French Last Names

noble brave (variant of Allard)

noble bright (Germanic adal + beraht)

noble brave (Germanic adal + hard)

manly or brave (Greek andreas)

eagle power (Germanic arn + wald)

noble bright (Germanic adal + beraht)

noble spear (Germanic adal + ger)

palisade or fenced area

bailiff or administrator

beard

barber or surgeon

baron or free man

short or low (nickname for a short man)

bold friend (Germanic bald + win)

bold power (Germanic bald + ric)

fight-strong (Germanic badwa + sin) or stutterer (etymology disputed)

blessed (Latin benedictus)

bear spear (Germanic ber + ger)

shepherd

brave bear (Germanic bern + hard)

bright raven (Germanic berht + hramn)

twin

pickaxe or overly religious (exact origin of the surname is debated)

log or block of wood (or from Germanic bil + hard)

log or block of wood

bush or thicket

white (often referring to hair or pale complexion)

whitish or fair-haired

gentle or sweet (short for Belin)

bushel or grain measure (maker or user)

good messenger (Latin bonus + Germanic wald)

bonnet maker or bonnet wearer

wood or forest

butcher

baker

birch grove

dirty, bastard, or buzzing insect (exact etymology disputed)

town dweller or freeman of a borough

oxherd (cattle driver)

oxherd (from boeuf)

brewer

hemp breaker or small trap (etymology uncertain)

from Brittany (a Breton)

brushwood (dweller near brushwood)

brown (hair or complexion)

dark brown (diminutive of Brun)

coarse woolen cloth (later desk, from the cloth covering it)

reddish-brown or frieze cloth

quail (nickname for a timid person or a birdcatcher)

pug-nosed or flat-nosed

cartwright or carter

beloved (Celtic root) or cartwright (etymology disputed)

carpenter

castle (dweller near a castle)

bullhead fish (nickname for a large-headed person)

hut or mountain cabin

champion or trial combatant

free man (Germanic karl)

carpenter (variant of Carpentier)

cartwright or carter

carter

bald (diminutive of Chauve)

bald (Latin calvus)

ruined house or hut

knight or horseman

Christian

merciful or gentle (Latin clemens)

notch, sow, or coach (etymology depends on region)

victory of the people (short for Nicolas)

victory of the people (diminutive of Nicolas)

little collar or victory of the people (diminutive of Nicolas)

hillside or coast

hazel grove

courteous or refined

from the forest

from Anton (variant of Antoine)

beloved (Hebrew)

of the hedge

of the alder grove

of the atrium (churchyard dweller)

of the farmstead (Occitan mas)

of the elm tree

follower of Dionysus (Greek)

of the fields (variant of Deschamps)

of the fields

phantom or ghost (Germanic drog, diminutive form)

of the wood

of the oven (baker)

of the ash tree

of the wasteland or estate

of the garden

of the farmstead (Occitan mas)

of the mountain or of the hill

of the mountain or of the hill

of the bridge

of the peak or hill (Occitan puy)

enduring or lasting

enduring or lasting (variant of Durand)

of the valley

crown or garland (Greek stephanos)

boar brave (Germanic ebur + hard)

smith (variant of Faure/Lefebvre)

smith (Occitan form of faber)

bean grower or bean seller (Latin faba)

smith (variant of Faure)

son of Fernando (brave journey)

peaceful ruler (variant of Frédéric)

little son

from the flowery place

fountain or spring

people army (Germanic folc + hari)

little beech tree or little falcon (Germanic fuko)

baker (oven operator)

Frenchman or free man

walnut tree (Occitan root)

vigorous or sturdy

valiant or cheerful (or from Germanic gal + hard)

pebble or flat stone

bear or young man (Basque/Spanish origins, widespread in France)

spear guard (Germanic warin + hari)

ruler of the army (Germanic wald + hari)

ruler of the army (variant of Gauthier)

hen or poultry (or from a Germanic root)

god peace (variant of Godefroy)

farmer or earth-worker (Greek georgos)

brave spear (variant of Girard)

generous lord (Breton Judicael)

bright pledge (Germanic gisl + berht)

will helmet (diminutive of Guillaume)

brave spear (Germanic ger + hard)

brave spear (variant of Girard)

brave spear (diminutive of Girard)

brave spear (diminutive of Girard)

god brave (Germanic god + hard)

god peace (Germanic god + frid)

little god or goth (diminutive of Godo)

son of Gome (man)

son of Gonzalo (battle elf)

Goth brave or goitered (etymology disputed)

little Goth or little god (diminutive of Gozzo)

watchful or alert (Greek gregoros)

watchful or alert (Greek gregoros)

grumbler (from gronder)

guard or protection (Germanic warin)

battle brave (Germanic wig + hard)

battle brave (diminutive)

winking or one-eyed

will bright (Germanic wil + berht)

will helmet or desire for protection (Germanic wil + helm)

will helmet (diminutive of Guillaume)

will helmet (diminutive of Guillaume)

wood or wide (variant of Guyon)

wood or wide (diminutive of Guy)

wood or wide (diminutive of Guy)

bold or daring

bright army (Germanic hari + berht)

home ruler (Germanic haim + ric)

battle worthy (Breton haern + biu)

bright heart (Germanic hug + berht)

heart or mind (diminutive of Hugues)

supplanter (Hebrew)

little Jacques

God is gracious (Hebrew)

pretty or merry

descending (Hebrew yarden, river Jordan)

God is gracious (Breton form of Jean)

Goth bright (Germanic gaut + berht)

Goth helmet (Germanic gaut + helm) or lord (etymology disputed)

youthful or downy-bearded (Latin Julius)

the abbot (Occitan form of L'Abbé)

the abbot (nickname or household servant)

good fortune or the chance

the valley (Celtic cumba)

the cross (often dweller by a wayside cross)

the fountain or spring (Occitan)

wool (wool merchant)

the heath or moor

the grove or linden tree

bright land (Germanic land + berht)

the mound or hill (Occitan mota)

the friend

the stone or rock (Occitan pèira)

the plant or sapling

the door or the gate (dweller by the town gate)

the archer

the rock or crag

from Laurentum or laurel

the vineyard

the white (fair-haired or pale)

the good (kind person)

the Breton (from Brittany)

the brown (brown-haired or dark-complexioned)

the clerk or the scholar

the clerk (variant of Leclerc)

the rooster (proud or early riser)

the count (often a nickname)

the court

the duke (nickname or household servant)

the smith (Latin faber)

the smith (variant of Lefebvre)

the strong

the son-in-law

the tall or the large

the fat or the large

the wolf (Picard variant of le loup)

the tall or the long

the mayor

the master (teacher or guild master)

the monk

the black (dark hair or complexion)

the page or young servant

the leper (historical nickname)

the red-haired

the king (often a nickname or theatrical role)

the wise

the barn (Occitan escubra)

the shoemaker (Old French sutor)

the tile maker (maker of roof tiles)

the bishop (nickname or member of bishop's household)

joined (Hebrew, priestly tribe surname)

the hermit

the host or innkeeper

lion brave (Germanic levon + hard)

lion (brave or fierce person)

the bird (nickname for a flighty person or fowler)

from Lombardy (banker or Italian)

son of Lope (wolf)

famous warrior (Germanic hlod + wig)

from Lucania

maker or carpenter (or from Latin magnus)

mallet (or Germanic madal + hard)

mallet

mallard duck or bad brave (etymology disputed)

little trunk or hammer (etymology disputed)

Sunday child (diminutive of Demange/Dominique)

merchant

farrier or marshal (servant in charge of horses)

little marsh or little wall (etymology uncertain)

bitter or beloved (Hebrew/Aramaic origins, matronymic)

sailor or of the sea (Latin marinus)

son of Marcos

hammer (nickname for a smith or warrior)

of Mars (god of war)

son of Martin (Spanish origin, common in France)

of Mars (Occitan variant of Martin)

stone mason

gift of Yahweh (Hebrew)

badly done or ill-advised (nickname for a fool or clumsy person)

dark-skinned (diminutive of Moor)

strong in mind (Germanic magan + hard)

merchant or haberdasher

blackbird

miller

steward or mayor

who is like God? (diminutive of Michel)

who is like God? (Hebrew)

who is like God? (diminutive)

cute or dainty

millet (grower or seller)

little monk or little ape (etymology uncertain)

little monk or moneyer (diminutive)

money changer or minter

dark-skinned or Moorish

dark-skinned or Moorish (diminutive of Moor)

dark-skinned or Moorish

windmill or watermill

miller (Occitan variant of Meunier)

miller

from Navarre

nephew

victory of the people (Greek)

Christmas (variant)

Christmas (often born on the holiday)

terror spear (Germanic odger)

olive tree

page or young attendant

grandfather or affectionate father (infant speech)

packet or bundle (merchant or carrier)

from Paris (or from Greek Paris)

relating to Easter (born on Easter)

pasture (dweller near a pasture)

wooden shoe or skate (maker of pattens)

small or humble (Latin paulus)

paved road or pathway (dweller by a paved path)

pitch-worker or rustic (exact etymology debated)

bald or skinless (Occitan pelat, etymology debated)

pilgrim

furrier or skin dealer

furrier (maker of pelisses)

furrier (variant of Pelletier)

cliff or peak (Occitan pena)

son of Pedro (rock)

little Peter (diminutive of Pierre)

little rock or little Peter

stone quarry

little Peter (diminutive of Pierre)

little Peter (diminutive of Pierre)

small or short

rock or stone (Occitan form of Pierre)

lover of horses (Greek)

from Picardy

pike or pickaxe (diminutive of Pic)

pitcher or jug (maker or user)

rock or stone (Greek petros)

little pillar or pillow (etymology uncertain)

pine tree (dweller by a pine)

foot soldier or pawn (chess)

pike or pickaxe (user or maker)

plant or sapling

pear tree (dweller by a pear tree)

fish (fisherman or fishmonger)

apple tree

little Pons (from Pontius)

from Pontius (Latin, meaning bridge)

potter

colt or young horse (frisky person)

colt (variant of Poulain)

chick or baby bird (nickname for a small person)

meadow (Occitan prat)

provost or magistrate

prior (monastic official)

provost (northern variant of Prévost)

hill or peak (Occitan puèg)

cook (Old French cueu, from Latin coquus)

branch (dweller near a thicket)

counsel rule (Germanic ragin + wald)

oarsman (Latin Remigius)

fox (originally Germanic ragin + hard meaning strong in counsel)

counsel rule (Germanic ragin + wald)

king (Occitan variant of Roy)

river or riverbank

brave power (Germanic ric + hard)

river

oak grove (Latin roboretum)

bright fame (Germanic hrod + beraht)

bright fame (diminutive of Robert)

rock or crag

son of Rodrigo (famous power)

famous spear (Germanic hrod + ger)

famous land (Germanic hrod + land)

red-haired

red-haired (diminutive of Roux)

red-haired (diminutive of Roux)

red-haired

king (variant of Leroy)

son of Ruy (famous power)

shoemaker or cobbler

son of Sancho (holy)

Saracen (nickname for someone dark-skinned or who went on crusade)

savage or wild (dweller in the woods)

smith

victory friend (Germanic sigi + win)

he has heard (Hebrew)

fire dog or fire warrior (Breton tan + ki)

slow or sluggish

obscure origin (possibly related to a place name or ancient given name)

weaver

weaver

bold people (Germanic theud + bald)

twin (Aramaic)

weaver (variant of Texier)

turner (lathe worker)

All Saints' Day (often born on November 1)

cowherd

small valley

valet or servant

small valley

vassal (servant of a lord)

full of life (from Latin Vivianus)

calf or lively (from Latin vitellus)

of life or vital (Latin vitalis)

vineyard

conquering (Latin vincere)

neighbor