Cyr History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Similar to many French family names, the distinguished surname Cyr is a proud sign of a rich and ancient ancestry. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in France were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. As well as the names of the saints of the Christian Church, many of the most common French surnames are derived from personal names of Germanic origin. These personal names were based on the language of the Visigoths, a Germanic tribe that controlled France between the mid-5th and early 8th centuries. The surname Cyr is derived from the popular Old French given name Siefert, meaning victory.
Early Origins of the Cyr family
The surname Cyr was first found in Picardy (French: Picardie) in northern France, where this family was established in ancient times.
Some members of the family also branched into other regions of France and formed seigniories there, such as Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg, which today is a town in the department of Maine-et-Loire, Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire, north of Tours, which became renowned for its mechanical constructions, and Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer in south Provence. The family formed many alliances with other important families of the day and several members distinguished themselves by contributions to their country and their respective communities.
Pierre Cyr, son of Pierre and Claire (née Cormier), travelled to New France in the 18th century and married Anne Poirier in Beaubassin, Acadia on 25th January 1735. 1
Early History of the Cyr family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cyr research. Another 20 words (1 lines of text) covering the year 1808 is included under the topic Early Cyr History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cyr Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Cyr, Saint-Cyr, St. Cyr, Cyre, Saint-Cyre, Cirgue, Saint-Cirgue, Cirgues and many more.
Early Notables of the Cyr family
Notable amongst the family name at this period was
- Jean-François Carra de Saint-Cyr, a general in Napoleon's empire, who received his title to nobility on 11th August 1808
Cyr World Ranking
In the United States, the name Cyr is the 2,015th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Cyr is ranked the 130th most popular surname with an estimated 24,451 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Cyr is the 58th popular surname. 4
Cyr migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Cyr Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Alexandre Cyr, who landed in South Carolina in 1755 5
- Alexandre Cyr, who arrived in South Carolina in 1775, with his wife and his ten children
Cyr migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Cyr Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Anne Cyr, aged 42, who arrived in St Pierre and Miquelon in 1767
- Jean Cyr, aged 27, who landed in St Pierre and Miquelon in 1767
- Jean Cyr, aged 57, who arrived in St Pierre and Miquelon in 1767
- Joseph Cyr, aged 26, who landed in St Pierre and Miquelon in 1767
- Josette Cyr, aged 23, who arrived in St Pierre and Miquelon in 1767
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cyr Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
- Basile Cyr, who was married in Quebec in 1881
Cyr Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- Virginie Cyr, who was born in 1842 in Quebec, was married there in 1863 and died there in 1912
Contemporary Notables of the name Cyr (post 1700) +
- Conrad Keefe Cyr (b. 1931), United States Court of Appeals First Circuit senior judge
- Lili St. Cyr (1918-1999), American burlesque stripper of the 1940s and 1950s
- Frank W. Cyr (1900-1995), American educator and author
- Paul Cyr, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Indiana 1st District, 1950 6
- Leo George Cyr (1909-2003), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, 1966-71 6
- Krest Cyr, American politician, U.S. Attorney for Montana, 1953-61 6
- Mrs. Krest Cyr, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Montana, 1952 6
- Judy Cyr, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Montana, 2000 6
- Irenee Cyr, American politician, Delegate to Maine convention to ratify 21st amendment from Aroostook County, 1933 6
- Edmond Cyr, American politician, Delegate to Maine convention to ratify 21st amendment from Kennebec County, 1933 6
- ... (Another 6 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Suggested Readings for the name Cyr +
- Madwaskan Heritage by Leo G. Cyr.
Citations +
- Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
- "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
- 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)
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 23) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html