Cadou History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

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 Cadou is derived from the Old French word "cad," which means "little fighter."

Early Origins of the Cadou family

The surname Cadou 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 Cadou family

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

Cadou Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Cadou is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include 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 Cadou family

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

Cadou Ranking

In France, the name Cadou is the 9,212^nd most popular surname with an estimated 500 - 1,000 people with that name. 2

Cadou migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec, in 1663 there were only 500, 2,000 migrants arrived during the next decade. Early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. Youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. 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 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many distinguished contributions have been made by members of this family name Cadou. It has been prominent in the arts, religion, politics and culture in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Cadou were

Cadou Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

M. Cadou, who settled in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1823

Cadou migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cadou Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Jean Cadou, son of André and Marie, who married Suzanne Le Tru, daughter of Michel and Marie, in Quebec on 23rd August 1666 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Cadou (post 1700) +

Christopher P. Cadou, American researcher in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Jess Cadou, American actress and dancer, known for Laura Marling: Soothing (2016)
Catherine Cadou, American actress and director, known for her work on Dreams (1990), Kurosawa's Way (2011) and The Little House (2014)
Elizabeth "Bettie" Stickler Fruits Cadou (b. 1936), American journalist, the first female reporter to be given a silver credential badge that permits access to the pit and garage areas of the world-famous racetrack, the Indianapolis 500, on 28 May 1971, inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame in 2006
André Cadou, French composer, known for Le voyage de Monsieur Perrichon (1934), Il est charmant (1932), L'homme à l'oreille cassée

The Cadou 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

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.