Show ContentsFontenot History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The French region of Savoie is the ancestral homeland of the prestigious surname Fontenot. The name Fontenot is derived from the Old French word "fontaine," which means "fountain," and as a name it no doubt originally served as a mark of recognition for someone who lived near such a landmark. As such, Fontenot is classed as a topographic surname.

Early Origins of the Fontenot family

The surname Fontenot was first found in Savoy (French: Savoie) in the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, where this renowned family has held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Fontenot family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fontenot research. Another 310 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1238, 1339, 1357, 1390, 1418, 1450, 1521, 1551, 1579, 1600, 1621, 1658, 1663, 1685, 1695, 1696, 1702, 1731, 1745, 1752, 1789, 1816 and 1882 are included under the topic Early Fontenot History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fontenot Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lafontaine, Lafontain, Lafantaine, Fontaine, Fantaine, Fontain, Fontein, Fantein, Fantaine, Fonteyn, Lafonteyn, Lafon and many more.

Early Notables of the Fontenot family

Notable in the family name at this time was Pierre Fontaine (c. 1390-1450), a French composer and singer, who served in the chapel of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy; François Lafontaine , Lord of Mézeyrac during the 1600's; Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695), a French poet and man of letters, considered one of the great French classical authors; Jean Desfontaines (c. 1658-1752), a French Baroque...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fontenot Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fontenot Ranking

In the United States, the name Fontenot is the 1,164th most popular surname with an estimated 27,357 people with that name. 1


United States Fontenot migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Fontenot Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Edward F. Fontenot, aged 22, who immigrated to the United States, in 1920
  • E. F. Fontenot, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Baldhill" from Port Lobos, Mexico 2
  • Edward F. Fontenot, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Baldhill" from Port Lobos, Mexico 2
  • V F Fontenot, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Minnesotan" from Alexandria, Egypt 2
  • J T Fontenot, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Minnesotan" from Alexandria, Egypt 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Fontenot (post 1700) +

  • Therrian Fontenot (b. 1981), American professional football cornerback
  • Michael "Mike" Fontenot (b. 1980), American Major League Baseball infielder
  • Mary Alice Fontenot (1910-2003), award-winning American children's books author
  • Canray Fontenot (1922-1995), American Creole fiddle player
  • Albert "Al" Fontenot (b. 1970), former professional American football player


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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