Cadeau History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The surname is one of the most ancient names that came from France during the Middle Ages. It is a Breton name for a person who was a person who was small but a strong fighter. The name Cadeau is derived from the Old French word "cad," which means "little fighter."

Early Origins of the Cadeau family

The surname Cadeau was first found in Brittany (French: Bretagne), where they are recorded as an ancient family with lands, manors, and estates.

The family was involved in many of the early conflicts between French royalty and local Lords regarding the jurisdiction of their lands. A family member by the name of Cadeau d'Arcy would later hold large estates in Picardy and in île-de-France. He became secretary to the King of France and was ennobled by the French Parliament as a viscount on 30th June 1830. Many family members later migrated to Acadia in Canada. Some settled in the province of Quebec, while others left for Louisiana in the forced exodus of the Acadians.

Pierre Cadieux, son of Jean and Marie (née Valade), settled in Quebec in the 17th century. He married Marguerite Menard, daughter of Jacques and Catherine (née Fortier), at Boucherville on 11th February 1697. He married for the second time on 29th May 1702 at Pointe-aux-Trembles to Jeanne Mersan. 1

Early History of the Cadeau family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cadeau research. Another 57 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1660 and 1696 are included under the topic Early Cadeau History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cadeau Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous spelling alterations depending on the region and time it was used. The early development of the French language relied heavily on borrowing elements and grammar from other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Cadeau is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Cadieux, Cadieu, Cadeau, Cadeaux, Cadio, Cadiot, Cadéo, Cadiou, Cadioux, Cadious, Cadius, Cadier, Caduc, Cadel, Cadelon, Cadelard, Cadenel, Cadenet, Cadu, Cado, Cadou, Cadoux, Cadot, Cadotte, Caudos, Caddieux, Caddieu, Caddeau, Caddeaux, Caddioux, Caddiou, Caddious, Caddius, Caddier and many more.

Early Notables of the Cadeau family

More information is included under the topic Early Cadeau Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cadeau Ranking

In France, the name Cadeau is the 3,967^th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Cadeau family

In the 1700s, land incentives were finally given out by France to 2,000 migrants. Early marriage was encouraged in New France, and 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, leaving French names scattered across the continent. The search for the Northwest passage continued. Migration from France to New France or Quebec, as it was now more popularly called, continued until 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, Acadia 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. 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 Cadeau were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Cadeau were François Cadieu, 17; who settled in Louisiana in 1719; Pierre Cadieux, who married Marguerite Menard in 1697 in Boucherville, Quebec; Jacques Cadieux, who married Marie Viau in 1731 in Longueuil, Quebec.

Contemporary Notables of the name Cadeau (post 1700) +

Rival Cadeau (b. 1964), Olympic bronze medalist light middleweight boxer from Seychelles who competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics, 1994 Commonwealth Games
Lally Cadeau (b. 1948), Canadian Genie Award nominated stage and television actress, known for her work at the Stratford Festival since 1998
Dayana M. Cadeau (b. 1966), Haitian-born, Canadian professional female bodybuilder, nicknamed "The Gift," IFBB Ms. Olympia lightweight champion in 2004

The Cadeau Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Rien ne me touche
Motto Translation: Springing to life, do not touch

Citations +

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/