Show ContentsCloutier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The ancient history of the name Cloutier dates back to the days of the Medieval period of southern. It was a Norman name given to a person who sold nails, having derived from the French word "clous", which means "nails." 1

Early Origins of the Cloutier family

The surname Cloutier was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where they held a family seat in the seigneurie of Pas-de-Calais at De Cléty, a village in the arrondisement of Saint-Omer. The family was a respected member of Norman aristocracy for many centuries from their first reference around the 12th century.

Zacharie Cloutier, born in 1590, arrived at Beauport, Quebec from Perche, France on 8th August 1634, along with his wife, Xaintes (née Dupont), who he married on 18th July 1616, and his five children, Zacharie, Jean, Charles, Anne, and Louise. They eventually moved to Château-Richer and they remained there until his death at the age of 87 on 17th September 1677.

His eldest son, Zacharie, married Madeleine Aymard at Saint-Barthélemy, Quebec on 4th April 1648. 2

Early History of the Cloutier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cloutier research. Another 40 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1590, 1677 and 1789 are included under the topic Early Cloutier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cloutier Spelling Variations

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 Cloutier is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Cloutiere, Cloutier, le Cloutier, Clouterie, Cloutour, Cloutrier, Clouteau, Clouter, Clouté, Clutier, Clutiere and many more.

Early Notables of the Cloutier family

Notable amongst the family in this period was

  • Zacharie Cloutier (c.1590-1677), a French carpenter who emigrated to Beauport, New France in the first wave of the Percheron Immigration from the former province of Perche, Normandy

Cloutier World Ranking

In the United States, the name Cloutier is the 2,387th most popular surname with an estimated 12,435 people with that name. 3 However, in Canada, the name Cloutier is ranked the 83rd most popular surname with an estimated 30,925 people with that name. 4 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Cloutier is the 23rd popular surname. 5


United States Cloutier migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the French Acadian presence in the Maritimes had reached 500. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The family name Cloutier has made many distinguished contributions in France and New France to the world of science, culture, religion, and education. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Cloutier were

Cloutier Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Joseph Cloutier was married in America in 1720
  • Louis Cloutier, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1763 6
Cloutier Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J. B. Cloutier, who sailed to New Orleans in 1823
  • J. B. Cloutier, who arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1823 and was listed on the New Orleans ship lists
Cloutier Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Loredon Cloutier, aged 26, who landed in America from Paris, France, in 1908
  • Wilfried Cloutier, aged 28, who immigrated to the United States from Paris, France, in 1908

Canada Cloutier migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cloutier Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Jean Cloutier, son of Zacharie and Xainte, who married Marie Martin, daughter of Abraham and Marguerite, in Quebec on 21st January 1648 7
  • Zacharie Cloutier, son of Zacharie and Xainte, who married Madeleine-Barbe Aymard, daughter of Jean and Marie, in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Rochelle, Quebec in 1648 7
  • Charles Cloutier, son of Zacharie and Xainte, who married Louise Morin, daughter of Noel and Hélène, in Quebec on 20th April 1659 7
  • Zacharie Cloutier II settled in Quebec in about 1630 and may have been the first immigrant of the name from Normandy, his son Rene married Barbe Aymard in 1672
  • René Cloutier, son of Zacharie and Madeleine-Barbe, who married Marie Le Blanc, daughter of Léonard and Marie, in Quebec on 3rd November 1672 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cloutier Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Jean-Baptiste Cloutier, son of Charles and Louise, who married Anne Moriset, daughter of Jean and Jeanne, in Sainte-Famille, Quebec on 6th November 1702 7
  • Louis Cloutier, son of René and Marie-Élisabeth, who married Marie-Anne Tibault, daughter of François-Louis and Élisabeth-Agnès, in Cap-Saint-Ignace, Quebec on 1st December 1703 7
  • Jean-Baptiste Cloutier, son of René and Marie-Élisabeth, who married Marie-Anne Gerber, daughter of Jacques and Marie, in Cap-Saint-Ignace, Quebec on 26th April 1706 7
  • Zacharie Cloutier, son of Charles and Louise, who married Jeanne Bacon, daughter of Eustache and Louise, in Château-Richer, Quebec on 23rd May 1708 7
  • Joseph Cloutier, son of Jean and Louise, who married Marguerite Lesot, daughter of Joseph and Marguerite, in Château-Richer, Quebec on 11th November 1709 7
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cloutier Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Joseph E. Cloutier, aged 33, who settled in Quebec, Canada, in 1909
  • Joseph Grenie Cloutier, aged 30, who immigrated to Victoriaville, Canada, in 1911
  • Joseph Cloutier, aged 35, who immigrated to Chicontini, Canada, in 1911
  • Isidore O.P. Cloutier, aged 46, who settled in Quebec, Canada, in 1913
  • Pierre Zephirin Cloutier, aged 31, who settled in St Benoit, Canada, in 1914
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Cloutier (post 1700) +

  • Thomas James "T.J." Cloutier (b. 1939), American professional poker player from Richardson, Texas, inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2006
  • Julie Cloutier (b. 1986), Canadian bronze medalist fencer at the 2007 Pan American Games
  • Chantal Cloutier, American former fashion model, founder of The Cloutier Agency based in Santa Monica, California in 1977
  • Catherine A. Cloutier, American Republican politician, Member of Delaware State House of Representatives 11th District; Elected 1998 8
  • Jacques Cloutier (b. 1960), retired Canadian NHL ice hockey goaltender
  • Guy Cloutier (b. 1940), Canadian music producer and talent manager from Chicoutimi, Quebec
  • Réal Cloutier (b. 1956), Canadian NHL ice hockey player
  • Gilles George Cloutier (b. 1928), Canadian scientist and former director of the Alberta Research Council
  • Dan Cloutier (b. 1976), Canadian NHL ice hockey player


  1. Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
  2. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  5. "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
  6. 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)
  7. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  8. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 15) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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