Show ContentsDesmarest History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Desmarest surname is a habitational name derived from any of several places named with the Old French words "mareis" or "maresc", meaning "marsh".

Early Origins of the Desmarest family

The surname Desmarest was first found in Cambray, Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where ancestors of the family belonged to the house of Bousis. According to Arthurian legend, Sir Hector de Maris (or Ector de Maris), was a Knight of the Round Table, younger half-brother of Lancelot and the natural son of King Ban of Benwick and the Lady de Maris.

René Desmarais, son of Jean and Jeanne (née Brassard), travelled from Poitou, France to the New World in the 17th century. He married Jeanne Blondeau at Trois-Rivières, Quebec on 16th November 1671. 1

Early History of the Desmarest family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Desmarest research. Another 297 words (21 lines of text) covering the years 1096, 1108, 1113, 1360, 1429, 1463, 1496, 1500, 1518, 1519, 1526, 1544, 1567, 1595, 1604, 1610, 1619, 1647, 1648, 1650, 1656, 1661, 1662, 1676, 1679, 1682, 1686, 1696, 1709, 1714, 1721, 1728 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Desmarest History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Desmarest Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Desmarais, Demarais, Des Marais, Desmarets, Desmarés, Desmareys, Desmaray, Desmaraie, Desmarest, Desmaret, Desmarets, Démarais, Démarets, Démarey, Démareys, Démarés, Démarey, Démaré, Démarés, Démarée, Démarées, Démaraie, Démaray, Maret, Marest, Marais, Mareys, Marets, Marest, Mares, Marays, Marrey, Mareys, Marées, Des Marest, Des Maret, Des Marets, Des Marez, De Marest, Du Marest, Du Marais, Du Marrey, Du Mareys, Du Mares, Du Marays, Du Mareys, Du Marées and many more.

Early Notables of the Desmarest family

Notable amongst the family in this period was Baldwin I, Lord of Marets in the 11th century, as well as Hugues Maret, the first Priest at the Benedictine Abbey of Valbenoite, in 1108. Jean Desmarets (1595-1676), Sieur de (Lord of) Saint-Sorlin was the author of many volumes of poetry and critical works, as well as the first chancellor and co-founder of the Académie Française; Nicolas Desmarets, known as the Marquis de Maillebois (1648-1721)...
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Desmarest Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Desmarest Ranking

In France, the name Desmarest is the 4,787th most popular surname with an estimated 1,500 - 2,000 people with that name. 2


Desmarest migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Desmarest Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • David DesMarest, who settled in New York in 1663 with his wife, Marie Sohier and four children
  • David DesMarest, who arrived in New York in 1663 3
  • Jean DesMarest, who arrived in New York in 1673
Desmarest Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Madame DesMarest, who arrived in New York in 1700
  • Madam DesMarest, who landed in New York in 1700 3
  • François Desmarest, who settled in Louisiana in 1756


  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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