250 Traditional And Classy French Last Names Or Surnames

法国是一个美丽的国家标志性建筑,世界-class art and architecture, and splendid museums. Also, their language French is considered one of the most beautiful and romantic languages in the world, and the traditional French surnames are steeped in centuries of history and culture. The origins of surnames in the French language are in their occupations, patriarchal names, and locations, providing a fascinating glimpse into the rich tapestry of French cultural heritage. Read on as we put together a list of the most beautiful French last names in this post.

In This Article

250 French Surnames Or Last Names With Meanings

1. Abadie:

Abadie, Traditional French surname

Image: IStock

This French andEnglish surnamederives from the wordabadiawhich means both ‘abbey’ and ‘family chapel’.

2. About:

This is derived from the French wordaboutthat refers to ‘an extremity of a metallic or wooden element or piece’.

3. Abreo:

This is a variant of the wordAbreu, which means a ‘wise counselor’.

4. Alarie:

The meaning of this French surname is ‘all power’.

5. Allard:

Derived from old French, this surname means ‘noble’.

6. Anouilh:

Derived from Catalan (language is southern France) word anull, Anouilh means ‘slow worm’.

7. Archambeau:

This is derived from theLatin personal nameArcambaldus, which in turn derived from the German wordErcan我aning ‘precious’ andbald我aning ‘bold and daring’.

8. Arsenault:

Derived from the French wordarsenalwhich means ‘workshop’, Arsenault is also an occupational surname for a gunmaker, a seller of guns, or the keeper of an arsenal.

9. Aubert:

It is derived from the old German compoundAedelbeort我aning ‘noble-bright’.

10. Auch:

Occupational surname for someone who minds cattle at night.

11. Auclair:

This surname is derived from the French wordclair, which means ‘clear’.

12. Auger:

This surname derived from the French personal nameAuger, which originated fromAdalgarius,whereinadal我ans ‘noble’ andgar我ans ‘spear’.

13. Auguste:

The surname derived from a personal nameAgostino,which is derived from the Latin word It means ‘favored with good omens’.

14. Aveline:

In modern French, Aveline means hazelnut. This is derived from the botanical name of the common hazel, Corylus avellana.

15. Badeaux:

This is a derivative of the word ‘badar’, which means ‘to be open-mouthed’, ‘to gape’.

16. Bain:

It is an occupational name for an attendant at a public bathhouse. Baine means ‘bath’ in old French.

17. Barbeau:

This surname is derived from the wordbarbel, a type of fish. Hence it is an occupational surname for a fisherman.

18. Barbet:

This is derived from the baptismal name meaning the ‘son of Barbara’.

19. Barbier:

This is derived from the baptismal or Christian name meaning the ‘son of Barbara’.

20. Bardin:

This surname is derived from old high German ‘barta’ which means ‘battle axe’.

21. Barreau:

This French surname is a derivative ofbarrer,which means ‘to bar’, ‘to close or block off’. It could be a possible occupational name for a jailkeeper or doorkeeper.

22. Barrere:

This is an occupational name for a gatekeeper or someone who lived by a gate or barrier. It is derived from the old French wordbarre, which means ‘obstruction’.

23. Bassett:

In old French, this means ‘low’ or ‘short’. This name could refer to a short person or someone of humble origins.

24. Bastarache:

This is a topographic name for someone who lived in a house by a boundary. The word is derived frombasquebazterthat means ‘border’ andechethat means ‘house’.

25. Bastien:

This surname is a short form of the personal name Sabastian, which means ‘from Sebaste’ a town in Asia Minor.

26. Baudelaire:

Pronounced as Boh-deh-lair, this French surname means ‘small sword’, or ‘dagger’.

27. Bazin:

This French surname is derived fromBasil, which in turn, is derived from ancient Greek nameBasileiosthat means ‘royal’. In some parts, it is also considered an occupational surname derived from the wordbombasin,which is a kind of cotton cloth.

28. Beauchamp:

In old French,Beau我ans ‘beautiful’ andchamp我ans ‘field’ or ‘plain’.

29. Beauchene:

This name is derived frombeau我aning ‘beautiful’ andchene我aning ‘oak’.

30. Beaufort:

Derived from old French in whichBeau我ans ‘beautiful’, andfort我ans ‘stronghold’.

31. Beaulieu:

A combination ofBeau,which means ‘beautiful’ andlieu,which means ‘place’ or ‘location’.

32. Beaumont:

The name meansa beautiful hill, whereinmont我ans a ‘hill’.

protip_icon Trivia
American actor Eugene Hugh Beaumont, English retired footballer Christopher Paul Beaumont, and English actress Susan are some popular bearers of this last name.

33. Beauregard:

This surname means ‘beautiful outlook’.

34. Beausoleil:

It means a ‘beautiful sun.’ It probably refers to a place exposed to the sun.

35. Bechard:

Derived from an old French wordbochier, which means ‘butcher’.

36. Bedeau:

It is derived from the French wordbedeau, meaning ‘beadle’, a sergeant of justice.

37. Bellamy:

This surname is derived from old French wordsbel ami我aning a ‘beautiful friend’.

38. Bellefeuille:

Derived from old French wordsbelle我aning ‘lovely’ andfeuille我aning ‘leaf’. It could be an occupational nickname for a woodsman.

39. Bellegrade:

This French surname has the topographic meaning ‘beautiful watch-tower’ or ‘lookout’.

40. Belshaw:

It means cheerful or lovely face. The surname is derived from the French wordsbeu我aning ‘beautiful’ or ‘lovely’, andchere我aning ‘face’.

41. Benoit:

This French surname is derived from the Latin word ‘benedictus’, which means ‘the one who says the good’.

42. Berengar:

The surname has Germanic roots and means ‘bear and spear’. It could refer to a person bearing a spear.

43. Berger:

This is an occupational name for shepherd derived from the old French wordbergier.

44. Bernard:

This surname is derived fromGerman given namewhich means ‘strong as a bear’.

45. Bernier:

It is derived from the French forename Bernier and from a Germanic personal name in which bern means ‘bear’ and nier means ‘hair or army’.

46. Bethune:

This French surname originated from the town Bethune in Pas-de-Calais, France.

47. Bibeau:

Also written as Bibaud and Bibaut, this French surname must be a derivative ofbibere,which means ‘to drink’.

48. Bissonnette:

Bissonnette, Traditional French surname

Image: IStock

The topographic name of old Frenchbuisson我ans ‘bush or scrub’.

49. Blanc:

Also known as le Blanc, this French surname means ‘white’.

50. Blanchard:

It is derived from the old French wordblanchart, which means ‘whitish’ or ‘bordering upon white’.

51.睡衣:

This French surname is derived from the wordblanc. It was originally given to people who are blond or have a reputation of purity and piety.

52. Bloyer:

This could be an occupational surname given to someone who separated hemp or flax fiber

53. Boisseau:

It is anoccupational surnamefor corn merchant. Derived from old French namebushel,it means the ‘measure of grain’.

54. Boivin:

It is derived from old French wordsboi我aning ‘to drink’ andvin我aning ‘wine’.

55. Bonfils:

The old French wordsbon fills我ans ‘good son’.

56. Bonheur:

This surname is derived from old French wordsbonne heure, which mean ‘good time’ or ‘lucky’.

57. Bonhomme:

This surname means a ‘good man’, where homme means a ‘man’.

58. Bonnet:

This is a diminutive of the French wordbon我aning ‘good’ or ‘attractive’.

59. Borde:

This word means ‘board’ or ‘plank’. And could be a habitational name for someone who lived in a house of planks.

60. Boucher:

Evolved from the French region of Champagne, Boucher is an occupational name for a butcher.

61. Boulanger:

This is an occupational name for a baker, as the name means a ‘man who divides the dough into balls’.

62. Bourguignon:

This local surname was held by people born in the beautiful region of Bourgogne.

63. Breguet:

The surname originated from a region in ancient France.

protip_icon Did you know?
The surname Breguet was originally found in Normandy. In France, the Breguet family included renowned watchmakers, businessmen, and innovators.

64. Bruneau:

The surname means the ‘brown or dark skinned one’. Some variations are Brunel and Busnel.

65. Bullion:

This means a ‘round spring’ or a ‘hollow in a rock containing rainwater’.

66. Cadieux:

This is one of the ancient French surnames derived from the word ‘cad’ which means a ‘little fighter’.

67. Camus:

This name is of Norman French origin and means the ‘snub-nosed one’. It is also considered a metonymic occupational surname for a shirtmaker, derived from the wordchemisewhich means ‘shirt’.

68. Carbonneau:

This surname is derived from the Latin wordCarbowhich means ‘carbon’ or ‘charcoal’.

69. Carpentier:

This surname is of Norman-Picard origin and is a variation of French Charpentier, which means a ‘carpenter’.

70. Carre:

This French surname is derived from the old French wordcarre,which means ‘square’.

71. Carrel:

Derived from the old French wordquarrelwhich means ‘bolt for crossbow’, Carrel could be an occupational name for a maker of crossbow bolts. This word also means ‘paving slab’ and could have been an occupational name for a street layer.

72. Cartier:

This is derived from theAnglo-NormanFrench wordcaretierand is an occupational name for someone who worked as a transporter of goods.

73. Cellier:

This French surname means a ‘storeroom’.

74. Cerf:

Also known as Le Cerf, this French surname means ‘hart’ or ‘deer’.

75. Chapelle:

This surname is a topographic name for someone ‘who lives by a shrine’. In old French, the wordchapelle我ans ‘chapel’.

76. Chappuis:

This French surname is derived from the old French wordchaput, which refers to a chopping block that was used to create different shapes.

77. Charbonnier:

It refers to someone ‘who sells or makes charcoal’.

78. Chastain:

This name originated from the old French wordcastan, which means a ‘chestnut tree’. It could be a topographic name for someone living near a chestnut tree.

79. Chatelain:

This medieval cultural name refers to a governor, constable, or the warder of a prison. The name is derived from Norman old French wordchastelain,which is in turn derived from the Latin wordcastellumthat means a ‘watchtower’.

80. Chevalier:

In old French,chevalier我ans ‘knight’, or ‘horseman’ or ‘rider’.

81. Chevrolet:

This surname is derived from the French wordchevrewhich means ‘goat’. It could be an occupational name for a person who cultivated goats.

82. Chopin:

This surname is derived from the old French wordchopine,which was an old medieval measure of liquid.

83. Clair:

This surname is a French form of theLatin namecalrus,which means ‘clear’, ‘bright’ or ‘famous’.

84. Cloutier:

This French surname dates back to the medieval period. It was a Norman name given to a person who sold nails. The meaning of the French wordclous is ‘nails’.

85. Collin:

Some of the French surnames are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father’s given name. Collin is derived fromcolle,which is ashort form of the Latin personal nameNicholausthat means ‘people’s victory’.

86. Comtois:

This is a geographical surname of people from Franche-Comte, a province in eastern France, and means ‘free country’.

87. Corbin:

This French surname was originally derived from the old French wordcorbeau,which means ‘raven, little crow’.

88. Courbet:

It could be a place or a field with a curve shape or a meandering river. It could also have derived from the old French wordcorebt我aning ‘raven’.

89. Coutermanche:

This means ‘short sleeve’ in French.

90. Couture:

Derived from old Frenchcousture我aning ‘seam’, this could be an occupational name for a tailor.

91. Crozier:

This is an occupational name for someone who carried a cross or bishop’s crook in religious processions.

92. De la Cour:

This surname means ‘of the court’. It could be an occupational name for someone who lived at or was employed at a court.

93. De la Croix:

The meaning of this surname is ‘of the cross’.

94. De la Rue:

This name dates back to Medieval France. The name Rue is derived from old Frenchruellewhich means ‘lane’ or ‘alley’. The meaning of this surname is ‘of the street’.

95. Delisle:

Also written as De Lisle, this French surname has its roots in the medieval region of l’Isle in Languedoc. Delisle means ‘of the island’.

96. Deloney:

This surname means ‘from Aunay’. There are several places in northern and eastern France with this name.

97. DeRose:

This French surname is said to have originated from a sobriquet for a person with rosy complexion.

98. Descamps:

This topographic surname, originating from Picardy in France, is given to a person residing near a hill, stream, church or a type of tree. In old French, the wordchamps我ans ‘of the field’.

99. Descoteaux:

Traditional French surname meaning small hill

Image: Shutterstock

This surname derived fromcoteau,which means a ‘small hill’.

100. Desjardins:

This is another ancient French surname and translates to ‘from the gardens’.

101. Desmarais:

In old French, this name translates to ‘from the marsh’.

102. De Villiers:

This name is derived from the name of a plant known asvrilles(tendril). It could be an occupational name for a person who planted or worked onvrilles.

103. Droit:

This means ‘right’ or ‘straight’. It could be a byname for an upright person.

104.杜布瓦:

Originating from the French word杜波依斯我aning ‘forest’, the surname means ‘from the forest’.

105. Dupont:

Also written as DuPont, duPont or du Pont, this French surname means ‘of the bridge’. This could be a habitational surname for a person living near a bridge.

106. Dupuis:

This is one of the common French last names and it means ‘from the well/ hole’.

107. Durand:

In old French,durand我ans ‘enduring’.

108. Edouard:

This surname is French equivalent to Edward, and means a ‘prosperous guardian’.

109. Escoffier:

It is derived from the wordescofia, which means ‘to dress’.

110. Farrow:

This occupational surname derived from the wordferror,指的是一种红外on worker.

111. Faucher:

Derived fromfauchethat means ‘sycthe’, Faucher could be an occupational name for a mower.

112. Favre:

This surname derived from Latin wordfevre, which means a ‘craftsman’.

113. Fay:

This surname derived from the Norman surnamede Fae,which means‘of the fairy’.

114. Fontaine:

Derived from old French wordfontane我aning ‘well’ or ‘fountain’.

115. Forestier:

This Languedoc name is derived from the old French wordforet, which means ‘forest’. This occupational name derived from the keeper of the king’s forest.

116. Fortier:

Derived from old French wordfort我aning ‘stronghold’, Fortier could be an occupational name for someone who lived or worked in such a place.

117. Fortin:

This is derived from the French wordfortwhich means ‘strong’.

118. Fournier:

This is an occupational surname for baker. In old French, this word referred to someone who cooked dough in thefourneauor oven.

119. Fraise:

This is a topographic surname for someone who lived by an ash tree or by an ash wood.

120. Frossard:

This is derived from the old French wordfroisser, which means ‘to break’ or ‘shatter’.

121. Gagne:

This is an occupational name for a farmer or peasant. Derived from the old French wordgainerwhich means ‘to cultivate’ or ‘work’.

122. Gagneux:

Derived from old French wordgagnier,the surname means ‘to farm’ or ‘cultivate’.

123. Gagnon:

It is derived from the old French namegagnon,which means ‘mastiff’ or a ‘guard dog’.

124. Garcon:

This word means ‘boy’ in French and might be referring to a servant.

125. Garnier:

This name is derived from the old French wordgernerorgernier,which means ‘storehouse for corn’ or ‘keeper of the granary’.

126. Gaudin:

This ancient surname derived from anold German nameGodino, which means ‘son of God’.

127. Gauthier:

This French surname is from Languedoc, and means an ‘army ruler’.

128. Gay:

This name is derived from the nickname given to a person who is light-hearted and joyful. In old French, the wordgai我ans ‘full of joy’.

129. Geiger:

This is an occupational surname given to a person who plays or makes the violin. This is derived from the old French wordgigaere,which means ‘violinist or fiddle player’.

130. Gerard:

This is a derivative of the personal name Gerard.Ger意味着“矛”和hard我ans ‘brave and strong’.

131. Gouin:

This is a nickname for a person with fair or light complexion. It is derived from the wordgwen,which means ‘light’ or ‘fair’.

132. Grange:

This name is derived from the old French wordgrange, which means ‘granary’ or ‘barn’.

133. Guillaume:

The name is derived from the popular Norman given nameWilliam, which means ‘protection’ or ‘strength’.

134.Heroux:

This name is derived from the German personal name Hariwulf, in whichHari我ans ‘army’ andwulf我ans ‘wolf’.

135. Houde:

This surname was first found in Auvergne, a province in south France. The name is derived from a village in Haute-Loire, in the district of Puy.This is derived from the French personal name Oudet, which is a Frenchified form of the Germanic name Odo, which was in turn derived from aud meaning ‘wealth’.

136. Janvier:

Derived from French wordjanvier我aning ‘January’, this could have originated from a person who was born or baptized in that month.

137. Joubert:

This name is probably a combination of a tribe calledGautand the wordberht, which means ‘bright’ or ‘famous’.

138.Jourdain:

This is a French variant ofJordan,which means ‘one who descends’.

139. Kaplan:

This word is derived from the old Norman French wordcaplain, which means ‘charity priest’.

140. La Cour:

This French surname means ‘the court’. It could be an occupational name for someone who worked at a court.

141. Laferriere:

This is a habitational name for places that have iron mines.

142. Lafitte:

This is a topographic name for someone who lived near a boundary mark. In old French,fitte我ans ‘fixed stone’.

143. Laflamme:

This is a nickname or an occupational name for a torchbearer.La我ans ‘the’ andFlamme我ans ‘fire’.

144. Laframboise:

This French surname means ‘raspberry’.

145. Lagarde:

This is a habitational name from various places in Ariege, Gers, and Moselle. In old French,Lagarde我ans ‘to watch’.

146. Lagrange:

This French surname derived from someone who lived by a granary.

147. Lamar:

Originated from a place in Normandy, this name is derived from the old French wordla mare我aning ‘the pool’.

148. Lambert:

This name is derived from an old German nameLandberht, which means ‘bright land’ or ‘light of the land’. This surname could also be an occupational surname for a lamb herd.

149. Landry:

It is derived from a German personal nameLandric,in whichLand我ans ‘land’ andric我ans ‘powerful’ or ‘ruler’.

150. Lane:

The French wordlane我ans ‘wool’. It could be an occupational surname for someone who traded in wool.

151. Langlois:

Also known as L’Anglois or Langlois, it means ‘the Englishman’. This word was used for the Englishmen living in France.

152. Laval:

This name is derived from the French wordvallee,which means ‘valley’. It also has an alternative spelling ‘Duval’ which means ‘of the valley’.

153. Lavigne:

Traditional French surname refering to somone living near vineyard

Image: Shutterstock

In old French,vi(g)ne我ans ‘vineyard’. It could be the topographic name for someone who lived near owned a vineyard.

protip_icon Trivia
Canadian singer and songwriter, Avril Lavigne is a popular bearer of this surname.

154. Lavoie:

This is a topographic name for someone who lived by a road. The wordvoie我ans ‘road’ or ‘path’ in French.

155. Le Borgne:

Also written as Leborgne, this French surname means ‘the one-eyed’.

156. Le Beau:

In old French,beau我ans ‘fair’, ‘lovely’ or ‘handsome’.

157. Leclerc:

In French, the wordsleclerc我ans ‘the clerk’. This could be an occupational name of a scribe or secretary.

158. Lefebvre:

It is also written as Lefevre, Lefeuvre, and Lefebure. This is an occupational surname for an ironsmith. In old French,fevre我ans ‘craftsman’.

159. Leger:

In French,leger我ans ‘light’ or ‘superficial’.

160. Lejeune:

The wordjeune我ans ‘young’.

161. Lemaire:

This word means ‘mayor’. It is a title given to a town official.

162. Lemaitre:

In old French,maistre我ans ‘master’. This could be an occupational name for someone who is a master of his craft.

163. Lenoir:

In French,noir我ans ‘dark’ or ‘black’.

164.Leroux:

This surname is derived from an old French namerous,which means ‘red’ or ‘red-haired’.

165. Leroy:

In old French,roy我ans ‘king’.

166. Le Sueur:

This is a surname for a shoemaker or a cobbler. In old French,sueur我ans ‘one who sews’.

167. Levasseur:

这个姓是该队s name from the old French wordvasseor, who is a tenant ranking below a baron in the feudal system.

168. Loup:

This French surname is derived from the Latin wordlupus我aning ‘wolf’. Its variants are Leloup and Leleu.

169. Marchal:

This surname is derived from the old German wordmarah,which means ‘horse’ andsclac我aning ‘servant’. This could be an occupational name for someone who looked after horses.

170. Marchand:

This could be an occupational name for someone who bought and sold goods. In old French,Marchand我ans ‘merchant’.

171. Martel:

Derived from the old French wordmartel我aning ‘hammer’, it could possibly be a name for a smith.

172. Matthieu:

This surname derived from the Latin wordMatthaeus, which is in turn derived from GreekMatthaios,我aning ‘gift of the lord’.

173. Milhaud:

This French family name is derived fromMilhaud,在法国加尔省的一个小社区.

174. Moreau:

It was originally a nickname for someone with dark skin.More我ans ‘dark-skinned’.

175. Moulin:

Derived from the Latin wordMolina,which means ‘mill’, Moulin could be an occupational name for a miller.

176. Ozanne:

This originated from a female given nameOsanna, which means ‘save now,’ or ‘save pray’.

177. Page:

The occupationalname originated from the Greek wordpaidion, which means a ‘little boy’.

178. Palomer:

Meaning ‘pigeon keeper’, the name derived from the Latin wordpalumbesthat is ‘pigeon’.

179. Paquet:

The old French wordpacquet我ans a ‘bundle of kindling’. This could have been an occupational name for a gatherer or seller of firewood.

180. Pascal:

This is derived from the Latin wordPascha, which means ‘pass over’.

181. Pelissier:

In old French,pellice我ans ‘fur cloak’.

182. Picard:

This name is derived from Picard, a place in northern France. This could be a habitual name for someone living in Picard.

183. Plamondon:

In French,plat我ans ‘flat’ andmont我ans ‘mountain’. Could be a nickname for someone who lived near a flat-topped mountain.

184. Plantier:

This is derived from the wordplentive,which means ‘planter of wines’. This could also be a topographic name which means an ‘area with plants’ or ‘shrubbery’.

185. Plessis:

Also written as Plessy and de Plessis, the surname means ‘a fence made of interwoven branches’.

186. Plourde:

It could have derived frompalourde, a type of shellfish.

187. Poirier:

This means ‘pear tree’ in French and could be a name for someone who lived close to a pear tree.

188. Poirot:

This surname, made famous by Agatha Christie’s character Hercule Poirot, derived from the wordpoire我aning ‘pear’.

189. Pomeroy:

This surname originated from the wordPommeroie,我aning an apple orchard.

190. Porcher:

Derived from the French wordporchier我aning ‘swineherd,’ this could be an occupational name for someone who rears pigs.

191. Poulin:

This could be an occupational surname for a person who breeds poultry. In old Frenchpoule我ans ‘chicken’.

192. Prevost:

Prevost or provost was an ancient French appellation given to a chief.

193. Proulx:

This surname is derived from old French wordpreu,我aning ‘valiant’ or ‘brave’.

194. Pueyrredon:

This surname is derived from the Latin wordspodium rotudnumwhich mean a ‘rounded hill’.

195. Rayne:

This surname is derived from the German wordragin,我aning ‘advice’ or ‘counsel’.

196. Reason:

This surname is derived from the old French wordraison, which means ‘intellectual faculty’.

197. Remy:

This medieval personal name is represented by two Latin names,Remihius, which means ‘rower’ or ‘oarsman’, andRemedius,which means ‘cure’.

198. Renouard:

This surname is derived from the German wordsragin我aning ‘counsel’, andwald我aning ‘rule’.

199. Ricard:

This is derived from the wordsric我aning ‘powerful’ andhard我aning ‘brave’ and ‘strong’.

200. Richelieu:

This is derived from the name of a town.Riche我ans ‘wealthy’ andlieu我ans ‘place’ in French.

201. Riviere:

Riviere, traditional French surname

Image: IStock

This is a topographic name for someone who lived by the bank of a river. In old French,riviere我ans ‘river’ or ‘shore’.

202. Robida:

This name was first used in Auvergne a place in ancient France.

203. Robillard:

This surname from Normandy derived from Germanic wordshrod我aning ‘glory’, andberht我aning ‘illustrious’ or ‘brilliant’.

204. Roche:

This is a topographic surname who resided near hills. In old French, the wordroche我ans ‘rocky outcrop’.

205. Rodier:

This is an occupational name for wheelwright or a topographic name for someone who lived near a waterwheel. It is derived from the Latin wordrotawhich means ‘wheel’.

206. Rossignol:

This ancient French name refers to someone who has a pleasant voice. It derived from the old French wordrossinhol,which means ‘nightingale’.

207. Rousseau:

This surname refers to a person with red hair or complexion. It is derived from the old French namerous,which means ‘red’.

208. Rutter:

There could be two origins for this surname.It could have originated from the old French wordsroteor, roteeur, and routeer,which are used for a person who plays the rote. Or it may be related to the old French wordrotier, routier我aning ‘highwayman’.

209. Sale:

This is derived from the old French word sale which means ‘salty.’ This could be a topographic or occupational name for someone who lived by, or worked in a salt marsh.

210. Sartre:

This is a French occupational name for someone who sews clothes. It derived from the Latin wordsartor我aning ‘tailor’.

211. Sauveterre:

This name originated from the French wordsauve我aning ‘safe’ andterre我aning ‘land’.

212. Schaeffer:

This surname is of German origin and is derived from the wordschaffaere我aning ‘manager’ or the ‘the head of the household’.

213. Segal:

职业名称为种植者或卖方的黑麦、derived from Latinsecale我aning ‘rye’.

214. Sergeant:

This is derived from an old French wordsergent我aning ‘servant’ which derived from a Latin wordservire我aning ‘to serve’.

215. Serres:

This could be a habitational name for places near southern and eastern France, or topographic name derived from the wordserre我aning ‘ridge’ or ‘chain of hills’.

216. Serrurier:

It means ‘locksmith’.

217. Simon:

This is a popular surname is Europe and has historical origins. It means ‘to listen’.

218. Soulier:

This is an occupational surname for a shoemaker, derived from the old French wordsoulierwhich means ‘shoe’ or ‘sandal’. It could have also originated from the old French wordsoule,which means ‘platform’.

219. Tardy:

This could be a habitational surname for someone who is from a place called Tard or could have derived from the wordTardif,which means ‘slow’.

220. Tasse:

Derived from old French wordtasse我aning ‘purse’ or ‘bag’, it could be an occupational name for a maker of purses.

221. Tavernier:

This is an occupational name derived from the old French wordTavernier,which means ‘innkeeper’.

222. Thibaut:

This surname is derived from the French personal name Theobald which means ‘brave’ or ‘bold’.

223. Toussaint:

Tous我ans ‘all’, andsaint我ans ‘saints’.

224. Travers:

Derived from the French wordtraverser我aning ‘to cross’,t他的名字是用于一个人住附近的一个品牌idge or ford.

225. Tremblay:

This is a plural form oftremble,which means ‘aspen’. This could be a topographic name for someone who lived near a group of aspen trees.

226. Trottier:

This is an occupational surname derived from the old French wordtrotter,which means ‘walk fast’.

227. Vachon:

This is derived from the Latin wordvache,which means ‘cow’. It could be an occupational name for someone who was a cowherd.

228. Vadeboncoeur:

This surname means ‘go with a merry heart’.

229. Vaillancourt:

This is a variant of the wordvalencourt,which means a ‘low-lying farm’.

230. Vaillant:

It is derived from the old French wordvaillant,which means ‘sturdy’ or ‘brave’.

231. Valade:

This word is an Occitan (a language spoken in southern France) variant ofvallee,which means ‘valley’.

232. Vannier:

This surname is derived from the French wordvanierthat referstosomeone who does winnowing (blows the chaff from wheat).

233. Varon:

This surname is derived from the old German personal nameWaro,which in turn derived fromwara我aning ‘protection’.

234. Vautour:

This surname is derived from the old French namevoltoror Occitan namevautor,which means ‘vulture’.

235. Vaux:

This could be a habitational name from various places in northern France, which are called vaux. This name is derived from the old French plural of val which means ‘valley’

236. Veilleux:

This surname, derived from the old French wordveille,我ans ‘watch’ or ‘guard’. It could also be an occupational name for a watchman.

237. Vercher:

This name is derived from the medieval Latin namevercaria,which means ‘farmland’.

238. Verne:

In French, the wordverne我ans ‘alder’.

239. Verville:

This French surname could have derived from the French wordsvers我aning ‘towards’ andville我aning ‘town’. It could have also originated from from the wordsvert我aning ‘green’ andville我aning ‘town’. The third origin is from the wordvervelle, which ‘metal keeper’.

240. Vieux:

This name is derived from the French wordvieux,which means ‘old’. It

241. Vigeant:

This is a habitational name from Vigeant in Vienne. It is known to be derived from the Latin wordvinacus, which is a derivative ofvicus我aning ‘village’.

242. Vigneau:

It could also be a status name for the owner of a vineyard. This is derived from the Occitan wordvinhier,which means ‘vineyard’.

243. Villeneuve:

This name is derived from the wordsville我aning ‘settlement’ andneuve我aning ‘new’.

244. Vinet:

This French surname is derived from the old French wordviner, which means ‘to make wine’. It could also be an occupational name for a wine-grower.

245. Violette:

It is the French variation for ‘violet’.

246. Visage:

It means ‘face’.

247. Voclain:

This surname is derived from old French name Vauquelin, which must have probably originated fromWalkelin我aning ‘the wealthy one’.

248. Voland:

This is derived from the old French wordvoler,which means ‘to fly’ or ‘agile’.

249. Wack:

This is derived from old Flemish wordwacquewhich is a measure of weight. This could be an occupational name for an official responsible for weighing.

250. Webster:

This is an occupational name for someone who weaves.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do French last names work?

法国的姓氏来源于几个元素,such as the surname of either the mother or the father, profession, place of residence, or other unique characteristics.

2. Do French do not like to use the first name?

Some French do not like being called with their first name unless you are a close person. They prefer the formal way of calling, which is using their surname.

3. Do French wives take their husbands’ last names?

French women may take their husbands’ last names. However, it is not a legal requirement. They may also either keep their maiden surname after marriage or use both her and her husband’s family name as a hyphenated surname.

4. How did traditional French surnames come about?

The development of surnames in France can be traced back to the Middle Ages, and many early French surnames were derived from the given name of the person’s father or mother by adding a suffix or prefix to the parent’s name. Another significant category of French surnames originated from the occupation or trade of an individual.

5. Are traditional French surnames still used today?

Yes, traditional French surnames are still used today. Many of these surnames have been passed down through generations to uphold their ancestors’ beliefs and culture and keep the family’s tradition alive.

This is a well-curated list of the traditional French surnames. French last names can be either patriarchal, matriarchal, or hyphenated in alphabetical order. One lesser-known fact about French surnames is that it is not legally mandatory for French women to adopt their husband’s surname after marriage, but some women do it customarily. A few surnames are also used as middle names by some. And if you like the meaning or the sound of any name, you may use it as a alias name, pen name, or stage name.

Infographic: French Last Names Or Surnames

French last names or surnames are usually based on ancestry or toponymic origin. If you are mesmerized by the country’s names and traditions, check out this infographic for some of the traditional and vibrant French surnames.

french surnames (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Get high-quality PDF version by clicking below.

Download Infographic in PDF version Download Infographic
Download Infographic in PDF version


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