Show ContentsCadiou History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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 Cadiou is derived from the Old French word "cad," which means "little fighter."

Early Origins of the Cadiou family

The surname Cadiou 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 Cadiou family

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

Cadiou Spelling Variations

History has changed the spelling of most surnames. During the early development of the French language in the Middle Ages, a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there spelling variations of the name Cadiou, some of which 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 Cadiou family

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

Cadiou Ranking

In France, the name Cadiou is the 821st most popular surname with an estimated 6,199 people with that name. [2]


United States Cadiou migration to the United States +

By 1643 there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Since immigration was slow, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. 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. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Cadiou has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Cadiou were

Cadiou Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Francois Cadiou, aged 17, who landed in Louisiana in 1719 [3]

Canada Cadiou migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cadiou Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Etienne Cadiou, who married Yvonne in Quebec

Contemporary Notables of the name Cadiou (post 1700) +

  • Henri Cadiou (1906-1989), French realist painter and lithographer
  • René Guy Cadiou, French poet in St. Reine de Bretagne


The Cadiou 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


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)


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