French Surnames
French names are used in France and other French-speaking regions. See also about French names.
271 surnames in our directory
French
271EtymologyMarchand is an occupational surname of French origin, derived from the Old French word marchand, meaning "merchant." The term ultimately traces back to Latin mercari "to trade." As a common surname in France, Qu...
EtymologyMarion is a French surname derived from the medieval given name Marion, which in turn is a diminutive of Marie. The name Marie is the French form of Maria, ultimately from Hebrew Miryam. As a given name, Marion...
Martel is a surname of English and French origin, derived from the Old French word martel meaning "hammer". This occupational nickname was used for a smith, someone who worked with a hammer. The word itself traces back t...
Martel is an English and French surname with a rich history rooted in the medieval nickname 'Martel', a diminutive of the given name Martin. Martin itself derives from the Roman name Martinus, which is connected to Mars,...
Masson is a surname of French and Scottish origin, derived as a variant of Mason, an occupational name for a stoneworker. The name ultimately comes from the Old French word maçon, of Frankish origin, related to the Old E...
Masson 2 is a French surname with a rich linguistic history rooted in the given name Thomas. It originated as a short form of the name Thomasson, itself a diminutive of Thomas, meaning it denotes a familial or affectiona...
Maurin is a French diminutive surname derived from the given name Maurus. Maurus itself is a Latin name meaning "North African, Moorish," of Greek origin, and was borne by numerous early saints, most notably a follower o...
Ménard is a French surname. It originates from the Germanic given name Meginhard, which itself is composed of the Old German elements megin 'power, strength' and hart 'hard, firm, brave, hardy'.EtymologyThe name Meginhar...
Mercier is a French surname derived from the occupational name for a trader in textiles, specifically a merchant or dealer in fabrics. It is the French equivalent of the English surname Mercer, which also originates from...
Meunier is a French occupational surname meaning "miller". It originates from the Old French word meunier, which evolved from the Late Latin molinarius, referring to a person who operated a mill. As a common surname in F...
Michaud is a French surname derived from the given name Michel, which is the French form of Michael. The name Michael ultimately comes from the Hebrew מִיכָאֵל (Miḵaʾel), meaning "who is like God?", a rhetorical question...
Monette is a French surname, primarily a variant of the surname Monet. The name Monet itself has two possible origins: it may derive from the given name Hamon (a variant of Hamo) or from Edmond. Hamo is the Norman form o...
Montagne is a French surname, a cognate of the Italian surname Montagna. Etymologically, montagne derives from Old French montaigne (modern French montagne), meaning “mountain”, ultimately from Latin montanus (“of or bel...
Origin and EtymologyMorand is a French surname, derived from the Italian surname Morandi. Morandi itself originates from the medieval given name Morando, which is an Italian form of Morandus. The Latin name Morandus has...
Moreau is a French surname, derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus, specifically from the medieval French personal name Morel. The root Maurus itself is a Latin name meaning "North African, Moorish," a term t...
Morel is a French surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus. The root name Maurus is a Latin name of Greek origin meaning "North African, Moorish," which was borne by numerous early saints, most notably...
Morin is a French surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Maurus. The root name Maurus is a Latin name meaning "North African, Moorish" and was borne by several early Christian saints, most notably a follower...
Moulin is a French occupational surname meaning "mill" (from Old French moulins). It originated as a name for someone who worked at a mill or lived near one, a common practice in medieval France where surnames often desc...
Neuville is a French surname of toponymic origin, derived from any of several towns and villages in France that share the name Neuville, combined from the Old French elements neuve (new) and ville (town or settlement), l...
EtymologyNoyer is a French surname, primarily a French form of Nogueira. The root name Nogueira originates from the Portuguese and Galician word nogueira, meaning "walnut tree", which derives from Late Latin nucarius, ul...
Ouellet is a French Canadian surname originating in Quebec, derived from an older form Hoélet or Hoûallet, with an uncertain meaning. The family traces back to a common ancestor, René Hoûallet (likely from the Poitou reg...
Pape is a French cognate of the English surname Pope. Like Pope, it originated as a nickname for a person who played the part of the pope in a play or pageant, or for someone with a solemn, austere, or pious appearance....
Paquet 1 is a French occupational surname, originating from the Old French word pacquet meaning "bundle". It was used to denote a firewood gatherer, someone who collected bundles of wood for fuel. The name fits a common...
Paquet 2 is a French surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Pascal. The surname appears primarily in France and French-speaking regions, often as a matronymic or patronymic based on the given name Pascal. Th...
Paquette is a French surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Pascal. The underlying name Pascal itself originates from the Late Latin Paschalis, meaning "relating to Easter," from Latin Pascha "Easter," ultim...
Parent is an English and French surname with two possible origins. It derives from the Old French parent, which could mean either "notable" (from Latin pareo, meaning "to be apparent") or "parent" (from Latin pario, mean...
Paris is a surname of English, French, and Italian origin, initially used to denote a person who came from the French city of Paris. The city's name itself derives from the Parisii, an ancient Celtic tribe that inhabited...
Etymology and MeaningPatenaude is a French surname that originated as a variant of Paternoster. The latter is an occupational name for a maker of rosaries, derived from the Latin phrase pater noster meaning "our Father,"...
Pellé is a French surname derived from the Old French word pelé, meaning "bald". This originated as a nickname descriptive of a person with a bald head, a common trait used in medieval nicknames across Europe. The surnam...
Etymology and Origins Pelletier is a French occupational surname derived from the Old French word pelletier, meaning "fur trader" or "furrier." The name directly referred to someone who worked with fur skins, either trad...
Pelley is a surname that originated as an Anglicized form of the French name Pellé, a nickname derived from Old French pelé meaning "bald," referring to a hairless person or someone with a shaved head. The original surna...
Périgord is a French habitational surname derived from the name of the historic region of Périgord in southwestern France, now part of the Dordogne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The region's name is believed to come...
Etymology and OriginPerrault is a French surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Pierre, the French form of Peter. The name Pierre, meaning "rock" or "stone" (from Greek "petros"), has been a staple in France...
Perreault is a French surname derived from a diminutive of the given name Pierre, the French form of Peter. The name is part of a broader family of French surnames formed from pet forms of Pierre, including Perrault, Per...
Perrier is a French surname of occupational origin, derived from the word pierre meaning "stone," from Latin petra and Greek petra (πέτρα). It functioned as a metonymic occupational name for a stoneworker or quarryman. E...
Perrin is a French surname derived from a medieval diminutive of the given name Pierre. The name Pierre, itself the French form of Peter, has been consistently popular in France since the 13th century. The diminutive suf...
Perrot is a French surname, originating as a diminutive of the given name Pierre. In the hierarchy of names from Pierre to Peter and ultimately the Greek petros meaning 'stone' or 'rock', the suffix -ot creates a pet for...
Petit is a French, Catalan, and English surname meaning "small, little", derived from Old French and Catalan petit. Originally, it was used as a nickname for a short or small person, or to denote the younger of two indiv...
Etymology and OriginPherigo is an Anglicized form of the French surname Périgord, which traces its roots to the region of Périgord in southern France. This area, historically part of the Duchy of Aquitaine, is named from...
Picard is a French surname originally denoting a person from Picardy, a historical region and cultural area in northern France. The name is derived from Old French pic, meaning "pike" or "spike", a possible reference to...
Plamondon is a French surname with topographic origins, derived from the elements plat meaning "flat" and mont meaning "mountain". It thus referred to someone who lived near a flat-topped mountain or a mountain with a le...
Planche is a French surname that originated as a variant form of Plank, a name found in several European cultures. The meaning of Plank, and thus Planche, is derived from the Old French word for "plank," itself from Late...
Planque is a French surname. It is the French form of Plank, a name originating as a nickname or occupational name from the Old French word for 'plank,' itself derived from Late Latin planca. The name likely referred to...
Plourde is a French surname of uncertain etymology, with the most plausible origin being an altered spelling of the French word palourde, meaning a type of shellfish such as a clam or oyster. This connection suggests the...
Poirier is a French surname meaning "pear tree" (from the French word poire, "pear"). Originally, it was a topographic nickname for someone who lived near a pear tree, or possibly an occupational name for a grower or sel...
Poirot is a French surname that originated as a derogatory or occupational nickname. It derives from a diminutive of French poire meaning "pear", originally referring to a pear merchant or someone who lived near a pear t...
EtymologyPorcher is a French occupational surname meaning "swineherd," derived from Old French porchier (from Latin porcus "pig"). The name originally referred to someone who tended pigs, a common rural occupation in med...
Poulin is a French surname with occupational origins, derived from the Old French word poule, meaning "chicken." It most likely denoted someone who raised or sold poultry, a common vocational surname arising from the med...
Proulx is a French surname derived from the Old French word preu, meaning "valiant" or "brave." The name originated as a nickname for a courageous or skillful person, reflecting personal qualities highly valued in mediev...
Raine 2 is an English and French surname with roots in the Germanic name tradition. It is derived from a short form of longer Germanic names that begin with the element ragin, meaning "advice" or "counsel." This element...
Etymology and OriginsRenault is a French surname derived from the given name Renaud, itself a French form of Reynold. The name Reynold comes from the Germanic elements ragin—meaning "advice" or "counsel"—and wald—meaning...
Richelieu is a French surname that originated as a locational name from the town of Richelieu in the Indre-et-Loire department of central France. The place name itself is derived from riche ('wealthy, rich') and lieu ('p...
Rivière is a French surname that is the cognate of the English surname Rivers. Both surnames originate as a topographic name for someone who lived near a river, from Old French riviere (French rivière) meaning 'river', u...
Roche is a French surname that is a cognate of Roach. It derives from the Old French word roche meaning "rock", ultimately from Late Latin rocca, a word possibly of Celtic origin. The name originally designated a person...
Rose is a surname of English, French, and German origin. It derives from the word for the flower rose in Middle English, Old French, and Middle High German, ultimately from Latin rosa. The name may refer to a person with...
Rousseau is a French diminutive of the surname Roux, itself derived from Old French ros meaning "red", from Latin russus, originally a nickname for a person with red hair. The suffix -eau is a French diminutive ending, s...
Roussel is a prominent French surname derived as a variant of the Anglo-Norman surname Russell. Its ultimate roots lie in Old French, from the adjective rous meaning "red" or "red-haired," combined with the diminutive su...
Roux is a French surname derived from the Old French word ros, meaning "red", which ultimately comes from Latin russus. It was originally used as a descriptive nickname for a person with red hair or a ruddy complexion.Et...
Roy 1 is a surname with distinct English and French origins. In English, it is a variant of Rey 1, itself derived from the short form of Reynaldo or the Spanish word for "king". In French, Roy directly means "king" (from...
Royer is a French surname of occupational origin. It derives from the Old French roue, meaning "wheel", itself from Latin rota. The name was given to a wheelwright or someone who made or repaired wheels, a common trade i...