The 100 most common surnames in France (and their meaning)

France is one of the most beloved nations for sightseeing. Many people associate it with romance, tranquility and the avant-garde in terms of fashion. But, Have you ever thought about what French surnames are like? Next, we will give you a tour of the 100 most common surnames in France so that you can learn a little more about its culture.

• We recommend you read: "The 100 Most Common Surnames in Germany"

The list of the most popular French surnames

These surnames are a very interesting mixture of Germanic, Basque and Roman cultures. Which had a lot of influence both in the medieval and modern era.

1. Martin

It is one of the most common surnames throughout France, it is derived from the Latin name 'Martinus' and means, 'consecrated to Mars'.

2. Thomas

The origin of it is Hebrew and means 'twin' in Aramaic. His popularity is due to the apostle Judas Thaddeus Didymus.

3. Andre

Surname that derives from the proper name 'André', which comes from the ancient Greek 'andros' which means 'brave or manly man'.

4. Lavigne

Its meaning is 'vineyard' and it refers to a person who lives near the place or comes from the city of Lavigny.

5. Robert

It is derived from the German name 'Hrodberht' which is made up of the terms 'hrod' ​​which means 'glory or glory'. fame' and 'berht' which means 'brilliant' together translates as 'illustrious glory or brilliant man'.

6. petite

It is a surname that translates as 'little' and refers to a person of short stature or the youngest of the family.

7. Arnaud

It is derived from the homonymous masculine name 'Arnwald', which means 'the eagle that rules'.

8. Blanchet

Surname that comes from the French region of Limoges that was very popular in the nobility.

9. Richard

It is both a surname and a name, its origin is Germanic. It comes from the word 'Richhard' which means 'rich man' and was very common in the Middle Ages.

10. Durand

Form that the Latin name 'Durans' took, later became a patronymic surname, its meaning is 'he who endures' or 'he who resists'.

11. Garnier

This French surname derives from the Germanic languages, it is formed by the words 'warin' which means 'guard' and 'hari' which means 'army'.

12. Barbier

It can refer to the profession of barber or barber-surgeon who was popular during the Middle Ages. Likewise, it may come from the Latin word 'barbarius' with which foreigners were referred to.

13. Bernard

It is the patronymic of the homograph name, it comes from the union of the terms 'ber'ô which means 'bear' and 'harduz' which translates as 'strong', so it is translated as 'strong as a bear'.

14. dubois

It is a surname that refers to people who lived near a forest.

15. Windmill

It comes from Latin and refers to the trade or profession of caring for or working in a mill.

16. Mayer

It comes from the French term 'maire' which means 'mayor'. It also comes from the Latin 'maior', which translates as 'the greatest'.

17. Moreau

This surname translates as dark-skinned person.

18. Michelle

This surname comes from the French form of the masculine name 'Miguel'. This appellation of Hebrew origin means 'Who is like God?'

19. Lefebvre

It is a spelling variation of the surname 'Lefevre' which, despite being the correct form, is less common. Lefebvre comes from the Old French 'febvre' which means 'blacksmith'.

20. David

It is a patronymic surname since it is derived from the homograph masculine name. It is interpreted as 'the dear and beloved'.

21. Bertrand

It arose from the combination of the German lexicons 'berht' which translates as 'bright' and hramn which means 'raven'.

22. Bourgeois

It comes from the word 'burg' which is equivalent to 'city', for which it is a surname related to one who lived in a burg.

23. toussaint

It is a French surname and a given name that was given to children born around November 1, the day on which the Catholic holiday of All Saints' Day takes place.

24. Corbin

Surname that originated in England due to a nickname that comes from the Anglo-Norman word 'Corb' which means 'raven'. Being a reference to people with shiny black hair.

25. Fournier

This French surname is linked to the profession or trade of baking, it is derived from the Latin 'furnarius' which can be translated as 'baker'.

26. Fontaine

Its meaning is 'water source'. It used to be worn by people who lived near a functional or ornamental fountain.

27. Boyer

Very common surname in central France, it is a variation of the surname 'Bouvier' which means 'person who protects the oxen'.

28. clement

It means 'merciful' and is also a very popular proper name with Latin roots that can be interpreted as 'forgiving or merciful'.

29. Leroy

It is a very common surname in the north and northwest of France. Its origin is in the name that was given to whoever won a game in the game of the bow.

30. duplantier

Surname whose meaning refers to a plantation or a person who lives or works on it.

31. Beaufort

French surname that translates as 'beautiful or fair fortress'.

32. Rousseau

This surname is a diminutive of red and describes a person who was red-haired.

33. Faure

It is a surname that also means 'blacksmith' and refers to the person who performs this trade.

34. Dennis

Its origin is in the name of the Greek god Dionysus who was related to wine and fertility.

35. François

It derives from the word France and its adjective in medieval Latin is 'franciscus'. It means 'free men'.

36. Gautier

This surname comes from the Proto-German word 'waldijaną' which means 'ruler of the army'. It is a variation of the surname 'Gauthier'.

37. lyons

Its meaning refers to a person from the city of Lyon, France.

38. armistead

Means 'inhabitant of the hermitage', it comes from the Old French 'ermite' and the Old English 'stede'.

39. Beaulieu

It is a surname that comes from the nobility.

40. abbadie

Surname that refers to 'Abbadie' who was a preacher of the eighteenth century or to the Castle of Abbadie.

41. Jussie

It is another surname that is related to the nobility.

42. Agard

It is a surname that denotes a great lineage within the nobles and means the edge of a sword.

43. Rolland

It translates as 'the glorious land'. It is an adaptation of the German patronymic proper name.

44. Mercy

It is an occupational surname for people who worked in a haberdashery.

45. Henry

It is a patronymic surname meaning 'ruler of the fatherland' and comes from the German name 'Heinrich'.

46. Lefevre

This surname means 'the blacksmith' and falls into the category of occupational or profession surnames.

47. Renaud

This French surname is a patronymic and comes from the Proto-Germanic words 'ragin' which means 'council' and 'wald' which means 'power or government'.

48. Charpentier

Its origin is French and it means 'carpenter'.

49. Delacroix

It is a French surname meaning 'of the cross'. Originally, a cross or crossroads symbol was given to people who lived near a church.

50. January

Surname meaning 'baptized in January'.

51. LeBrun

Surname that was assigned to people with brown hair.

52. Aubert

It is derived from the German name 'Adalbert or Albert'. It is composed of 'adal' which translates as 'noble' and 'bereht' which means 'famous or brilliant'.

53. Narcisse

It does not have a specific origin, but it is believed that it may come from both the flower (narcissus) and the Greek mythological figure, who was condemned for his egocentrism.

54. Mouton

It is a common surname from the department of Charente. It can mean 'ram', from the Latin 'multo'.

55. parrot

Surname meaning 'little Peter'.

56. Joubert

Surname derived from the Germanic terms 'gaut' meaning 'Jocelyn' and 'beraht' meaning 'bright'.

57. Roche

The translation of him is 'rock or stone' and was frequently applied as a toponymic surname in France.

58. Oliver

It translates as 'olivero' and was given as a nickname to the people who worked collecting olives.

59. Duval

It translates as 'of the valley' and refers to those who live in or near a valley.

60. Roy

Means 'king', it was commonly used as a burlesque nickname.

61. Riviere

French surname that means 'river' and was given to people who lived or came from a place near a river body.

62. Perreault

It derives from 'Perre', which is an old French nickname for 'Pierre'.

63. Mason

The French word 'maçon' designates a mason who worked with stone and brick, as well as stonemasons who were engaged in carving stones for use in construction.

64. Payet

It has two meanings: 'payot' which was a word to refer to non-gypsy people. Or it can come from 'paya' which refers to the pagans.

65. William

It comes from the Germanic patronymic 'Willhelm' and is a variant of the masculine given name 'Guillaume'. It means 'voluntary protector'.

66. Lecomte

Its meaning is 'the count' and it refers to a noble title that was granted in France, but whose tradition dates back to the Roman Empire.

67. Vidal

It comes from the Latin 'vitalis' and translates as 'vital or relating to life'.

68. D'aramitz

Originally it denotes one who came from Aramits, a town in the French Pyrenees mountains named for its proximity to the abbey.

69. Luke

It is a patronymic surname and its meaning is 'the one who illuminates'.

70. Lacroix

Its literal translation is 'the cross' and in some cases, it can be found as La Croix.

71. Jolly

It translates as 'festive or joyous' and was given to people who possessed those qualities.

72. Roussel

Like 'Rousseau', it is a surname that refers to the red color of people's hair.

73. Perrin

Patronymic surname that is derived from the diminutive of 'Pierre' and is the French form of 'Pedro' which means 'stone or rock'.

74. Guerin

It comes from the surname 'Warin or Warino', which is interpreted as 'protector or warrior'.

75. marching

It is related to the profession or trade of merchant, merchant or merchant.

76. Mathieu

It comes from the proper name of Hebrew origin 'Mateo', which means 'gift from Yahveh'.

77. Nicholas

This surname, like the name, translates as 'victory of the people' or 'victory of the people'.

78. Noel

In French the word 'noël' means 'Christmas'. This patronymic surname was also used as a proper name, for children born on December 25.

79. belrose

It is a variant of 'Bellerose' and it also means 'beautiful rose'.

80. Beauchene

French toponym surname meaning 'beautiful oak'.

81. the street

French surname that literally means 'street'.

82. Philippe

It comes from the Greek name 'Philippe'. Its meaning is 'horse lover'.

83. Chastain

It comes from the old French 'castan' which means 'chestnut'. It was a designation for someone who lived near a chestnut tree or is a nickname for someone with brown hair.

84. Gaillard

It comes from the term 'gal' which in the Gallic language meant 'strong or robust'.

85. Dumas

It is a surname that indicated that a person came from a farm or a country house.

86. müller

The surname is of Germanic origin and its meaning is 'miller' and refers to one who worked or owned a grain mill.

87. Vincent

This surname has its origin in the Latin root 'vincens' which means 'the one who triumphs'. It is also used as a masculine given name.

88. Picard

Surname given to people who came from Picardy, a region in northern France.

89. knight

It translates as 'knight' and described men who rode on horseback.

90. Caron

It is a surname comes from the French word 'charron' which indicates the trade of making roads.

91. Lambert

Surname that comes from the Germanic language and comes from the words 'land' which means 'land' and 'bert' which means 'brilliant or illustrious'.

92. Girard

It is a variation of 'Gerard' and means 'strong spear'.

93. Roger

It is the French variant of a Germanic name 'Hrodgari' and means 'glorious spear'.

94. dupont

It is a surname that means 'of the bridge' and was very common among people who lived near or on this structure.

95. bonnet

It has two origins: It comes from the word 'bonnet' which refers to the hat worn by priests and some academics. On the other hand, it is believed to date from the name 'Bonnettus' which is a diminutive of 'good'.

96. White

Literally translated as 'white', it has two origins: Many believe it to be a toponymic, while others point out that it is a descriptive surname since it refers to a person with colored skin and hair White.

97. Roux

The translation of it is 'red' and it was applied to describe people with reddish hair.

98. Leclerc

It comes from the Latin term 'clericus' and its meaning translates as 'the secretary or the cleric'. it also applied to those who worked keeping written records.

99. Laurent

It is derived from the homograph name which, in turn, is an adaptation of the Latin name 'Laurentius'. It means 'laureate or crowned with laurels'.

100. Simon

It is a surname that is derived from the homonymous proper name of Hebrew origin. Its meaning is 'he who has listened to God'.