This is a list of submitted surnames in which the usage is French; and the source is Nickname.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
AgresteFrench French cognate of Agresta. This is also the French word for the grayling butterfly, Hipparchia semele.
AllemandFrench Means "German, relating to Germany" in French. Cognate to English Allman and Spanish Alemán.
AnouilhFrench From Catalan anull, meaning "slow worm". It is originally a nickname given to a spineless and slow person. The French author Jean Anouilh is a famous bearer of this surname.
ArabieFrench Ethnic name denoting someone from Arabia or an Arabic-speaking person.
ArcheambeauFrench The name Archambeau is derived from the Latin personal name 'Arcambaldus'. In turn the name 'Arcambaldus', is derived from the Germanic word 'Ercan', which means precious in Germanic, and 'bald', meaning bold and daring.... [more]
AudetFrench Southern French nickname from Gascon dialect audet "bird", variant of standard Occitan ausèl (modern French oiseau).
AvrilFrench Derived from French avril meaning "April", perhaps indicating a person who was baptized in that month.
BacotFrench Derived from the root bac-, which is of unknown meaning.
BarbeFrench Nickname for someone with a beard, Old French barbe (Latin barba).
BarbonFrench (Quebec) Derived from the nickname barbon meaning "old codger" as well as referring to a "confirmed bachelor".
BarnoItalian, Ukrainian, French, Ancient Aramaic, Russian The surname Barno was first found in the north of Italy, especially in Tuscany. The name occasionally appears in the south, usually in forms which end in "o," but the northern forms ending in "i" are much more common... [more]
BasqueFrench Originally denoted a Basque person or someone from the Basque Country in Spain.
BastardEnglish, French From a nickname for a child born out of wedlock, from Old French bastard.
BatailleFrench nickname for a bellicose man from bataille "battle" (from Latin battalia) or a habitational name from (La) Bataille the name of several places in France all named as the site of a battle in former times... [more]
BayEnglish, French, Dutch Derived from Middle English and Old French bay, bai and Middle Dutch bay, all meaning "reddish brown". It was originally a nickname for someone with a hair color similar to that.
BeauFrench Nickname for a handsome man (perhaps also ironically for an ugly one) from Old French beubel "beautiful, handsome" (from Late Latin bellus)... [more]
BeaubienFrench (Quebec), English From French beau meaning "beautiful" and bien meaning "well, good". The name referred to someone with physical beauty.
BégonFrench Probably from French béguin "(male) Beguin", referring to a member of a particular religious order active in the 13th century, and derived from the surname of Lambert le Bègue, the mid-12th-century priest responsible for starting it... [more]
BègueFrench Means "stutterer, stammerer" in French, used as a nickname for someone with a stutter.
BéguinFrench Nickname from beguin, a member of a medieval Christian male religious community (ultimately named after a priest called Lambert le Bègue) that followed a monastic rule without making perpetual vows and was quickly considered heretic; by extension the term came to mean "sanctimonious person".
BéliveauFrench (Rare), French (Quebec) Derived from Old French besliver meaning "to stagger along", originally a nickname referring to a drunkard. It could also denote a person who lived in a beautiful, lovely valley, derived from French beau "beautiful" or Old French beu, bel "fair, lovely", combined with val meaning "valley"... [more]
BellefleurFrench, Literature Means "beautiful flower" in French. This is the surname of the notable family in the 2001 to 2013 novel series The Southern Vampire Mysteries and the 2008-2014 TV series that inspired it, True Blood.
BelletFrench Comes from a derivative of bel ‘handsome’.
BessonFrench, Provençal, Occitan Southern French nickname from Occitan besson "twin" (from Latin bis) or from the various places (Le) Besson in southern France.
BesteFrench, English Nickname from Middle English beste Old French beste "beast animal" (especially those used for food or work) applied either as a metonymic occupational name for someone who looked after beasts such as a herdsman or as a nickname for someone thought to resemble an animal... [more]
BevierFrench (Germanized) From Old French bevier, meaning "a measure of land". This was probably a nickname for someone who owned or worked such a piece of land. This surname was first found in Austria, where the name Bevier came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging medieval society.
BigotFrench Either from Old French bigot possibly meaning "beggar" or from the Norman interjection bî got ("by God"), used as a pejorative nickname for the Normans... [more]
BonFrench, Hungarian As a French surname, it is derived from Old French bon meaning "good", or occasionally from the Latin given name Bonus (borne by a minor 3rd-century Christian saint martyred at Rome with eleven companions under the Emperor Vespasian... [more]
BonamyEnglish, French Derived from Old French bon ami meaning "good friend".
BonjeanFrench Derived from Old Frech bon "good" combined with the given name Jean.
BonninFrench Derived from a diminutive of Bon, it is also found in the island of Mallorca and Turin, Italy.
BontempsFrench Derived from Old French bon temps meaning "good time". One popular bearer of the name is the American poet and novelist Arna Wendell Bontemps (1902-1973).
BorneFrench From Old French borgne "one-eyed, blind", a nickname for someone with only one eye, or who had other problems with their vision, such as a squint or cross-eyes.
BourgetFrench Possibly meaning "from the city, town" or given to wealthy families, (from bourgeois)
BrasFrench, Dutch From Old French and Middle Dutch bras "arm". This was probably a descriptive nickname for someone with some peculiarity of the arm, but the word was also used as a measure of length, and may also have denoted a surveyor.
BrassardFrench Derivative of bras "arm" most likely applied as a nickname denoting a person with strong arms or perhaps a pugilist.
BrevardFrench French: nickname from Old French bref ‘small’ + the derogatory suffix -ard.... [more]
BrunsFrench Bruns was first found in Poitou where this noble family held a family seat since ancient times. The Bruns surname derives from the French word "brun," meaning "brown"; possibly a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in the color brown.
BuffettFrench (Anglicized), English Americanised form or a variant of French Buffet, or probably an English variant of Bufford. Famous bearers of this name include the Americans Warren Buffett (1930-), a businessman, investor and philanthropist, and Jimmy Buffett (1946-), a musician.
BurnetteFrench Descriptive nickname from Old French burnete ‘brown’ (see Burnett). Possibly also a reduced form of Buronet, from a diminutive of Old French buron ‘hut’, ‘shack’.
CaillouFrench Means "pebble" in French. Perhaps a nickname for a bald person.
CainFrench From the biblical name Cain, probably a nickname for someone considered to be treacherous.
CaineFrench, English Originally from a French derogatory nickname for someone with a bad temper.
CampionNorman, French English (of Norman origin) and French: status name for a professional champion (see Champion, Kemp), from the Norman French form campion.
CaouetteFrench (Quebec) Altered form of French Cahouet, itself a regional form of chat-huant meaning "screech owl", hence a nickname referring to the bird.
CapricorneFrench Derived from the Latin word (Capricornus) meaning "horned like a goat". Probably a nickname for an ambitious person.
CardinalEnglish, French From the rank of the Catholic Church, derived from Latin cardinalis "pertaining to a door hinge", through the notion of the function of such priests as ‘pivots’ of church life. It was used as a nickname for someone who habitually wore red or acted like a cardinal.
CaveNorman, French, English A name of various possible origins. As a Norman French name Cave can mean "bald" from cauf or it can mean "worker in a wine cellar" or "one who dwelt in or near a cave". As an English name Cave refers to a Yorkshire river whose fast current inspired the name meaning "swift".
ChabotFrench From chabot ‘bull-head’, a species of fish with a large head, hence a nickname for someone with a big head and a small body.
ChalametFrench Nickname for someone who played the reed or an occupational name for seller of torches, from a regional form of Old French chalemel meaning "reed" or "blowtorch". A notable bearer is American actor Timothée Chalamet (1995-).
ChampionEnglish, French Derived from the Middle English and Old French words campion, champiun and champion all meaning "athlete" such as a wrestler or boxer; also "warrior hired to do battle in single combat on behalf of others" (from Late Latin campio genitive campionis a derivative of campus "plain field of battle")... [more]
ChapinFrench, Spanish From a reduced form of French eschapin or Spanish chapín, a term for a light (woman's) shoe; perhaps a nickname for someone who habitually wore this type of footwear or possibly a metonymic occupational name for a shoemaker.
CharmantFrench Derived from French meaning "charming, attractive". It could have been given to an ancestor who was known for their charming or pleasant demeanor, or to someone who was known for their good looks or attractive features... [more]
ChâtelainFrench from châtelain "lord (of the manor)" Old French chastelain (from Latin castellanus a derivative of castellum "castle") applied either as a status name for the governor or constable of a castle or as an ironic nickname.
ChérubinFrench French cognate of Cherubin from Old French chérubin "cherub", perhaps a nickname for a baby-faced individual.
ChopinFrench French and English: nickname for a heavy drinker, from Old French chopine, a large liquid measure (from Middle Low German schopen "ladle"). The derived Old French verb chopiner has the sense 'to tipple’, ‘to drink to excess’... [more]
CorbieFrench From the name of a town in northern France, possibly derived from a given name originating with the Latin word corvus meaning "raven, crow". Alternatively, it could be a variant form of Corbeau.
CorbinEnglish, French Derived from French corbeau meaning "raven," originally denoting a person who had dark hair.
CouricFrench Originally a nickname given to a short person, derived from Middle Breton corr, korr meaning "dwarf, midget". A well-known bearer of this surname is the American journalist, television host and author Katie Couric (1957-).
CourtEnglish, French, Irish A topographic name from Middle English, Old French court(e) and curt, meaning ‘court’. This word was used primarily with reference to the residence of the lord of a manor, and the surname is usually an occupational name for someone employed at a manorial court.... [more]
CousinEnglish, French Nickname derived from Middle English cousin and Old French cosin, cusin meaning "cousin".
CreteFrench French (adjectival form Crété ‘crested’): nickname for an arrogant individual, from Old French creste ‘crest (of a hill)’ (Late Latin crista), used with reference to the comb of a rooster... [more]
CureFrench From cure meaning “vicarage” or “presbytery,” possibly applied as a nickname to an employee or from a homonymous word meaning “healing” or “cure” possibly used as a metonymic occupational name for a healer.
CureFrench From curé which means “(parish) priest” used as a metonymic occupational name for a servant in the household of a priest or applied as an ironic nickname.
DameronFrench Nickname for a foppish or effeminate young man, Old French dameron, a derivative of Latin dominus "lord", "master" plus two diminutive endings suggestive of weakness or childishness.
DebeauFrench, English (British), History Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Normand, Andre, Pierre, Fernand, Gaston, Solange, Adelard, Baptiste, Cecile, Chantel, Donat.... [more]
De BruyneDutch, French, Flemish Derived from Middle Dutch bruun meaning "brown", referring to hair colour or complexion. A famous bearer is Belgian soccer player Kevin De Bruyne (1991-).
DefordFrench Variant of Dufort meaning "son of the strong" from French de-, "of" and fort, "strong". Notable namesake is author Frank Deford.
DelafoyFrench From Old French de la foy meaning "of the faith". This is probably a name given to a cleric or a very pious person among the French Catholics.
DepardieuFrench Means "of by God", derived from French pardieu meaning "by God", originally a nickname for someone who blasphemously uttered the name of God. It could also indicate a person who came from various places in France called Part-Dieu or Pardieu, for example the Lyon-Part-Dieu Business District in the city of Lyon... [more]
DieuFrench, Walloon From French dieu "god" given as a nickname for someone who played Christ in medieval mysteries or for a presumptious or an overly religious person, or from a short for of the given name Dieudonné.
DieulafoyFrench From Old French Dieu la foy meaning "God the faith". Famous bearers were the married couple of French archeologists Marcel Dieulafoy (1844-1920) and Jane Dieulafoy (1951-1916). A medical condition of the stomach causing gastric bleeding called "Dieulafoy's lesion" was named after Dr... [more]
DigneFrench From French digne "dignified, worthy" perhaps a nickname for a hardworking person.
DonadieuFrench Meaning “given to God”, surname given to a child because they were given to a priest or monastery or either an orpan.
DoucetFrench Nickname for a gentle minded person from French doux "sweet" (from Latin dulcis).
DouillardFrench Nickname for a softie, possibly derived from Old French do(u)ille meaning "soft, tender".
DouxFrench From French meaning "sweet". Probably a nickname for someone who's gentle and kind-hearted.
DragonFrench, 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]
DrouillardFrench Probably a derogatory nickname, from a derivative of the regional term drouiller "to defecate", which also has various figurative senses.
DruryEnglish, 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]
DuretteFrench Altered form of French Duret, reflecting the Canadian and American French practice of sounding the final -t. In some cases, also derives from the feminine form of Duret.
DurrettFrench Altered form of French Duret, reflecting the Canadian and American French practice of sounding the final -t. Compare Durette.
FillionFrench, French (Quebec) Probably a diminutive of fils or fille, respectively "son" and "daughter". May have alluded to the bearer being the youngest amongst siblings.
FilsFrench From fils "son", used to identify the younger of two bearers of the same personal name in a family.
FoyFrench 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".
FrasureFrench The surname Frasure is of French origin and is derived from the Old French word "frasor," meaning "breaker" or "smasher." It is believed to have been a nickname given to someone who was strong or forceful.
FromentFrench, Walloon, English from French froment "wheat" (from Latin frumentum "grain") probably applied as a nickname for a peasant or as metonymic occupational name for a dealer in wheat... [more]
GainesEnglish, 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]
GalanteItalian, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Jewish Means "gallant, courteous, chivalrous; romantic" in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese, both derived from French galant "gentlemanly" or "flirtatious, amorous". 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, meaning "gentleman" in Italian, from which Galante was eventually derived.... [more]
GallandFrench 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]
GalletFrench Either a nickname for a cheerful companion a noun derivative of the Old French verb galler "to enjoy oneself to have fun". Or from a pet form of the personal name Gall.
GalloisFrench Either a nickname for a bon vivant Old French galois. Or perhaps an ethnic name from gallois "Welsh".
GallyFrench Derived from southern French gal "rooster", this name was used as a nickname for a vain or conceited person.
GamelinFrench From pet form of any of the compound personal names formed with gamal, related to Old Norse gamall, Old German gamel "old", "aged". ... [more]
GandinFrench From the French gandin, pronounced /ɡɑ̃dœ̃/, which is a word used for a dandy, an elegant young man with affected, quite often ridiculous, manners.
GarandFrench 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".
GayEnglish, French Nickname for a lighthearted or cheerful person, from Middle English and Old French gai "happy, cheerful, joyous".
GendronFrench Either a diminutive of French gendre meaning "son-in-law" or a habitational name for someone from the town of Gendron in Belgium.
GermanEnglish, 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]
GognonFrench, 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.
GonyeauFrench Respelling of French Gagnon, found predominantly in New England, possibly also of Gagneau, from a diminutive of Gagne.
GooseEnglish, 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.
GoudeauGermanic (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".
GoupilFrench 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.
GourmandFrench, Walloon From French gourmandise meaning "gluttony, greedy eating". Perhaps a nickname for someone who eats a lot.
GrandFrench, Romansh Derived from Old French grand, grant and Romansh grand "tall; large".
GrandjeanFrench, 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.
GreeleyEnglish, 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).
GriffonFrench 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.
GrignonFrench From French 'grignard' meaning "angry" and "contemptuous", and Old French (of Germanic origin) 'grignier' "to grit the teeth" or "curl the lips".
GriselFrench, 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.
GrosjeanFrench, 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.
GrullonDominican, 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
HässliGerman (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-).
HazardEnglish, 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]
HeureauxFrench (Caribbean) Possibly from French heureux "happy, lucky, good". Ulises Heureaux (1845-1899) was the 22nd, 26th, and 27th president of the Dominican Republic
HuguenotFrench 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]
JadeEnglish, French From the given name Jade. It could also indicate someone with jade green eyes.
JanisseFrench Possibly a respelling of French Janisset, from a pet form of Jan, a variant spelling of Jean, French equivalent of John.
JayEnglish, 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.
JeanpetitFrench 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]
JeterFrench (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.
JobEnglish, 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]
JolicoeurFrench (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).
LabontéFrench (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.
LafleurFrench, French (Caribbean) from la fleur "the flower" used as a soldier's name and also as a servant's name; it was one of the most common nicknames (noms de guerre) among French soldiers.
LagasseFrench French: nickname from Old French agace, agasse ‘magpie’ + the definite article l’.
LaguerreFrench Nickname for a belligerent person or a valiant soldier from old French guerre "war" (from Latin werra) with fused article la.
LaînéFrench distinguishing epithet from French l'aîné "the eldest (son)", used to identify the older of two bearers of the same name in a family.
LajoieFrench From a nickname for a happy cheerful person from joie "joy" with fused feminine definite article la.
LamoreeFrench From the nickname "the loved one" derived from the French word amour meaning "love" from (Latin amor).
LamourFrench From Old French l'amour "(the) friendship bond" used as a nickname for a kindly individual derived from the French word amour "love" (from Latin amor).
LamoureauxFrench Means "the lover" in French. It would be the nickname of an amorous person.
LangevinFrench From French l'Angevin meaning "the Angevin", denoting a person from the French province of Anjou.
LavioletteFrench, 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.
LebaronFrench Either a variant of Baron "baron" with the French masculine definite article le. Or a habitational name from Le Baron the name of several places in various parts of France.
LebesgueFrench Means "the stammerer" in French, denoting a person with a stammer, from Old French beguer "stuttering, stammering", from Middle Dutch beggen “to chat”.
LebleuFrench From French bleu "blue" with the masculine element le from a nickname for someone who wore blue clothes with blue eyes or a person with a bluish complexion.
LeBoeufFrench Nickname for a powerfully built man, derived from French boeuf meaning "bull", with the definite article le. In some cases it may have been originally a metonymic occupational name for a herdsman.
LebonFrench Approbatory (or ironic) nickname from le bon "the good" a variant of Bon with fused masculine definite article le.
LedouxFrench, Belgian Means "the amiable" from French doux meaning "sweet, soft, gentle".
LeducFrench, Breton From the Old French title of rank duc "duke" (from Latin dux "leader" genitive ducis) with the French masculine definite article le used as a nickname for someone who gave himself airs and graces or else as a metonymic occupational name for a servant employed in a ducal household.
LefilsFrench, Haitian Creole Derived from French le "the" and fils "son". This was originally a nickname to distinguish a son from his father with the same given name.
LefortFrench, Walloon Either a nickname from French le fort "the strong" (see Fort ). It is also found in Germany where it is probably of Alsatian origin (compare Lefor ) and in Haiti where it most likely originates from the nickname Lefort... [more]
Le GallFrench From a nickname which means “the Gaul”.
LegendreFrench relationship name from Old French gendre "son-in-law" (from Latin gener) with fused masculine definite article le.
LeleuFrench From old French le leu a Picard form of old french le loup "the wolf".
LemaîtreFrench Means "the master" in French, either used as a nickname for someone who behaved in a masterful manner or an occupational name for someone who was a master of their craft.
LenoirFrench Means "the black" in French, from noir "black", a variant of Noir combined with a definite article le. A famous bearer of the name was Belgian-French engineer Étienne Lenoir (1822-1900), the inventor of the internal combustion engine.
LetendreFrench From 'tendre', meaning "tender" or "delicate".
LétourneauFrench Nickname for a chatty, gregarious person or an occupational name for a birdcatcher, derived from French l'étourneau meaning "the starling".
LeverFrench, 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.
LevertFrench Means "the green", from French vert "green".
LoiselFrench Derived from Old French oisel "bird" with fused definite article l' used as a nickname for a flighty individual or perhaps for a small birdlike person but possibly also as a metonymic occupational name for a bird-catcher.
LordFrench Nickname from Old French l'ord "the dirty one".
LoupFrench From the French word loup meaning "wolf."
LovettEnglish, French From Ango-Norman French "louvet" meaning "young wolf".
MalebrancheFrench (Rare) Means "bad branch" in French, denoting a person who is on the bad side of a family tree. It could also possibly be a variant of Malherbe. Nicolas Malebranche was a French Oratorian Catholic priest and rationalist philosopher.
MalfaitFrench 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.
MalletAnglo-Norman, Medieval English, French, Catalan Originated in Norman France and spread to England following the Norman conquest of 1066. The surname comes from the given name Malle, an Old English diminutive of Mary or from the given name Malo, a popular form of the name of Saint Maclovius, a 6th-century Welsh monk who the church of Saint Maclou in Rouen is named for.... [more]
MantelEnglish, German, French, Dutch nickname for someone who wore a cloak in a particularly conspicuous way or with a striking design, from Middle English, Middle High German, Old French, and Middle Dutch mantel "cloak, coat" (from Late Latin mantellus)... [more]
MarmionEnglish, French, Irish 1. English (of Norman origin) and French: nickname from old French marmion “monkey”, “brat”. ... [more]
MarquisEnglish, French From the title of nobility, which originally denoted an officer whose duty was to guard the marches or frontiers of the kingdom. A march was originally denoted as a border region at a frontier. The word marquis was derived from Late Latin marchensis, from Frankish *marku "boundary, border"... [more]
MerletteFrench Feminine diminutive of French merle "blackbird", this name was given as a nickname to a cheerful person or to someone who liked to sing.
MoreFrench nickname for a dark-skinned man from Old French more "Moor" (from Latin Maurus). French cognitive of Moore 3.
MoutonFrench Nickname from Old French mouton "sheep" used for a docile mild-mannered person for someone easily led or perhaps for a curly-haired man... [more]
PapaFrench From French meaning "dad, father". Likely given to someone seen as a father figure.
PapinFrench Either from Old French papin "pap (for kids)" a noun derivative of paper "to munch or eat" (from Late Latin pappare in origin a nursery word) as a nickname probably referring to a glutton... [more]
ParamoreFrench (Rare) origin is unknown but the meaning of the name is lover used in France and England
PasquaFrench Derived from Pasqua, a nickname for a person born during Easter (which itself is derived from Latin pascua). Famous beaters include Charles Victor Pasqua (1927-2015), a French businessman and a Gaullist politician.
PasseFrench Possibly a nickname from passe 'sparrow
PellegrinFrench Unknown. Possibly a variant of Pellegrino. This surname was given to the Chilean named Raúl Alejandro Pellegrin Friedmann (1958-1988; nicknamed JoséMiguel).
PellerinFrench From Old French pellerinpelegrin "pilgrim" (from Latin peregrinus "traveler") applied as a nickname for a person who had been on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or to a famous holy site elsewhere... [more]