The Top 10 Family Names in Québec in 1999
Explore our Top 10 list of the most popular surnames in Quebec in 1999, such as Tremblay, Bouchard and Gagnon. We will also provide the origin of each name, whether your family is currently in Quebec, Ontario, elsewhere in French Canada or the United States.
Gilles Tremblay, hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens from 1960 to 1969 (Wikimedia Commons)
#1. Tremblay: from Le Tremblay, the name of several towns in northern France. Over 1% of Quebeckers have the surname Tremblay!
#2. Gagnon: probably a derivative of the ancient French word gaigneor, meaning a labourer or cultivator; an occupational surname.
#3. Roy: either from Le Roy, the name of several towns all over France, or a derivative of roi (“king” in English), an ironic surname.
#4. Côté: a variation of Costé, a probable alteration of the name Le Costil, the name of several towns in Normandy.
Tennis player Eugenie Bouchard in 2014 (photo by Stefan Brending, Wikimedia Commons)
#5. Bouchard: from the Germanic Burchard, composed of burg (protection) and hard (hard, strong).
#6. Gauthier: either (a) from the Germanic Waldhari, composed of wald (power, authority) and hari (army); or (b) an alteration of Gonthier or Gothier – from the Germanic Gunthari, composed of gunt (battle, combat) and hari (army)
#7. Morin: either (a) from Le Morin, the name of several towns in various parts of France or (b) from the Latin name Maurinus, derived of Maurus (in French Mauritanien), the surname of a dark-skinned person.
#8. Lavoie: the combination of La Voie, the name of several towns in various parts of France.
Baseball player Eric Gagné (2007 photo by Wikimedia Commons author Brent & MariLynn)
#9. Fortin: derived from the Latin Fortis (strong).
#10. Gagné: either a variation of Gagn(i)er, with the same origin as the surname Gagnon, or a variation of Gasnier/Garnier, from the Germanic Warinhari, composed of warin (protection) and hari (army).
Sources:
Louis Duchesne, “Les noms de famille au Québec : aspects statistiques et distribution spatiale”, Institut de la statistique du Québec (http://www.stat.gouv.qc.ca/statistiques/population-demographie/caracteristiques/noms_famille_1000.htm)
Marc Picard, Dictionnaire des noms de famille du Canada français (Québec, Québec, Les Presses de l’Université Laval, 2010).