Belleau History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

The French name Belleau first arose during the Medieval period in Normandy. It is derived from when the family having lived at Belleau, in Normandy.

Early Origins of the Belleau family

The surname Belleau was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy. 1

Belleau Abbey, later Belleau Priory, was a Cistercian monastery in Villeneuve-la-Lionne, Marne, France, which is about 15 kilometers south-west of Montmirail. It was founded in 1242 but over the years has fallen in ruin.

Early History of the Belleau family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Belleau research. Another 61 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1528, 1553, 1577, 1679, 1696, 1738, 1829, 1857 and 1885 are included under the topic Early Belleau History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Belleau Spelling Variations

The many different spellings of French surnames can be partially explained by the use of local dialects and by the influence of other languages during the early development of the French language. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Belleau is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Belleau, Beleau, Bellot, Belot, de Belleau and others.

Early Notables of the Belleau family

Notable amongst the family in this period was

Remy (or Rémi) Belleau (1528-1577), a French Renaissance poet...
François Belleau, born in Bray in 1679, was a famous poisoner...
Gabriel de Belleau, of the ancient branch of the Norman family, was a squire, lord of Belleau, and is recorded in 1696, when he registered his coat of arms...
Joseph de Belleau was a brigadier and legislator, born in 1738 in La-Bastide-de-Peyrat (Aude)...
Emile Belleau, an engineer, was prominent around 1885...

Belleau Ranking

In Quebec, Canada, the name Belleau is the 862^nd most popular surname. 2

Belleau migration to Canada +

Immigration to New France was slow; therefore, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. 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 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Belleau has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Belleau were

Belleau Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Guillaume Belleau, who arrived in Acadia in 1636
Marie Belleau married in Chateau-Richer, Quebec in 1670
Blaise Belleau, son of François and Marguerite, who married Hélène Cailly, daughter of Pierre and Marie, in Quebec on 25th September 1673 3
Catherine de Belleau married in Chambalon, Quebec in 1693

Belleau Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jean-Baptiste Belleau, son of Blaise and Hélène, who married Catherine Berthiaume, daughter of Jacques and Catherine, in Sainte-Foy, Quebec on 23rd October 1702 3
Guillaume Belleau, son of Blaise and Hélène, who married Marie-Suzanne Robitaille, daughter of Pierre and Marie, in Lorette, Quebec on 19th November 1707 3
Guillaume Belleau married in Lorette in 1707
Angélique Belleau married in Sainte-Foye in 1718
Pierre Belleau, son of Blaise and Hélène, who married Marie-Anne Bonanie of France, in Sainte-Foy, Quebec on 7th January 1722 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Belleau (post 1700) +

Francois X. Belleau, American politician, U.S. Consul in Three Rivers, 1897
Bernard Belleau OC FRSC (1925-1989), Canadian molecular pharmacologist, best known for his discovery of Lamivudine, a drug used in the treatment of HIV and Hepatitis B infection
Isidore Noël Belleau (b. 1847), Canadian politician, director, editor and lawyer, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Lévis (1883-1885)
Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau KCMG QC (1808-1894), Canadian politician, lawyer and businessman, 1st Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (1867-1873)

Citations +

Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.