin meaning "enclosure, garden", hence a topographic name for someone who lived by a garden or a metonymic occupational name for someone who worked as a gardener.
Jarman Norman, English
English surname of Norman origin, derived from the French given name Germain.
Jarnot French
Variant of Garneau.
Jary French
France-England-USA
Jay English, French
Nickname from Middle English, Old French jay(e), gai "jay (the bird)", probably referring to an idle chatterer or a showy person, although the jay was also noted for its thieving habits.
Jean-baptiste Haitian Creole, French
From the French given name Jean-Baptiste.
Jeanfils French, Walloon
Means "son of Jean 1".
Jeanmarie French (Americanized)
Variant of French Jean-Marie, from the given name Jean-Marie.
Jeanne French
From the feminine given name Jeanne.
Jeannot French
From the given name Jeannot, a French diminutive of Jean 1.
Jeanpetit French
Means "little Jean" from Old French petit "small" and the given name Jean 1, originally a nickname for a small man called Jean (or applied ironically to a large man), or a distinguishing epithet for the younger of two men named Jean.... [more]
Jeaume French (Rare)
Variant form of the patronymic surname of Jaume.
Jehan French, Breton
From the medieval given name Jehan.
Jere French
Derived from the personal name Jerome, which is derived from the Greek name Hieronymos, meaning “sacred name.” Jerome was a saint who was known for translating the Bible into Latin.
Jesús Spanish, Catalan, Occitan, French
From the given name Jesús.
Jeter French (Huguenot), German
Jeter is a French and German surname. It is the last name of former New York Yankees baseball player, Derek Jeter. It's also the last name of Carmelita Jeter, an American sprinter who specializes in the 100 meter sprint.
Jeter Sugg French (Modern)
alsace-lorraine, france
Jeudi French (Caribbean), French
From the French for Thursday. Brought over from Europe to the Caribbean, where it is now mainly found in Haiti.
Jeune French, Haitian Creole
Derived from the French word jeune "young" (from Latin iuvenis). It found more common in Haiti... [more]
Joachim German, French, Polish
From the given name Joachim
Job English, French, German, Hungarian
English, French, German, and Hungarian from the personal name Iyov or Job, borne by a Biblical character, the central figure in the Book of Job, who was tormented by God and yet refused to forswear Him... [more]
Joel English, German, French, Jewish
Derived from the given name Joel.
Joffé French, Jewish
French form of Joffe.
Joffre French
Derived from the medieval personal name Gautfred.
Jolicoeur French (Quebec), Haitian Creole
From Old French joli "joyful, cheerful" and cuer "heart". It was originally a nickname for a cheerful person. This was a frequent French Canadian secondary surname (or dit name).
Jolie French
Variant of Joly and Jolly.
Joliet French
From French Jolie "pretty one" and the popular suffix -et "little" meaning "pretty little one."
José Spanish, Portuguese, French
Derived from the given name José.
Joufflineau French
Possibly a nickname derived from French joufflu meaning "chubby, full-cheeked".
Jourdain French
From the given name Jourdain.
Jourdine French, English
English and French variant of Jordan 1.
Juillet French
Means "July" in French.
Juin French
Derived from French juin meaning "June", perhaps indicating a person who was baptized in that month.
Jules French
From a personal name (Latin Julius). The name was borne in the Middle Ages in honor of various minor Christian saints.
Juncker German, Danish, French
Meaning "young nobleman" in German and Danish.
Juneau French
From French jeune meaning "young".
Junot French
Possibly from a diminutive of the given name Jean 1.
Jupin French
from a diminutive of Old French jupe a term denoting a long woolen garment hence a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller (or a nickname for a wearer) of such garments. This word ultimately derives from Arabic.
Justin French, English, Slovene
From a medieval personal name, Latin Justinus, a derivative of Justus.
Kellner German, Dutch, Jewish, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, French
Means "waiter, cellarman" in German, ultimately derived from Latin cellarium "pantry, cellar, storeroom". This was an occupational name for a steward, a castle overseer, or a server of wine.
Kerbow French
Possibly derived from the French word 'corbeau', meaning "raven".
Kergoat Breton, French
From Breton ker "Village" or "Area" and koad "Woods".
Kerouac French (Quebec)
Variant form of Kirouac. This name was borne by the American novelist and poet Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), who was a pioneer of the Beat Generation, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg.
Kippenberger German, French, Scottish
Mainly means "Shepard".
Kirouac French (Quebec)
From an unidentified place name in Brittany, France, derived from Breton kaer, caer, ker meaning "fortified settlement" and an unknown given name.
Labeau French
Variant of Lebeaux.
Label French
Variant of Labelle.
Labeouf French (Cajun)
Meaning unknown. A famous bearer is American actor Shia LaBeouf (1986-present).
Labonté French (Quebec), Haitian Creole, Mauritian Creole
From French la bonté meaning "(the) kindness, (the) goodness", originally used as a soldier's name and perhaps also as a nickname for a benevolent person. This surname is rare in France.
Laborde French
Derived from the French word borde meaning "small farm" (from Frankish bord meaning "plank") with the definite article la. This is an occupational surname for a tenant farmer.
Labossiere French
Norman habitational name from a common village name La Boissière, meaning 'wooded area', from bois 'wood'. possibly a metronymic, from a feminine derivative of Bossier 'cooper', denoting the 'wife of the cooper'.
Labrie French
Topographic name from l’abri meaning "the shelter", or a habitational name from a place named with this word.
LaBrie French
Referred to a person who came from various places named Brie in France, for example Brie-sous-Matha, a commune in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in southwestern France.
Lacasse French
Means "box maker"
Lacaze French, Occitan
Derived from Occitan caze meaning "house".
Lackyard French (Anglicized)
Anglicized version of French surname, Lacaillade.
Lacombe French
French (western and southwestern): topographic name for someone living in or near a ravine, from la combe ‘the ravine’ (a word of Gaulish origin, related to English Combe).... [more]
Lacoste French
French form of Da Costa.
Lacote French
Variant of Lacoste.
Lacour French
topographic or occupational name for someone who lived at or was employed at a manorial court (see also Court).