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The French name Le clercq comes from "le clerc", or "the clerk", and as such was an occupational name originally used for a scribe or secretary.
The surname Le clercq was first found in Limousin, where this renowned family held a family seat from ancient times.
Many members of this important family were recorded as participants in the French Revolution and in its resultant political forums. Théodore François Joseph Leclaire was a member of the military who was promoted to the rank of Chief of Battalion of the 98th regiment in 1791, followed in 1793 by a promotion to Commander of Arms. He was also honoured by being admitted to the Legion of Honour.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Le clercq research. Another 31 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1587, 1622, 1633, 1637, 1657, 1691, 1697, 1711, 1714, 1736, 1774 and 1823 are included under the topic Early Le clercq History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
The many different spellings of French surnames can be partially explained by the use of local dialects and by the influence of other languages during the early development of the French language. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Le clercq is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Leclair, Leclaire, Leclaires, Leclère, Leclere, Leclères, Lecleres, Leclert, Lecler, le Clair, le Claire, le Claires, le Clère, le Clere, le Clères, le Clert, le Cler, Clair, Claire, Claires, Clère, Clere, Clères, Clert and many more.
Notable amongst the family was Jean Leclerc (c.1587-1633), French painter and etcher, born into the service of Duke Charles III of Lorraine; Michel Le Clerc (1622-1691), a French lawyer and dramatist; Sébastien Leclerc (1637-1714), a French printmaker, draughtsman...
Another 37 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Le clercq Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
In France, the name Le clercq is the 97th most popular surname with an estimated 29,477 people with that name. 1
Migration from France to New France or Quebec as it was now more popularly called, continued from France until the colony fell to the English 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 the treaty of Utrecht, the Acadians were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. In 1793, the remaining French in these provinces came under British rule. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many of this distinguished family name Le clercq were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Le clercq were Elizabeth Leclair, who settled in Carolina in 1695; Joseph and Marguerite Leclair, who landed at l'Isle-St-Jean, in Acadia, (Prince Edward Island) about 1724.