Show ContentsFrancoeur History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Francoeur

What does the name Francoeur mean?

The French surname Francoeur is of nickname origin, deriving from a physical characteristic or personal attribute of the initial bearer.

In this instance the name is derived from "franc coeur", meaning "Frankish heart". Therefore, the progenitor of the surname was someone who sided with the Franks in the interminable wars, invasions and raids that raged in the Middle Ages.

Alternatively, the name can be of toponymic origin, deriving from a place where the original bearer once resided or held land. The family name Francoeur was found in Burgundy, where the family took their name from a place in Côtes-du-Nord, in the department of Yonne. 1

Early Origins of the Francoeur family

The surname Francoeur was first found in Burgundy. From here, the members of the family also branched into other regions of France, especially to Ile-de-France, where several members distinguished themselves through their various accomplishments. Joseph Francoeur, who died in Paris in 1741, was a bass at the Opéra, then a member of the Twenty-four violins of the king, in 1706. His son, Louis Francoeur, was born in Paris in 1692 and became a member of the king's violins in 1710. He became co-director in 1717, and died in 1745. François Francoeur, also a son of Joseph, was born in Paris in 1698. He was a violinist in the Opéra orchestra and superintendent of the king's music for Louis XV. He was ennobled in 1764, receiving the "cordons de St-Michel." He died in Paris in 1797.

Early History of the Francoeur family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Francoeur research. Another 177 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1530, 1643, 1698, 1699, 1710, 1738, 1773, 1782, 1787, 1804, 1810 and 1849 are included under the topic Early Francoeur History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Francoeur Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Francoeur is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Francon, Francoeur, Francou, Frankeur, Francq, Franck and many more.

Early Notables of the Francoeur family

Notable amongst this name at this time was

  • François Francoeur, violinist and composer, born at Paris in 1698. He entered the band of the Opera in 1710, was for many years a member of the king's private band, and for some time, conjointly with...

Francoeur Ranking

In Canada, the name Francoeur is the 743rd most popular surname with an estimated 7,201 people with that name. 2 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Francoeur is ranked the 296th most popular surname. 3


Francoeur migration to the United States +

In the 1700s, land incentives were finally given out by France to 2,000 migrants. Early marriage was encouraged in New France, and youths of 18 took fourteen-year-old girls for their wives. The fur trade was developed and attracted migrants, both noble and commoner from France. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries, leaving French names scattered across the continent. The search for the Northwest passage continued. Migration from France to New France or Quebec, as it was now more popularly called, continued until 1759. 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 the treaty of Utrecht, Acadia were ceded by France to Britain in 1713. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported. They found refuge in Louisiana. Meanwhile, in Quebec, the French race flourished, founding in Lower Canada, one of the two great solitudes which became Canada. Many of this distinguished family name Francoeur were prominent in social, cultural, religious and political affairs in France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Francoeur were

Francoeur Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Francoeur, who landed in Louisiana in 1718 4

Francoeur migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Francoeur Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • David Francoeur, aged 20, who arrived in Canada in 1643
  • François Francoeur, son of Guillaume and Marguerite, who married Madeleine Saint-Jean in Montreal, Quebec on 25th november 1689 5
Francoeur Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Jacques Francoeur, son of Antoine and marie-Angélique, who married Marguerite Jean, daughter of Léonard and Marie, in Quebec on 12th June 1743 5
  • Joseph Francoeur, son of Antoine and Marie-Josephte, who married Marie-Geneviève Desrosiers, daughter of Joseph and Madeleine, in Saint-Cuthbert, Quebec on 18th October 1790 5
  • Alexis Francoeur, son of Joseph and Marie-Anne, who married Marie-Louise Grenon, daughter of Charles and Catherine, in Saint-Cuthbert, Quebec on 4th November 1794 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Francoeur (post 1700) +

  • Jeff Francoeur (b. 1984), American Major League Baseball player
  • Robert Thomas "Bob" Francoeur Ph.D. A.C.S. (1931-2012), American biologist and sexologist
  • Louis-Benjamin Francoeur (1773-1849), French mathematician
  • Raymond Francoeur (b. 1946), French-Canadian politician
  • Lucien Francoeur (b. 1948), French-Canadian singer and poet from Quebec
  • Joseph-Napoléon Francoeur (1880-1965), French-Canadian politician and lawyer from Quebec
  • Jacques Francoeur (1925-2005), French-Canadian businessman and journalist in Quebec
  • Brigadier Georges Francoeur (b. 1896), Commanding Officer 2nd Canadian Base Reinforcement Group, England (1944-1945) 6
  • Harriet Francoeur Nevins (1841-1929), American philanthropist and animal rights activist


  1. Dionne, N.-E., Les Canadiens-Francais Origine Des Familles. Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 1969. Print
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "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
  4. 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)
  5. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  6. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2011, September 15) Georges Francoeur. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Francoeur/Georges/Canada.html


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