155 Common Canadian Last Names & What They Mean

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Plus, the unique history of Canadian surname conventions
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Canadians represent a broad mix of cultures, and the country’s last names reflect its vibrant immigration history and diverse modern population. In this article, we’ll share the most common Canadian last names and what they mean, including names with French-Canadian and Inuit origins. Plus, we’ll take a look at where Canadian last names come from and some of the unique naming conventions in French Canada. Keep scrolling to learn more!

The Top 10 Most Common Canadian Surnames

  1. Smith
  2. Brown
  3. Tremblay
  4. Martin
  5. Roy
  6. Gagnon
  7. Lee
  8. Wilson
  9. Johnson
  10. MacDonald
Section 1 of 6:

Most Common Canadian Last Names

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  1. Canadians have a wide variety of last names that reflect the country’s diversity and rich immigration history. Here are the 40 most common last names you’ll encounter in Maple Leaf Country: [1]
    • Smith: Old English, “metalworker” or “blacksmith”
    • Brown: Old English, “brown” or “dark-colored”
    • Tremblay or Trembley: Old French, “lived near a group of Aspen trees”
    • Martin: From the Latin Martinus , “of Mars” or “warlike”
    • Roy: Old French, “royal” or “king”
    • Gagnon: Old French, “to till” or “to cultivate”
    • Lee: Old English, “meadow” or “forest clearing”
    • Wilson: English/Scottish, “son of Will” or “son of William”
    • Johnson: Anglo-Norman, “son of John”
    • MacDonald or McDonald: Scottish/Irish, “son of Dòmhnall” (“son of the world ruler”)
    • Taylor: Anglo-Norman French, “cutter” or “tailor”
    • Campbell: Scottish, “crooked mouth” or “wry-mouthed”
    • Anderson: Scandinavian/English/Scottish, “son of Andrew” after the Greek Andreas (“manly” or “brave”)
    • Jones: English/Welsh, “son of John”
    • Leblanc: Old French, “the white”
    • Côté: Old French, “lived on a slope or riverbed”
    • Williams: English/French, “son of William”
    • Miller: German/English/Scottish, “mill-keeper” or “one who works in a grain mill”
    • Thompson: Scottish, “son of Thomas”
    • Gauthier: French/German, “forest”
    • White: Middle English, “someone with light hair or complexion”
    • Morin: Old French, “dark and swarthy” (alternatively from the Irish O’Moran, “son of Maurice”)
    • Wong: Chinese/Cantonese, “yellow,” “prosperity,” “king,” or “monarch”
    • Young: Anglo-Saxon, “young” or “youthful”
    • Bouchard: French/Norman, “strong fort” or “someone with a big mouth”
    • Scott: Old English, “wanderer”
    • Stewart: Scottish, “steward”
    • Pelletier: French, “fur trader”
    • Lavoie: French, “lives by the road”
    • Robinson: English, “son of Robin”
    • Moore: Old English, “dwelling near a heath”
    • Belanger: French, “bear and spear”
    • Singh: Sanskrit/North Indian, “lion”
    • Fortin: French, “strong man”
    • Levesque: French, “bishop”
    • Chan: Chinese/Cantonese, “old” or “to display or exhibit”
    • Reid: Scottish, “red”
    • Ross: Gaelic, “headland”
    • Clark or Clarke: Irish, “scribe” or “secretary”
    • Johnston or Johnstone: Old English, “John’s town”
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Section 2 of 6:

More Popular Canadian Last Names

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  1. Here are more popular and common Canadian surnames. These last names are widespread, but didn’t quite make the cut for the most common in the country. Still, you’re likely to come across these on your Canadian travels:
    • Adams: English/Scottish, “son of Adam” [2]
    • Allen: Irish/Scottish, “cheerful,” “handsome,” or “harmony”
    • Baker: Anglo-Saxon, “to dry by heat” or “baker of bread”
    • Bell: English, “bell ringer” or “bell maker”
    • Bergeron: Old German, “hill” or “shepherd”
    • Boucher: French, “butcher”
    • Caron: Old French, “little man” or “cart”
    • Chen: Chinese, “to explain” or “old”
    • Davis: Old English, “son of David” or “beloved”
    • Fraser: Scottish/French, “ribbon” or “braid”
    • Gagne: Old French, “farmer”
    • Girard: German/French, “strong” or “brave spear-wearer”
    • Graham: Old English, “gravel” or “gravel-y homestead”
    • Green: Old English, “lives at or near a village or grassy ground”
    • Hall: Old English, “hall” or “manor”
    • Hamilton: Old English/Scottish, “flat-topped hill”
    • Harris: Irish/English, “son of Harry”
    • Hill: Greek/Latin, “lives on a hill”
    • Jackson: English, “son of Jack”
    • Kelly: Irish, “warrior: or “descendant of Ceallach”
    • Kennedy: Irish/Gaelic, “leader” or “chieftain”
    • King: English/German, “king”
    • Landry: German, “land-ruler”
    • Lewis: Norman, “victorious in athletic games”
    • Li: Chinese/Korean, “plum” or “plum tree”
    • Mitchell: Middle English, “big” or “one who is like God”
    • Murphy: Irish, “sea warrior” or “descendant of Murchadh”
    • Nguyen: Vietnamese, “ruan” (a plucked string instrument)
    • Patel: Indian, “headman” or “village chief”
    • Poirier: French, “pear tree” or “lives near a pear tree”
    • Richard: French/German, “powerful ruler”
    • Roberts: English, “bright renown”
    • Robertson: Scottish, “son of Robert”
    • Simard: German, “victory” or “famous”
    • Thomas: English/Irish/Scottish/Welsh/French/German, “son of Thomas”
    • Walker: English/German, “officer who inspects part of a forest”
    • Wang: Chinese, “king” or “royal”
    • Watson: English/Scottish, “son of Walter”
    • Wood: English/Scottish, “lives in or by a wood”
    • Wright: English/Scottish, “craftsman” or “shaper of wood”
Section 3 of 6:

French-Canadian Last Names

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  1. Did you know that Canada has its own version of French called québécois ? After France ceded control of its Canadian territories to the British in 1763, the language of French-speaking settlers began to evolve differently from Parisian French back in Europe. [3] This led to the French-Canadian language and culture we know today, complete with a host of unique last names like:
    • Beaulieu: “Fair” or “lovely” [4]
    • Bédard: “Paunch” or “potbelly”
    • Bennett: “Blessed” (of Latin origin)
    • Barbeau: “Fisherman”
    • Charpentier: “Carpenter”
    • Cloutier: “Someone who makes or sells nails”
    • Cormier: “Lives near a sorb or service tree”
    • Couture: “Tailor” or “sewing”
    • Desjardins: “Garden” or “gardener”
    • Dube: “From Duba” or “from Doube”
    • Fournier: “Baker”
    • Gaboury: “Joker”
    • Grenier: “Attic” or “loft”
    • Hébert: “Famous army”
    • Lachance: “The chance” or “the luck”
    • Lapointe: “Point of a lance or spear” (a nickname for soldiers)
    • Leclerc: “Scribe”
    • Lefebre: “Blacksmith”
    • Lessard: “Newly cleared land” or “to weed out”
    • Martel: “Hammer” or “smith”
    • Michaud: “One who is like God”
    • Nadeau: “Christmas”
    • Ouellet: “Source of a spring”
    • Paquette: “Bundle of kindling”
    • Poulin: “Young animal colt”
    • Sartre: “Tailor”
    • Serrurier: “Locksmith”
    • St-Jean: “Someone from St. Jean”
    • St-Pierre: “Someone from St. Pierre”
    • Thibault: “Bold people”
    • Toussaint: “A child born on All Saints Day”
    • Turcotte: “Someone from Turkey/the Ottoman Empire”
    • Urbain: “From the city”
    • Vaillancourt: “Low-lying farm”
    • Villeneuve: “New settlement” or “new village”
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Section 4 of 6:

Inuit Canadian Last Names

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  1. The Inuit are the indigenous people living in what is now Canada. Though the Inuit make up a small percentage of Canada’s population, the Inuit Nunangat (homeland) encompasses about 40% of Canada's land area and 72% of its coastline, and the Inuit people have had a large impact on Canadian culture. [5] Many Inuit surnames were adopted for administrative reasons or to assimilate into Western culture, but still carry deep cultural meanings. Here are some of the most common Inuit last names you may encounter: [6]
    • Aglu: “hole in the ice for fishing,” reflecting traditional Inuit fishing practices
    • Akslaq: “stomach,” symbolizing strength or resilience
    • Anana: “mother”, a term of endearment for maternal figures
    • Igloo: “house,” symbolizing shelter and community
    • Ivalu: “sinew,” symbolizing strength and interconnectedness
    • Kalluk: “thunder,” symbolizing power and the forces of nature
    • Kuttu: “to mix,” symbolizing the combined elements of a community
    • Nanuq: “polar bear,” symbolizing courage and leadership
    • Panigkaq: “daughter,” a term of endearment for young girls
    • Qajaq: “kayak,” symbolizing mobility and adaptability
    • Siku: “ice,” symbolizing purity and endurance
    • Silla: “spirit,” symbolizing the spiritual forces within nature
    • Tuktu: “caribou,” reflecting the importance of caribou in Inuit culture
    • Tulugaq: “raven,” symbolizing intelligence and transformation
    • Umiak: “boat,” symbolizing travel and connection to the sea
Section 5 of 6:

Famous Canadian Last Names

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  1. Chances are, you’ve heard these Canadian celebrities’ last names before. Canada has produced many stars and famous figures with well-known last names. Here are just a few of the many famous Canadian surnames out there: [7]
    • Bieber: German, “beaver” (like pop star Justin Bieber)
    • Bublé: Slavic, “bubble” (like singer Michael Bublé)
    • Cameron: Scottish, “crooked nose” (like director James Cameron)
    • Cattrall: Old English/Scandinavian, “cat’s tail” (like actress Kim Cattrall)
    • Cera: Italian/Spanish/Portuguese, “wax” (like actor Michael Cera)
    • Dion: French, “of Zeus” or “divine” (like singer Celine Dion)
    • Fox: English, “fox” or “cunning” (like actor Michael J. Fox)
    • Gosling: Middle English, “young goose” (like actor Ryan Gosling)
    • Gretzky: Polish, “from Gretz” (like hockey player Wayne Gretzky)
    • Hartman: German, “strong person” or “hardy person” (like comedian Bill Hartman)
    • Lavigne: French, “vineyard” or “wine grower” (like singer Avril Lavigne)
    • Logue: Irish, “descendant of the devotee of Saint Maodhóg” (like actor Donal Logue)
    • McAdams: Scottish, “son of Adam” (like actress Rachel McAdams)
    • Murray: Scottish, “seafarer” or “mariner” (like actor Bill Murray)
    • Myers: German/English, “steward” or “estate manager” (like comedian Mike Myers)
    • Reeves: Middle English, “steward” or “bailiff” (like actor Keanu Reeves)
    • Reynolds: English, “counselor” or “ruler” (like actor Ryan Reynolds)
    • Rogen: Irish, “red-haired” (like actor Seth Rogen)
    • Shatner: German/Jewish, “shade” or “protection” (like actor William Shatner)
    • Trudeau: French, “water hole” or “trough” (like Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau)
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Section 6 of 6:

About Canadian Last Names

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  1. From Indigenous peoples to French and English settlers to immigrants from Ireland, Scotland, China, and more, Canadian surnames reflect a melting pot of cultures. Here’s a quick snapshot of the many cultures that have contributed to common Canadian surnames:
    • Common Native last names include those of the Inuit, First Nations, and Métis peoples.
    • In the 16th through 18th centuries, many French and British colonizers slowly settled in Canada, contributing French and English last names. [8]
    • In the 1620s, an influx of Scottish settlers went to Nova Scotia (“New Scotland”) after King James I of England granted the territory to Scottish colonizer Sir William Alexander. [9] Many Canadian last names have Scottish roots as a result.
    • Another wave of English-speaking settlers who supported the British monarchy fled to Canada after the American Revolution in the late 1700s. [10]
    • In the mid-1800s, large groups of Irish immigrants came to Canada to escape the Irish Potato Famine.
    • After WWII, Canada’s restrictive (and often racist) immigration policies were gradually loosened, and migrants of more diverse origins began arriving in Canada. These included Macedonian, Russian, Finnish, Vietnamese, and Chinese populations.
    • Large groups of immigrants from Hong Kong arrived in the late 1980s and 1990s, leading up to the Chinese takeover of Hong Kong from Britain in 1997. In some urban areas like Toronto and Vancouver, the Chinese community constitutes the largest immigrant group today. [11]
  2. 2
    French-Canadian naming conventions differ from English ones. Many French names follow English conventions: First name, middle name, family name/surname. In French Canada, though, family names are multilineal, meaning children are given their mother’s and/or father’s family name (hyphenated last names are common). In Quebec, it’s also required that parents assign their child only one surname with no more than 2 parts (hyphenated or not) derived from each parent’s last name. That means parents with the last names Bouchard-Tremblay and Dion-Roy could give their children any of the following surnames: [12]
    • Bouchard
    • Tremblay
    • Dion
    • Roy
    • Bouchard-Tremblay
    • Dion-Roy
    • Bouchard-Roy
    • Bouchard-Dion
    • Dion-Tremblay
    • Dion-Bouchard
  3. A “dit name” is like a second family name given to an individual (separated from the first family name by the word dit , meaning “called” or “said”). These names are used to correctly identify families that share the same last name. For example, Tremblay dit Boucher is considered a legally different last name from Tremblay or another dit name beginning with Tremblay. [13]
    • The dit name often represents a place of origin, occupation, physical characteristic, personality trait, military service, or ancestral name.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://forebears.io/canada/surnames
      2. ↑ https://www.familyeducation.com/baby-names/surname/origin/canadian
      3. ↑ https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/a-brief-history-of-canadian-french-quebecois
      4. ↑ https://www.familyeducation.com/baby-names/surname/origin/french-canadian
      5. ↑ https://www.itk.ca/about-canadian-inuit/
      6. ↑ https://www.familyeducation.com/baby-names/surname/origin/inuit
      7. ↑ https://www.familyeducation.com/baby-names/surname/origin/canadian
      8. ↑ https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/immigration
      9. ↑ https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nova-scotia
      1. ↑ https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/immigration
      2. ↑ https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/immigration
      3. ↑ https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/canadian-culture/canadian-culture-naming
      4. ↑ https://www.genealogiequebec.com/blog/en/2019/06/05/french-canadian-dit-names-and-nicknames/

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