Show ContentsDuret History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Duret surname evolved from the Old French word "dur," meaning "hard," or "hardy." In some instances the name may have developed from the prefix "de" meaning "son of," as in de Huré becoming Duré.

Early Origins of the Duret family

The surname Duret was first found in Brittany, originally Armorica in ancient times, where the family has been a prominent family for centuries, and held a family seat with lands and manor. The family were well established in the region of Dol and several members of the family distinguished themselves through their contributions toward the community in which they lived and were rewarded with lands, titles and letters patent confirming their nobility. They were anciently the Lords and Counts of Auvergne and Brettagne.

Early History of the Duret family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Duret research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1488, 1625, 1640, 1644, 1648, 1677 and 1683 are included under the topic Early Duret History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duret Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Duré, Dure, Durat, Durate, Duret, Durel, Durelle, Durette, Durot, Dureau, D'Huré, Hurette, Hureau, Hurel and many more.

Early Notables of the Duret family

Notable amongst this name at this time was John Durel (1625-1683), Dean of Windsor, born at St. Heliers, Jersey, in 1625, and entered Merton College, Oxford, in...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Duret Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Duret Ranking

In France, the name Duret is the 835th most popular surname with an estimated 6,114 people with that name. 1


Duret migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Duret Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Roland Duret, who settled in Louisiana in 1719
Duret Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Emmanuel Duret, who arrived in Colorado in 1879 2

Duret migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Duret Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Edward Duret, aged 25, a bootmaker, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of The Age" in 1874
  • Celina Duret, aged 24, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of The Age" in 1874

Contemporary Notables of the name Duret (post 1700) +

  • Ken Duret, American photographer
  • Antoine Duret, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 3
  • Théodore Duret, 19th century art critic, member of the impressionist movement


  1. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  2. 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)
  3. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, February 25) Antoine Duret. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook