Show ContentsFontanel History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The French region of Savoie is the ancestral homeland of the prestigious surname Fontanel. The name Fontanel is derived from the Old French word "fontaine," which means "fountain," and as a name it no doubt originally served as a mark of recognition for someone who lived near such a landmark. As such, Fontanel is classed as a topographic surname.

Early Origins of the Fontanel family

The surname Fontanel was first found in Savoy (French: Savoie) in the Rhône-Alpes region of the French Alps, where this renowned family has held a family seat since ancient times.

Early History of the Fontanel family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Fontanel research. Another 310 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1238, 1339, 1357, 1390, 1418, 1450, 1521, 1551, 1579, 1600, 1621, 1658, 1663, 1685, 1695, 1696, 1702, 1731, 1745, 1752, 1789, 1816 and 1882 are included under the topic Early Fontanel History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fontanel Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lafontaine, Lafontain, Lafantaine, Fontaine, Fantaine, Fontain, Fontein, Fantein, Fantaine, Fonteyn, Lafonteyn, Lafon and many more.

Early Notables of the Fontanel family

Notable in the family name at this time was Pierre Fontaine (c. 1390-1450), a French composer and singer, who served in the chapel of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy; François Lafontaine , Lord of Mézeyrac during the 1600's; Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695), a French poet and man of letters, considered one of the great French classical authors; Jean Desfontaines (c. 1658-1752), a French Baroque...
Another 65 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Fontanel Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Fontanel Ranking

In France, the name Fontanel is the 5,175th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Fontanel family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: F.L. Lafontaine, aged 22, who settled in Mississippi in 1820; F.L Lafontaine, aged 22, who came to New Orleans in 1820; John LaFontaine, aged 28, who settled in Charleston in 1823.


Contemporary Notables of the name Fontanel (post 1700) +

  • Geneviève Fontanel (1936-2018), French César Award nominated stage and film actress


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/


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