Claude History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The noble French surname Claude is patronymic in origin, and is derived from the name of the original bearer's father. The surname Claude is a variation of the Latin name Claudius, a Roman family name derived from "claudus" meaning "lame." This name was made popular as a result of having been borne by a seventh century saint who was bishop of Besancon. Thus the surname signifies "the son or descendant of Claude." 1

Early Origins of the Claude family

The surname Claude was first found in Normandy in Vieux-Bourg, a commune in the Calvados department. 1

Early History of the Claude family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Claude research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1619, 1687 and 1851 are included under the topic Early Claude History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Claude Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of French surnames; in part, as spelling, and the spelling names was not yet standardized during the early development of the written French language. Later, there was much branching and movement of families, and spellings would change according to region. Variations of the name Claude include Clot, Claude, Cloux, Claudet, Clausel, Glaude, Claud, Claudel, Claudin and many more.

Early Notables of the Claude family

Notable amongst the family in this period was

Jean Claude (1619-1687), a French Protestant divine

Claude World Ranking

In the United States, the name Claude is the 14,375^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2 However, in France, the name Claude is ranked the 344^th most popular surname with an estimated 11,759 people with that name. 3

Claude migration to the United States +

Approximately 110 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. France gave land incentives for 2,000 migrants during the next decade. 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. Migration to New France (Quebec) continued from France until it fell in 1759. In the year 1675 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 Claude 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 Claude were

Claude Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Phillippe Claude, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 4
Joachim Claude, who landed in Louisiana in 1718-1724 4
Charles Claude, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1738 4
Pierre Claude, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1770 4
Petro Claude, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1770 4

Claude Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Cathrine Claude, aged 24, who landed in New York, NY in 1852 4
Eugen Claude, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1853 4
Louis Claude, who arrived in Galveston, Tex in 1854 4

Claude migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Claude Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Justin Claude, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Orator" in 1849 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Claude (post 1700) +

Gordon Handy Claude (1854-1940), American politician, Mayor of Annapolis, Maryland, 1907-09 6
Dennis Claude (1782-1863), American politician, Member of Maryland State House of Delegates, 1811-18, 1829-30; Member of Maryland State Senate, 1821-25, 1831-36; Mayor of Annapolis, Maryland, 1828-37, 1853-54 6
Abram Claude (1818-1901), American Democratic Party politician, Mayor of Annapolis, Maryland, 1848-51, 1854-55, 1867-69, 1883-89; Anne Arundel County Clerk, 1865; College professor; Postmaster at Annapolis, Maryland, 1895-99 6
Georges Claude (1870-1960), French engineer and inventor, sometimes referred to as "the Edison of France"
Renée Claude CM (1939-2020), née Bélanger, a Canadian actress and singer from Quebec
Marcel Henri Claude Reyes (b. 1957), Chilean economist, academic, and political activist
Bonivert Claude (b. 1945), Haitian former governor of the Banque de la République d'Haïti
Albert Claude (1899-1983), Belgian scientist, co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1974
Jean Claude Wouters (b. 1956), Belgian multidisciplinary artist, dancer, film maker and painter
Oren Claude Frood (1889-1943), Canadian professional ice hockey left winger (1906-1916)

Citations +

Dionne, N.-E., Les Canadiens-Francais Origine Des Familles. Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 1969. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The ORATOR 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849Orator.htm
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 29) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html