Show ContentsHeroux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Heroux

What does the name Heroux mean?

Of all the French names to come from the Languedoc of France, Heroux is one of the most ancient. The name is a result of the original family having lived in Languedoc, where the family was established in very early times.

Early Origins of the Heroux family

The surname Heroux was first found in Languedoc, where the family was established in very early times.

Early History of the Heroux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Heroux research. Another 54 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1802, 1853, 1863 and 1914 are included under the topic Early Heroux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heroux Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous spelling alterations depending on the region and time it was used. The early development of the French language relied heavily on borrowing elements and grammar from 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 Heroux is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Hérou, Herou, Airou, Héroux, Heroux, Airoux, Héroud, Heroud, Airoud, Héroult, Heroult, Airoult, Hérouard, Herouard, Airouard, Haroué and many more.

Early Notables of the Heroux family

More information is included under the topic Early Heroux Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Heroux Ranking

In the United States, the name Heroux is the 17,734th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in Quebec, Canada, the name Heroux is ranked the 563rd most popular surname. 2


Heroux migration to the United States +

France 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 Heroux 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 Heroux were

Heroux Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Pierre Heroux, aged 22, who arrived in Louisiana in 1719 3
Heroux Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Alfred J. Heroux, aged 26, who settled in America, in 1919
  • James Heroux, aged 26, who landed in America, in 1919
  • Wilfred Heroux, aged 18, who immigrated to the United States, in 1923
  • Francis Heroux, aged 21, who immigrated to the United States, in 1923

Heroux migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Heroux Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
  • Napoleon Heroux, aged 28, who immigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1915
  • Joseph A Heroux, aged 45, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1920

Contemporary Notables of the name Heroux (post 1700) +

  • Emile A. Heroux, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Manchester 2nd Ward, 1938 4
  • Denis Héroux OC (1941-2015), Canadian film director and producer made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1983
  • Yves Héroux (b. 1965), Canadian retired professional NHL ice hockey right winger
  • Alain Héroux (b. 1964), Canadian retired professional NHL ice hockey left winger
  • Isabelle Héroux, award winning Canadian classical guitarist
  • Michael A Heroux Ph.D., Sandia National Laboratories


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "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
  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)
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, May 19) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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