Show ContentsBordelon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

A French family in the ancient region of Auvergne was the first to use the name Bordelon. Bordelon was a name for someone who lived at or near a farm, deriving its origin from the word "borde", which is a Mediterranean French word for "farm". Accordingly, the surname meant "dweller on the farm". It is a local name, meaning that the name is derived from the place where the original bearer lived and held land.

Early Origins of the Bordelon family

The surname Bordelon was first found in Auvergne, a historic province in south central France.

Early records show that this line held the title of Lord of Auvergne, last recorded in 1570. Established with lands, properties and manors, members of the most ancient branch of the lineage have been prominent in France since early times.

Early History of the Bordelon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Bordelon research. The years 1413, 1561, 1653, 1688, 1838, 1861, 1895, 1900 and 1912 are included under the topic Early Bordelon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Bordelon Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Bordelon, including Bordeleau, Bourdeleau, Bourdelle, Bordelon, Bourdelon, Bourdeleau, Bourdeille, Bordeille, Bourdel, Bordel, Bourdelin, Bordelin, Bourdelles and many more.

Early Notables of the Bordelon family

Notable amongst the family was

  • Cardinal Eleie de Bourdeille, who was archbishop of Tours in 1413. In 1561 André de Bourdeille was Captain of 50 soldiers. François de Bourdeille was bishop of Périgueux at this time. Laurent Bordelon...

Bordelon Ranking

In the United States, the name Bordelon is the 4,138th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. [1]

Migration of the Bordelon family

Migration from France to New France or Quebec as it was now more popularly called, continued from France until it fell in 1759. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In the treaty of Utrecht, the Acadians were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. In 1793, the remaining French in these provinces came under British rule. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many of this distinguished family name Bordelon were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Bordelon were Antoine Bordeleau, a soldier in the company of Maximy in the regiment of Carignan in France, who settled in Quebec in September 1665. Another Antoine Bordeleau was married in Quebec in 1696 and had 16 children who carried the name through the following centuries in Canada. Jean-Baptiste Bordeleau died in Neuville, Quebec, in 1721.


Contemporary Notables of the name Bordelon (post 1700) +

  • Melinda Jane Bordelon (1949-1995), American painter and illustrator
  • Kenneth Patrick Bordelon (b. 1954), former professional American football player
  • Staff Sergeant William James Bordelon (1920-1943), American naval officer awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1943, eponym of the USS Bordelon (DD-881)
  • Guy P. Bordelon, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Navy, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
  • Robert Bordelon (b. 1952), Australian professional footballer


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/


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