Did someone in your family speak French as a first language? As you put together your family tree, you may have discovered ancestors who emigrated from France to the United States.
The most common French surname is Martin. This name is derived from the first name Martinus, which is Latin. Martinus refers to the Roman god of fertility and war, who was named Mars. There was a popular 4th-century saint named Martin of Tours, who was very popular with people who lived in Europe during the Middle ages. It is possible that the surname Martin was adopted by people who were followers of this saint. It also may have come from two Old English words: “maer” which means “lake” and “tun” which means settlement.
Number two is Bernard. This name refers to the Germanic first name “Bernhard”. There was a saint named Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, who founded the Cistercian monastery and Clairvaux. The surname Bernard may be referring to this saint. Number three is Dubois. This name refers to “someone who lives in the woods”. It comes from the French word “bois”, which means “wood”, and the French definite article “du”. Dubois might be the French version of the English or American surname “Wood”.
Number four is the surname Thomas. This name may have first come from the Aramic word “t’om’a”, which meant “twin”. This name has a biblical origin, and may refer to Saint Thomas, who was one of the Disciples of Jesus. Number five is Robert. It comes from a Germanic first name made up of the naming elements of “hrod”, which means “renown” and “berht”, which means “famous”. Therefore, the surname Robert can be interpreted to mean “bright fame”.
Number six is Richard. This is another surname that comes from a first name. It comes from the Germanic naming elements of “ric”, which means “powerful ruler”, and “hard”, which means “brave”. There have been kings with the first name Richard, which added to it’s popularity. Number seven is Petit. The word “petit” is the French word for “small”. This surname was once used as a nickname for a person who is of small stature, or an ironic nickname for a very large man. It was also used to refer to the younger of two people who had the same name.
Number eight is Durand. This is a variant spelling of the surname Durant. It comes from the Latin word “Durandus”, which means “enduring”. Number nine is Leroy. It comes from the French definite article “le” and the Old French word “rey” or “roy”, which means king. This surname might first have been applied to a person who was in service of the king. It can also refer to a person who is the winner of a contest. Number ten is Moreau. It comes from the Old French word “Moor”, which refers to a person with dark skin, or who wears dark clothing.
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