French Last Names
French last names are small history lessons. Most took shape in the Middle Ages, when people were identified by their father’s name, their trade, the place they lived or a nickname describing them — and those labels stuck. Martin, the most common surname in France, simply comes from a popular saint’s first name.
Below are more than 110 French surnames with their meanings, grouped by type, plus names that crossed the Atlantic to Quebec and Louisiana. Pair them with our French boy names or French girl names if you’re building a character, or compare them with Italian last names and our overview of last names worldwide.
The most common French last names
These surnames top the lists compiled from French civil records. Many began as first names, which is why they look familiar.
| Surname | Meaning | Origin type |
|---|---|---|
| Martin | From Martinus, “of Mars”; after Saint Martin of Tours | Patronymic |
| Bernard | Germanic, “brave as a bear” | Patronymic |
| Thomas | Aramaic, “twin” | Patronymic |
| Petit | “Small” | Nickname |
| Robert | Germanic, “bright fame” | Patronymic |
| Richard | Germanic, “strong ruler” | Patronymic |
| Durand | “Enduring, steadfast” | Nickname |
| Dubois | “Of the woods” | Place |
| Moreau | “Dark-skinned” or “dark-haired” (from Moor) | Nickname |
| Laurent | From the given name Laurentius, “laurel” | Patronymic |
| Simon | Hebrew, “he has heard” | Patronymic |
| Michel | Hebrew, “who is like God?” | Patronymic |
| Lefèvre | “The smith” (Old French fevre) | Occupation |
| Leroy | “The king”; nickname or servant of a royal household | Nickname |
| Roux | “Red-haired” | Nickname |
| David | Hebrew, “beloved” | Patronymic |
| Bertrand | Germanic, “bright raven” | Patronymic |
| Morel | “Dark,” diminutive of Moreau | Nickname |
| Fournier | “Baker, oven keeper” (four, “oven”) | Occupation |
| Girard | Germanic, “brave spear” | Patronymic |
French surnames from jobs and trades
Medieval village trades live on in these names. Several have English equivalents: Boucher is Butcher, Charpentier is Carpenter and Lefèvre is Smith.
| Surname | Meaning | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Boucher | Butcher | Butcher |
| Charpentier | Carpenter | Carpenter |
| Marchand | Merchant | Marchant |
| Boulanger | Baker | Baker |
| Mercier | Mercer, textile trader | Mercer |
| Meunier | Miller | Miller |
| Tessier | Weaver (from tisser, “to weave”) | Weaver |
| Faure | Smith (southern French form) | Smith |
| Pelletier | Furrier, fur trader | Skinner |
| Berger | Shepherd | Shepherd |
| Chevalier | Knight, horseman | Knight |
| Cordier | Rope maker | Roper |
| Tanneur | Tanner | Tanner |
| Couturier | Tailor, seamstress | Taylor |
| Barbier | Barber | Barber |
| Masson | Stonemason | Mason |
| Vasseur | Vassal, a feudal tenant | — |
| Carrier | Quarryman or carter | Carter |
| Tisserand | Weaver | Webster |
| Poissonnier | Fishmonger | Fisher |
| Sabatier | Shoemaker (from sabot) | Shoemaker |
| Chaput | Maker of hoods or capes | — |
French last names from nicknames and appearance
Nicknames about looks or character often became family names — sometimes flattering, sometimes not.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Lebrun | “The brown-haired one” | Also spelled Le Brun |
| Leblanc | “The white/fair one” | For pale hair or skin |
| Lenoir | “The black/dark one” | Dark hair or complexion |
| Legrand | “The tall/great one” | Physical size or status |
| Lebeau | “The handsome one” | Or used ironically |
| Rousseau | “Little red-haired one” | Philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
| Blanchard | “Whitish, fair” | Hair color |
| Lebon | “The good one” | Character nickname |
| Courtois | “Courteous, polite” | Refined manners |
| Gentil | “Kind, noble” | Good-natured person |
| Lefort | “The strong one” | Physical strength |
| Legros | “The big/stout one” | Body shape |
| Doucet | “Sweet, gentle” | Mild temperament |
| Hardy | “Bold, daring” | Also found in England |
| Sauvage | “Wild” | Or someone living near the woods |
| Renard | “Fox” | A cunning person |
| Lièvre | “Hare” | A quick or timid person |
| Loiseau | “The bird” | A cheerful singer or slight person |
French surnames from places and landscapes
Topographic names describe where a family lived: by a fountain, a hill, a stream or a stand of trees.
| Surname | Meaning | Landscape |
|---|---|---|
| Fontaine | “Fountain, spring” | Water |
| Dupont | “Of the bridge” | Bridge |
| Dumont | “Of the mountain” | Hill |
| Duval | “Of the valley” | Valley |
| Rivière | “River” | Water |
| Delacroix | “Of the cross” | Wayside cross |
| Beaumont | “Beautiful mountain” | Hill |
| Deschamps | “Of the fields” | Farmland |
| Lacroix | “The cross” | Wayside cross |
| Dumas | “Of the farmhouse” (southern mas) | Farm |
| Dupuis | “Of the well” | Water |
| Duchêne | “Of the oak” | Tree |
| Laforêt | “The forest” | Woods |
| Desjardins | “Of the gardens” | Garden |
| Chastain | “Chestnut tree” | Tree |
| Delorme | “Of the elm” | Tree |
| Desrosiers | “Of the rosebushes” | Garden |
| Beauchamp | “Beautiful field” | Farmland |
| Lavigne | “The vineyard” | Vines |
| Rochefort | “Strong rock” | Fortified rock |
| Villeneuve | “New town” | Settlement |
| Bellefontaine | “Beautiful fountain” | Water |
Aristocratic and “de” French last names
The particle de (“of”) often, though not always, points to land ownership or nobility. These names also appear on our list of rich last names.
| Surname | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| de Montfort | “Of the strong hill” | Medieval noble house |
| de la Fontaine | “Of the fountain” | Fabulist Jean de La Fontaine |
| de Beauvoir | “Of the beautiful view” | Writer Simone de Beauvoir |
| de Villiers | “Of the farmsteads” | Also common in South Africa |
| de Gaulle | Possibly “of the pole/stake” | President Charles de Gaulle |
| de Lafayette | From a place named for beech trees (fage) | The Marquis de Lafayette |
| Montaigne | “Mountain” | Essayist Michel de Montaigne |
| d’Artagnan | From the village of Artagnan | Musketeer hero of Dumas |
| de Valois | “Of Valois,” a region north of Paris | French royal dynasty |
| Bourbon | From Bourbon-l’Archambault | French royal dynasty |
French last names in Quebec, Louisiana and New England
French settlers brought their surnames to North America in the 1600s and 1700s. Many Cajun families descend from Acadians expelled from Canada in 1755.
| Surname | Meaning | Where you’ll hear it |
|---|---|---|
| Tremblay | “Place of aspen trees” | Most common surname in Quebec |
| Gagnon | Possibly “guard dog” or “farmer” | Quebec |
| Côté | “Hillside, slope” | Quebec |
| Bouchard | From a nickname for “mouth,” a talker | Quebec |
| Gauthier | Germanic, “army ruler” | Quebec |
| Roy | “King,” a short form of Leroy | Quebec |
| Thibodeaux | From Thibault, “bold people” | Louisiana (Cajun) |
| Boudreaux | Possibly from Germanic “bold, strong” | Louisiana (Cajun) |
| Hebert | Germanic, “bright army” | Louisiana and Quebec |
| Bergeron | “Little shepherd” | Quebec and Louisiana |
| Landry | Germanic, “land ruler” | Louisiana (Cajun) |
| Guidry | Germanic, possibly “wide ruler” | Louisiana (Cajun) |
| Arceneaux | Possibly from a place name | Louisiana (Cajun) |
| Broussard | Possibly “brushwood, scrub” | Louisiana (Cajun) |
| Robichaux | Pet form of Robert | Louisiana (Cajun) |
| Fontenot | Diminutive of fontaine, “little spring” | Louisiana (Cajun) |
| Ouellette | From Willet, a pet form of William | Quebec and New England |
| Lachance | “The luck” | Quebec |
How to research or use a French last name
- Look for spelling variants. The same family may appear as Lefebvre, Lefèvre, Lefebure or Fèvre. Scribes wrote names by ear until spelling was standardized in the 1800s.
- Check for anglicization. Immigrants to the US and Canada sometimes translated or respelled their names — Leblanc became White, Boulanger became Baker, Thibodeaux became Tibbido.
- Read the particle carefully. Du, de la and des usually just mean “of the” and point to a place, not a title. Only some “de” names were ever noble.
- For writers: match surnames to region — Tremblay for a Quebec character, Boudreaux for Louisiana, Faure or Dumas for the south of France. Our fantasy last names can help for invented worlds.
- Use a surname as a first name. French surnames like Laurent, Beau, Sinclair or Fontaine can make stylish given names; see last names that are first names.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common last name in France?
Martin is the most common French surname, followed by names such as Bernard, Thomas, Petit, Robert, Richard, Durand and Dubois.
What does “Le” or “La” mean in a French last name?
It is the definite article “the.” Names like Leblanc (“the white one”) or Legrand (“the tall one”) began as nicknames describing a person.
Does “de” in a French last name mean nobility?
Not necessarily. “De” simply means “of” or “from.” Many noble families used it, but many ordinary families also carry it because it referred to their village or land.
What are common Cajun last names?
Typical Cajun surnames include Thibodeaux, Boudreaux, Landry, Hebert, LeBlanc, Guidry, Broussard and Fontenot, many of them from Acadian families.
Why do so many French surnames end in -eau or -ot?
These are diminutive endings, similar to “little.” Rousseau means “little red one,” and Perrot means “little Pierre.”