100 Breton Last Names With Meanings And History
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Bretons have a French twist in their surnames and are mostly originated from the Breton, French, English, and Catalan languages.
Last names always count as an important part of heritage. It has been passed down through generations, making it very reputable, meaningful, and important due to the legacy they carry.
Breton is a language used in the region called Brittany, a French region. As Bretons had a French influence since the beginning, it can be seen in their Breton names too. There are great variations observed in the spelling of these surnames, which is what makes them interesting and unique.
The spellings would also differ on the basis of the regions. There are also various Breton names used by French people.
Bretons have last names unique to their region. Generally, the Breton last names are of French origin. So, we present to you the list of some of the popular and unique Breton surnames with their meanings and history.
For more last names, here are Greek Last Names and Cool Last Names to help in your search.
Popular Breton Family Last Names
The vibrant nature of Breton surnames is what makes them stand out in a crowd. And this is the quality which made some of the Breton family names very famous. We present to you the list of such popular Breton family names :
1. Arzhur, derived from the Breton first name of Arthur.
2. Ashton (Old English origin) meaning ash tree town". England rugby player Chris Ashton is known to have this surname.
3. Bihan meaning "small".
4. Boiteux (French origin) meaning "lame". Jean Boiteux, the first Frenchman to ever win a gold medal for swimming at the Olympics made this surname famous.
5. Bollore meaning "bush; lore".
6. Bosser meaning "butcher". American baseball player Mel Bosser is known by this surname.
7. Farragut (Catalan origin) meaning "officer". This surname is best associated with American naval flag officer David Farragut, who got popular for serving during the American Civil war.
8. Gourcuff meaning "charming; gentle". Famous French football player Yoann Gourcuff is known to have this name.
9. Greenhouse (English origin) meaning "cultivation of greens".
10. Hawking (English origin) meaning "falconry". This surname got popular due to the famous theoretical physicist and genius, Stephen Hawking.
11. Huon is derived from the name Hugh.
12. Karter, a Breton form of Carter. This last name became popular due to Breton explorer Jaques Cartier who discovered the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
13. Kergoat (French origin) meaning 'village; woods".
14. Kerjean, and derived from the Breton place Ker and the name Jean.
15. Kingsley (Old English origin) meaning "king's wood". American actor Jason Kingsley carries this name.
16. Kingston (Old English origin) meaning "the king's settlement". This last name is associated with popular English actress Alex Kingston.
17. Le Houerou meaning "bitter".
18. Mezec meaning "physician".
19. Ollivier (French origin) meaning "peace". New Zealand cricketer Arthur Ollivier has this surname.
20. Peres (Catalan origin) meaning "son of per; pear tree".
21. Servat (Irish origin) meaning "son of a servant of God". This surname is linked with popular Breton singer, Gilles Servat.
Unique Breton Surnames
In the Breton Elder Scrolls, Bretons are considered to be a race who is half-elf and has magical powers. With such unique characteristics, every Breton name is unique in its own way. We present to you the list of some of the unique Breton family surnames and those found in Elder Scrolls.
22. Bleuzen, derived from the feminine name of Bleuzenn.
23. Commons meaning "bent; crooked".
24. Corre meaning "brave counsel". Breton cyclist Corentin Corre has this surname.
25. Guillou (French origin), derived from the name Guillaume.
26. Guivarc'h meaning "swift stallion".
27. Gouin meaning "light; fair". French politician Felix Gouin carries this name.
28. Kerherve meaning "village; area".
29. Kington (Old English origin) meaning "the king's settlement". English cricketer Philip Kington has this last name.
30. Le Pen meaning "the head; the peninsula".
31. Le Tallec (French origin) meaning "with a large forehead". This last name is associated with French football player Anthony Le Tallec.
32. Lozach meaning "husband; patriarch".
33. Menezes meaning "mount; mountain". The United States actress and model, Alex Menezes, has this name.
34. Moorsley (Old English origin) meaning "the grove".
35. Peress meaning "son of Peter".
36. Petit (Old French origin) meaning "small".This name is best associated with Lucien Petit-Breton, known to be a two-time winner of the Tour de France
37. Salaun (French origin) meaning "peace". It is derived from the name Solomon.
38. Tanet (French origin) meaning "aflame".
39. Tangi meaning "fire; dog".
Famous Breton Skyrim Names
In a popular game called Skyrim, Bretons have unusual supernatural powers. Bretons are a very friendly group of people. Many players would love to know more Breton names from Skyrim. Here, we present to you with the list of some of the famous Breton family Skyrim last names:
40. Admand meaning "army's man". Breton soldier Emmanuel Admand who leads the Legion forces carries this name.
41. Beaufort (French origin) meaning "strong place; fortress".
42. Dupont meaning "of the bridge".
43. Dupureur meaning "healer". It is associated with famous Olympic silver medalist, Maryvonne Dupureur.
44. Ervine (French origin) meaning "fresh".
45. Gane (Old French origin) meaning "to till; cultivate ". Arniel Gane, known as one of the great Breton scholars.
46. Gallou meaning "gallon; gallop". French football player Gilles Gallou has this surname.
47. Gestor meaning "manager; agent".
48. Gwenn meaning "white holy". It is derived from the Welsh word Gwen.
49. Jegou (French origin) meaning "descendent of Jegou". French politician carries this name.
50. Jondrelle. Maurice Jondrelle is a Breton monk.
51. Lagadec meaning "who has good eyes".
52. Lort (French origin) meaning "free spirit ". Royal Navy officer John Lort is known to have this last name.
53. Lozach (French origin) meaning "head of household".
54. Madec (French origin). French architect Phillipe Madec is known to have one of the rare surnames.
55. Mallory (Old French origin) meaning "unhappy; unlucky". This last name is associated with a famous English mountaineer, George Mallory.
56. Marec meaning "dedicated to".
57. Menez meaning "mount; mountain".
58. Merchad. This name is associated with the Breton warrior Dalan Merchad.
59. Mezec meaning "physician".
60. Moigne meaning "armless".
61. Nytte. A female Breton warrior Sabine Nytte has this surname.
62. Omnes meaning "everyone; all".
63. Riou meaning "officer". This is one of the common surnames in Brittany.
64. Rolaine (French origin) meaning "innovator".
65. San (Catalan origin), and is derived from the name Sancho.
66. Sidrey meaning "wide meadow".
67. Stentor meaning "loud-voiced".
68. Stroud (Old English origin) meaning "marshy land".
69. Tyne (French origin) meaning "to dissolve". This last name is associated with New Zealand rugby football player Edward Tyne.
70. Virane meaning "desolate".
Common French Surnames
French surnames have a classic and traditional feel to them. Here, we present to you the list of some of the commonly used French surnames also found in Brittany.
71. Abadie (French origin) meaning "abbey; family chapel". This name became popular due to French architect, Paul Abadie.
72. Abreo (French origin) meaning "wise counsellor".
73. Alarie (French origin) meaning "all-powerful".
74. Allard (Old French origin) meaning "traveller". American football player Don Allard carries this family name.
75. Anouilh (Catalan origin) meaning "slow worm".
76. Aubert (Old French origin)meaning "noble; bright".
77. Barbier (French origin) meaning "barber". French librarian Antoine Barbier has this last name.
78. Baudelaire (French origin) meaning "small sword; dagger".
79. Cadieux (Old French origin) meaning "little fighter". This name is associated with famous Canadian actress and film director, Anne Marie Cadieux.
80. Carbonneau (French origin) meaning "carbon; charcoal". This family name is linked with famous ice hockey player, Guy Carbonneau.
81. Chevrolet (French origin) meaning "goat herder".
82. De Villiers (French origin) meaning "a person who planted or worked on vrilles". This surname got famous due to South African cricketer, Ab De Villiers.
83. Dupont (French origin) meaning "of the bridge".
84. Durand (French origin) meaning "enduring". Famous French football striker Dimitri Durand has this last name.
85. Farrow (French origin) meaning "an ironworker".
86. Fontaine (French origin) meaning "well; fountain".
87. Gagneux (Old French origin) meaning "to farm; cultivate". This surname is associated with well known French composer Renaud Gagneux.
88. Garnier (French origin) meaning "storehouse of corn; keeper of granary".
89. Heroux (French origin) meaning "army wolf". Professional hockey player Alain Heroux is known by this last name.
90. Kaplan (Old Polish origin) meaning "charity priest". Derived from French word Caplain.
91. Lane (English origin) meaning "path; roadway".
92. Le Beau (French origin) meaning "fair; handsome; lovely". Famous Canadian filmmaker Anita Le Beau carries this name.
93. Leroy (Old French origin) meaning "king". It is considered to be one of the commonly used surnames in the northern region of France.
94. Malléjac (Old French origin). The name is associated with Jean Malléjac a popular cyclist from France.
95. Matthieu (French origin) meaning "gift of the Lord."
96. Page (Old French origin) meaning "little boy".
97. Pascal (Hebrew origin) meaning "pass over". This surname is associated with the well-known French mathematician, Blaise Pascal.
98. Roux (French origin) meaning "red-haired; red-skinned". Roux famously known as the European Championship winner carries this family name.
99. Richard (French origin) meaning "brave; strong".Richard I, King of England, has this surname.
100. Simon (Hebrew origin) meaning "to listen".
Kidadl has lots of great names articles to inspire you. If you liked our suggestions for Breton Last Names then why not take a look at Scottish Last Names, or for more Elder Scrolls Names take a look at Redguard Names.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English
With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature.
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