The 20 Most Common Surnames in France and Their Origins

Discover the 20 most common surnames in France and their meanings. Is your name on the list?

The 20 Most Common Surnames in France and Their Origins



Is your last name popular? Do you know its meaning, its origins? Do you know in which departments it is most commonly found? We answer these questions in this Top 20 Most Common Surnames in France.



  1. MARTIN (228,857) : This name derives from the Latin Martinus and was popularized by Saint-Martin, bishop of Tours, who evangelized Gaul in the 4th century. It is particularly present in the departments of Allier, Vienne, and Vosges.
  2. BERNARD (120,573) : Bernard is both a given name and a surname, derived from the Old German name Bernhard. The root 'ber' means "bear" and 'hard' means "strong", making it an old warrior nickname turned surname. It is most common in the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Allier, and Nord.
  3. THOMAS (108,141) : Thomas is a very common surname and given name of biblical origin. It derives from the Aramaic 'toma', whose Greek translation is 'didymos', meaning "twin". This name was made famous by the apostle Saint Thomas and, in the 12th century, by Saint Thomas Becket, archbishop of Canterbury. It is particularly present in the departments of Vosges, Côtes-d'Armor, and Meurthe-et-Moselle.
  4. PETIT (105,463) : This very common surname originally designated a man of small stature. It is mostly present in the departments of Seine-Maritime, Paris, and Pas-de-Calais.
  5. ROBERT (102,950) : Robert is a person name of Germanic origin, Hrodberht, composed of 'hrod' which means "glory" and 'berht' which means "brilliant" or "illustrious". It is particularly present in the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Ille-et-Vilaine, and Meurthe-et-Moselle.
  6. RICHARD (99,920) : Richard is a person name of Germanic origin, composed of 'ric' which means "powerful" and 'hard' which means "hard" or "strong". It was also a nickname in the 15th century, designating a wealthy man. It is mostly present in the departments of Vosges, Loire-Atlantique, and Meurthe-et-Moselle.
  7. DURAND (99,614) : Durand is a very common surname, an old given name Durandus, derived from the verb 'durare', meaning "enduring" or "obstinate". It is particularly present in the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Loiret, and Vosges.
  8. DUBOIS (98,951) : This surname is common, especially in the north, west, and center of France. It is a topological name designating a house located near a wood. It is mostly present in the departments of Nord, Pas-de-Calais, and Paris.
  9. MOREAU (94,261) : This name is very common, especially in the west, center, and north regions. It represents a nickname designating a man with brown skin, like a Moor. It is particularly present in the departments of Indre, Vienne, and Loire-Atlantique.
  10. LAURENT (88,803) : Laurent is a very common given name and surname derived from the Latin 'laurus', meaning "laurel" or "laurel wreath". Originally, this name was probably a nickname given to members of athletic societies. It is mostly present in the departments of Vosges, Côtes-d'Armor, and Meurthe-et-Moselle.
  11. SIMON (87,941) : Simon is a very common given name and surname of biblical origin, derived from Hebrew 'Shim'on', meaning "God has heard". It was popularized by the apostle and martyr of the 1st century, Simon the Zealot. It is particularly present in the departments of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Moselle, and Ille-et-Vilaine.
  12. MICHEL (85,489) : Michel is a very common given name and surname, representing the biblical name Michael, meaning "who is like God". It is the name of the archangel protector of the people of God. It is mostly present in the departments of Vosges, Meurthe-et-Moselle, and Bouches-du-Rhône.
  13. LEFEBVRE (82,522) : Lefebvre is a very common surname in the Lille region. It is an orthographic variation of Lefèvre, which designated the blacksmith in Old French. It is particularly present in the departments of Nord, Seine-Maritime, and Pas-de-Calais.
  14. LEROY (79,204) : Leroy is a fairly common surname in the north and northwest, representing the nickname given to the winner of the archery game. It is mostly present in the departments of Nord, Pas-de-Calais, and Seine-Maritime.
  15. ROUX (69,685) : Roux is a very common surname, especially in the Midi, designating a person with red hair. It is particularly present in the departments of Var, Finistère, and Côtes-d'Armor.
  16. DAVID (69,212) : David is a given name and surname of biblical origin, meaning "beloved". It was popularized by the king of Israel and Judah. It is mostly present in the departments of Loire-Atlantique, Jura, and Vienne.
  17. BERTRAND (66,763) : Bertrand is a given name and surname derived from the Old German name Berhauthramm, from 'berhaut' meaning "famous", "renowned" and 'hramm' meaning "raven". It is particularly present in the departments of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, and Paris.
  18. MOREL (66,417) : Morel is a very common name, derived from 'more', a nickname designating a man with brown skin like a Moor. It is mostly present in the departments of Ille-et-Vilaine, Ain, and Vosges.
  19. FOURNIER (65,758) : Fournier is a very common surname, representing the old name for the baker, an occupational nickname. It is particularly present in the departments of Allier, Paris, and Nord.
  20. GIRARD (64,031) : Girard is a very common surname, representing a variation of the Germanic name Gerhard, from 'ger' meaning "spear" and 'hard' meaning "strong", "hard", an old probable warrior nickname. It is mostly present in the departments of Deux-Sèvres, Maine-et-Loire, and Doubs.




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Source : The Ranking of Surnames

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