Show ContentsCadotte History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname is one of the most ancient names that came from France during the Middle Ages. It is a Breton name for a person who was a person who was small but a strong fighter. The name Cadotte is derived from the Old French word "cad," which means "little fighter."

Early Origins of the Cadotte family

The surname Cadotte was first found in Brittany (French: Bretagne), where they are recorded as an ancient family with lands, manors, and estates.

The family was involved in many of the early conflicts between French royalty and local Lords regarding the jurisdiction of their lands. A family member by the name of Cadeau d'Arcy would later hold large estates in Picardy and in île-de-France. He became secretary to the King of France and was ennobled by the French Parliament as a viscount on 30th June 1830. Many family members later migrated to Acadia in Canada. Some settled in the province of Quebec, while others left for Louisiana in the forced exodus of the Acadians.

Pierre Cadieux, son of Jean and Marie (née Valade), settled in Quebec in the 17th century. He married Marguerite Menard, daughter of Jacques and Catherine (née Fortier), at Boucherville on 11th February 1697. He married for the second time on 29th May 1702 at Pointe-aux-Trembles to Jeanne Mersan. 1

Early History of the Cadotte family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cadotte research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1660 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Cadotte History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cadotte Spelling Variations

Throughout the course of history most surnames have undergone changes for many reasons. During the early development of the French language, a son and father may not have chosen to spell their name the same way. Many are simple spelling changes by a person who gave his name, phonetically, to a scribe, priest, or recorder. Many names held prefixes or suffixes which became optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, we have many spelling variations of this name, Cadotte some of which are Cadieux, Cadieu, Cadeau, Cadeaux, Cadio, Cadiot, Cadéo, Cadiou, Cadioux, Cadious, Cadius, Cadier, Caduc, Cadel, Cadelon, Cadelard, Cadenel, Cadenet, Cadu, Cado, Cadou, Cadoux, Cadot, Cadotte, Caudos, Caddieux, Caddieu, Caddeau, Caddeaux, Caddioux, Caddiou, Caddious, Caddius, Caddier and many more.

Early Notables of the Cadotte family

More information is included under the topic Early Cadotte Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Cadotte migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Cadotte has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Cadotte were

Cadotte Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Agustus Cadotte, aged 20, who immigrated to America, in 1920
  • Ernest Cadotte, aged 48, who landed in America, in 1920

Canada Cadotte migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cadotte Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Jean-Baptiste Cadotte U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1783 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Cadotte (post 1700) +

  • Jean Baptiste Cadotte, American son of Michel Cadotte, founder of Cadott, Wisconsin
  • Joseph Alphonse Albert "Bert" Cadotte (1891-1918), Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Wanderers from 1906 to 1913
  • Michel Cadotte (1764-1837), sometimes known as Michel Cadeau, an early Métis fur trader in Canada in the area of the south shore of Lake Superior; his mother was from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
  • Joseph-Alphonse-Paul Cadotte (1897-1979), Canadian professor of mathematics, industrial engineering, industrial design at the École Polytechnique de Montréal


The Cadotte Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Rien ne me touche
Motto Translation: Springing to life, do not touch


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X


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