Du bief History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The ancient history of the Du bief name begins in the Middle Ages in the northern coastal region of Normandy. The name is derived from when the family resided in Bretagne, where the family held a family seat since the early Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Du bief family

The surname Du bief was first found in Brittany (Bretagne) where the family held a family seat in early times. 1

Alain Bedel, a knight, is mentioned in historic documents. The members of the different branches of the family became the lords of la Reignerais, in the diocese of Saint-Brieuc, and the lords of Lairye and of Tertre, in the region of Vannes. The branch Bedel reaffirmed its title to nobility in the year 1666 in Normandy. 1

Isaac Bedard, born in 1616, was a carpenter that travelled from France to Canada on 1st May 1662 along with his wife, Marie (née Girard). Together they had three children, two of which were sons, Louis and Jacques, that carried on the family name of Bedard. Isaac died in Charlesbourg, Quebec and was buried on 15th January 1689. 2

Early History of the Du bief family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Du bief research. Another 35 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1804, 1810, 1847 and 1863 are included under the topic Early Du bief History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Du bief 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 Bédel, Bedel, Bedeau, Bedaux, Bedaud, Bédard, Bedard, Bédat, Bedat, Bédarieux, Bédarrieux, Bédarride, Bédarridat, Dubédel, Dubedel, Dubedeau, Dubedaux, Dubedaud, Dubedat and many more.

Early Notables of the Du bief family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Du bief Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Du bief Ranking

In France, the name Du bief is the 7,771^st most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Du bief family

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 Du bief. 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 Du bief were Isaac Bédard, a carpenter, who married Marie Girard in 1644 in La Rochelle, France, and settled with his entire family in Notre-Dame-des-Anges, near Quebec city, in 1663.

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.
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/