| ![Show Contents]() Defleur History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of DefleurWhat does the name Defleur mean? The name Defleur has a long French heritage that first began in the northern region of Normandy. The name is derived from when the family lived in Normandy, in the village of De Flers. Early Origins of the Defleur familyThe surname Defleur was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where the family was established in early times. One branch of the family established a seigniory in Fleurent, Champagne, for De Braux. The branch Lafleur established a seigniory in Brittany in 1696 for Montlouis. The family became more prominent through alliances with other important families. Antoinette de Pellevé de Flers, the heiress of the county of Flers upon the death of her brother, married Philippe-René, the lord of Villebadin, in 1717. Hyacinthe, the marquis of Lezeau in 1803, reclaimed the title of marquis of Flers, which was conserved by his descendants. 1 Jean Lafleur, born in 1663, son of Pierre and Françoise (née Claude), settled in Trois-Rivières, Quebec in the 17th century. He married Jeanne Chebaudier, daughter of Jean and Marie (née Mercier), on 7th January 1687. 2 Early History of the Defleur familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Defleur research. Another 40 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1598, 1794, 1872 and 1927 are included under the topic Early Defleur History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Defleur Spelling VariationsMost surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Defleur, including Lafleur, Lafleure, Fleur, Fleure, Flers, Leflers, de Flers, de Fleur, de Fleure, Desfleurs, Fleureau, Fleureaux, Fleurant, Fleurand, Florida and many more. Early Notables of the Defleur familyAnother 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Defleur Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Defleur familyFrance was active as a cultural leader in the early 16th century. One particular area in which they lead was the exploration of the New World. The explorers, like Jacques Cartier in 1534, led the way to North America. Champlain, in 1608, made the first of twenty voyages to France to attract settlers and brought the first migrant in 1617. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec, and 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 Defleur 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 Defleur were Jean Fleurant, who arrived in Quebec in 1656; M. La Fleur, who was living in Fort Louis de la Mobile in Louisiana, in the year 1711; M. La Fleur, a wagon maker, who was living in New Orleans in 1725.
- Hozier, Charles D, and Antoine Bachelin-Delforenne. État présent De La Noblesse française (1883-1887): Contenant Le Distionnaire De La Noblesse Contemporaine Et Larmorial général De France, Dapres Les Manuscrits De Ch. D Hozier. Librairie Des Bibliophiles, 1884. Print.
- Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
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