Boisdavid History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The rich and ancient history of the Boisdavid family name dates back to the time when France was immersed in the Dark Ages. This Breton name is derived from the popular given name David, which means beloved. The name was also often used as a nickname for a sergeant. 1

Early Origins of the Boisdavid family

The surname Boisdavid was first found in Brittany, where this family was recorded in ancient times.

The name was also found with multiple noble families in diverse parts of the western regions of France. A branch formed in Orleans, the Davids of Conflans, who were mentioned three times in the Armorial of 1696, and who received testimony from the military schools. Another branch, the Davids of Perdreauville, in the county of Montfort-l'Amaury, known since 1400, contributed pages to the King and Queen and three ladies of Saint-Cyr.

The Davids of Fief, in the province of Aunis, reaffirmed their title of nobility in 1672. In the Armorial of 1696, there are also two records of the name in the city of La Rochelle, eight in Tours, nineteen in Poitou, fourteen in Normandy, six in the generality of Alençon, and seven in Caen. Many branches of the name Davy were found in Anjou, Brittany, and Normandy. 2

Jacques David, born in 1631, son of Blaise and Flavie (née Morel), settled in New France in the 17th century. He married Marie Grandin, born in 1646, daughter of Claude and Jeanne (née Tousain), at Château-Richer, Quebec on 29th August 1662. 3

Early History of the Boisdavid family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Boisdavid research. Another 113 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1354, 1380, 1427, 1441, 1460, 1510, 1523, 1535, 1579, 1668, 1670, 1672 and 1810 are included under the topic Early Boisdavid History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Boisdavid Spelling Variations

There were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include David, Davy, Davis, Daviaud, Davion, Daviot, Davioud, Davidou, Davin, Davinet, Davinroy, Davet, Davier and many more.

Early Notables of the Boisdavid family

Notable amongst this name at this time was Gerhard David (c. 1460-1523), Flemish painter; and Ferenc Dávid (Francis David) (c.1510-1579), a Transylvanian Nontrinitarian and Unitarian preacher, the founder of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania.Félicien David was "one of the most prominent of French composers, was born March 8 [App. p.608 "April 13"], 1810, at Cadenet, in the south of France. His father was an accomplished musical amateur, and it is said that Félicien at the mature age of two evinced his musical taste by shouts of applause at his father's performances on the fiddle. At...
Another 94 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Boisdavid Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Boisdavid family

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 Boisdavid 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 Boisdavid were Antoine David, a priest, who was established in Louisiana in 1723; and who was a missionary at Tunica; Gilles David, a carpenter, who lived in New-Orleans from 1725 to 1727.

Citations +

Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
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.
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print