From iconic landmarks to the fantastic museums and galleries, France is all about world-class art and architecture. And French is known to be one of the most romantic languages of the world. This beautiful language has some beautiful surnames too.

In France, surnames originate from locations, occupations and also from personal names. In this post, MomJunction shares with you 250 French surnames along with their meanings.

1. Abadie:

This French and English surname derives from the word abadia which means both ‘abbey’ and ‘family chapel’.

2. About:

This is Derived from the French word about that refers to ‘an extremity of a metallic or wooden element or piece’.

3. Abreo:

This is a variant of the word Abreu, 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 the Latin personal name Arcambaldus, which in turn derived from the German word Ercan meaning ‘precious’ and bald meaning ‘bold and daring’.

8. Arsenault:

Derived from the French word arsenal which 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 compound Aedelbeort meaning ‘noble-bright’.

10. Auch:

Occupational surname for someone who minds cattle at night.

11. Auclair:

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

12. Auger:

This surname derived from the French personal name Auger, which originated from Adalgarius, wherein adal means ‘noble’ and gar means ‘spear’.

13. Auguste:

The surname derived from a personal name Agostino, 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 word barbel, 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 French surname is an occupational surname for barber derived from old French name barbier.

20. Bardin:

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

21. Barreau:

This French surname is a derivative of barrer, 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 word barre, 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 from basquebazter that means ‘border’ and eche that 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 from Basil, which in turn, is derived from ancient Greek name Basileios that means ‘royal’. In some parts, it is also considered an occupational surname derived from the word bombasin, which is a kind of cotton cloth.

28. Beauchamp:

In old French, Beau means ‘beautiful’ and champ means ‘field’ or ‘plain’.

29. Beauchene:

This name is derived from beau meaning ‘beautiful’ and chene meaning ‘oak’.

30. Beaufort:

Derived from old French in which Beau means ‘beautiful’, and fort means ‘stronghold’.

31. Beaulieu:

A combination of Beau, which means ‘beautiful’ and lieu, which means ‘place’ or ‘location’.

32. Beaumont:

The name meansa beautiful hill, wherein mont means a ‘hill’.

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 word bochier, which means ‘butcher’.

36. Bedeau:

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

37. Bellamy:

This surname is derived from old French words bel ami meaning a ‘beautiful friend’.

38. Bellefeuille:

Derived from old French words belle meaning ‘lovely’ and feuille meaning ‘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 words beu meaning ‘beautiful’ or ‘lovely’, and chere meaning ‘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 word bergier.

44. Bernard:

This surname is derived from German given name which means ‘strong as a bear’.

45. Bernier:

It is derived from the French given name 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 of bibere, which means ‘to drink’.

48. Bissonnette:

The topographic name of old French buisson means ‘bush or scrub’.

49. Blanc:

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

50. Blanchard:

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

51. Blanchet:

This French surname is derived from the word blanc. 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 an occupational surname for corn merchant. Derived from old French name bushel, it means the ‘measure of grain’.

54. Boivin:

It is derived from old French words boi meaning ‘to drink’ and vin meaning ‘wine’.

55. Bonfils:

The old French words bon fills means ‘good son’.

56. Bonheur:

This surname is derived from old French words bonne 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 word bon meaning ‘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.

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 word chemise which means ‘shirt’.

68. Carbonneau:

This surname is derived from the Latin word Carbo which 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 word carre, which means ‘square’.

71. Carrel:

Derived from the old French word quarrel which 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 the Anglo-Norman French word caretier and 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 word chapelle means ‘chapel’.

76. Chappuis:

This French surname is derived from the old French word chaput, 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 word castan, 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 word chastelain, which is in turn derived from the Latin word castellum that means a ‘watchtower’.

80. Chevalier:

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

81. Chevrolet:

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

82. Chopin:

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

83. Clair:

This surname is a French form of the Latin name calrus, 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 word clous is ‘nails’.

85. Collin:

Some of the French surnames are patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father’s given name. Collin is derived from colle, which is ashort form of the Latin personal name Nicholaus that 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 word corbeau, 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 word corebt meaning ‘raven’.

89. Coutermanche:

This means ‘short sleeve’ in French.

90. Couture:

Derived from old French cousture meaning ‘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 French ruelle which 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 nickname 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 word champs means ‘of the field’.

99. Descoteaux:

This surname derived from coteau, 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 as vrilles (tendril). It could be an occupational name for a person who planted or worked on vrilles.

103. Droit:

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

104. Dubois:

Originating from the French word bois meaning ‘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 common French surname means ‘from the well/ hole’.

107. Durand:

In old French, durand means ‘enduring’.

108. Edouard:

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

109. Escoffier:

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

110. Farrow:

This occupational surname derived from the word ferror, which refers to an iron worker.

111. Faucher:

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

112. Favre:

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

113. Fay:

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

114. Fontaine:

Derived from old French word fontane meaning ‘well’ or ‘fountain’.

115. Forestier:

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

116. Fortier:

Derived from old French word fort meaning ‘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 word fort which means ‘strong’.

118. Fournier:

This is an occupational surname for baker. In old French, this word referred to someone who cooked dough in the fourneau or 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 word froisser, which means ‘to break’ or ‘shatter’.

121. Gagne:

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

122. Gagneux:

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

123. Gagnon:

It is derived from the old French name gagnon, 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 word gerner or gernier, which means ‘storehouse for corn’ or ‘keeper of the granary’.

126. Gaudin:

This ancient surname derived from an old German name Godino, 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 word gai means ‘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 word gigaere, which means ‘violinist or fiddle player’.

130. Gerard:

This is a derivative of the personal name Gerard. Ger means ‘spear’ and hard means ‘brave and strong’.

131. Gouin:

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

132. Grange:

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

133. Guillaume:

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

134. Heroux:

This name is derived from the German personal name Hariwulf, in which Hari means ‘army’ and wulf means ‘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 word janvier meaning ‘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 called Gaut and the word berht, which means ‘bright’ or ‘famous’.

138.Jourdain:

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

139. Kaplan:

This word is derived from the old Norman French word caplain, 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 means ‘fixed stone’.

143. Laflamme:

This is a nickname or an occupational name for a torchbearer. La means ‘the’ and Flamme means ‘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 means ‘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 word la mare meaning ‘the pool’.

148. Lambert:

This name is derived from an old German name Landberht, 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 name Landric, in which Land means ‘land’ and ric means ‘powerful’ or ‘ruler’.

150. Lane:

The French word lane means ‘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 word vallee, which means ‘valley’. It also has an alternative spelling ‘Duval’ which means ‘of the valley’.

153. Lavigne:

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

154. Lavoie:

This is a topographic name for someone who lived by a road. The word voie means ‘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 means ‘fair’, ‘lovely’ or ‘handsome’.

157. Leclerc:

In French, the words leclerc means ‘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 means ‘craftsman’.

159. Leger:

In French, leger means ‘light’ or ‘superficial’.

160. Lejeune:

The word jeune means ‘young’.

161. Lemaire:

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

162. Lemaitre:

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

163. Lenoir:

In French, noir means ‘dark’ or ‘black’.

164. Leroux:

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

165. Leroy:

In old French, roy means ‘king’.

166. Le Sueur:

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

167. Levasseur:

This surname was a status name from the old French word vasseor, who is a tenant ranking below a baron in the feudal system.

168. Loup:

This French surname is derived from the Latin word lupus meaning ‘wolf’. Its variants are Leloup and Leleu.

169. Marchal:

This surname is derived from the old German word marah, which means ‘horse’ and sclac meaning ‘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 means ‘merchant’.

171. Martel:

Derived from the old French word martel meaning ‘hammer’, it could possibly be a name for a smith.

172. Matthieu:

This surname derived from the Latin word Matthaeus, which is in turn derived from Greek Matthaios, meaning ‘gift of the lord’.

173. Milhaud:

This French family name is derived from Milhaud, a small community in France’s Gard.

174. Moreau:

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

175. Moulin:

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

176. Ozanne:

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

177. Page:

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

178. Palomer:

Meaning ‘pigeon keeper’, the name derived from the Latin word palumbes that is ‘pigeon’.

179. Paquet:

The old French word pacquet means 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 word Pascha, which means ‘pass over’.

181. Pelissier:

In old French, pellice means ‘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 means ‘flat’ and mont means ‘mountain’. Could be a nickname for someone who lived near a flat-topped mountain.

184. Plantier:

This is derived from the word plentive, 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 from palourde, 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 word poire meaning ‘pear’.

189. Pomeroy:

This surname originated from the word Pommeroie, meaning an apple orchard.

190. Porcher:

Derived from the French word porchier meaning ‘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 French poule means ‘chicken’.

192. Prevost:

Prevost or provostwas an ancient French title given to a chief.

193. Proulx:

This surname is derived from old French word preu, meaning ‘valiant’ or ‘brave’.

194. Pueyrredon:

This surname is derived from the Latin words podium rotudnum which mean a ‘rounded hill’.

195. Rayne:

This surname is derived from the German word ragin, meaning ‘advice’ or ‘counsel’.

196. Reason:

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

197. Remy:

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

198. Renouard:

This surname is derived from the German words ragin meaning ‘counsel’, and wald meaning ‘rule’.

199. Ricard:

This is derived from the words ric meaning ‘powerful’ and hard meaning ‘brave’ and ‘strong’.

200. Richelieu:

This is derived from the name of a town. Riche means ‘wealthy’ and lieu means ‘place’ in French.

201. Riviere:

This is a topographic name for someone who lived by the bank of a river. In old French, riviere means ‘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 words hrod meaning ‘glory’, and berht meaning ‘illustrious’ or ‘brilliant’.

204. Roche:

This is a topographic surname who resided near hills. In old French, the word roche means ‘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 word rota which means ‘wheel’.

206. Rossignol:

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

207. Rousseau:

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

208. Rutter:

There could be two origins for this surname.It could have originated from the old French words roteor, roteeur, and routeer, which are used for a person who plays the rote. Or it may be related to the old French word rotier, routier meaning ‘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 word sartor meaning ‘tailor’.

211. Sauveterre:

This name originated from the French word sauve meaning ‘safe’ and terre meaning ‘land’.

212. Schaeffer:

This surname is of German origin and is derived from the word schaffaere meaning ‘manager’ or the ‘the head of the household’.

213. Segal:

Occupational name for a grower or seller of rye, derived from Latin secale meaning ‘rye’.

214. Sergeant:

This is derived from an old French word sergent meaning ‘servant’ which derived from a Latin word servire meaning ‘to serve’.

215. Serres:

This could be a habitational name for places near southern and eastern France, or topographic name derived from the word serre meaning ‘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 word soulier which means ‘shoe’ or ‘sandal’. It could have also originated from the old French word soule, 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 word Tardif, which means ‘slow’.

220. Tasse:

Derived from old French word tasse meaning ‘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 word Tavernier, which means ‘innkeeper’.

222. Thibaut:

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

223. Toussaint:

Tous means ‘all’, and saint means ‘saints’.

224. Travers:

Derived from the French word traverser meaning ‘to cross’, this name was used for a person who lived near a bridge or ford.

225. Tremblay:

This is a plural form of tremble, 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 word trotter, which means ‘walk fast’.

227. Vachon:

This is derived from the Latin word vache, 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 word valencourt, which means a ‘low-lying farm’.

230. Vaillant:

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

231. Valade:

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

232. Vannier:

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

233. Varon:

This surname is derived from the old German personal name Waro, which in turn derived from wara meaning ‘protection’.

234. Vautour:

This surname is derived from the old French name voltor or Occitan name vautor, 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 word veille, means ‘watch’ or ‘guard’. It could also be an occupational name for a watchman.

237. Vercher:

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

238. Verne:

In French, the word verne means ‘alder’.

239. Verville:

This French surname could have derived from the French words vers meaning ‘towards’ and ville meaning ‘town’. It could have also originated from from the words vert meaning ‘green’ and ville meaning ‘town’. The third origin is from the word vervelle, which ‘metal keeper’.

240. Vieux:

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

241. Vigeant:

This is a habitational name from Vigeant in Vienne. It is known to be derived from the Latin word vinacus, which is a derivative of vicus meaning ‘village’.

242. Vigneau:

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

243. Villeneuve:

This name is derived from the words ville meaning ‘settlement’ and neuve meaning ‘new’.

244. Vinet:

This French surname is derived from the old French word viner, 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:

Itmeans ‘face’.

247. Voclain:

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

248. Voland:

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

249. Wack:

This is derived from old Flemish word wacque which 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.

Surnames are personal recognition and pride, and connect the individual to their family? Are you proud of your French surname? Let us know in the comments section below.

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