Lajeunesse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The proud French name of Lajeunesse comes from a Breton name for a person of youthful appearance or a person who was the youngest member of some group. The name Lajeunesse is derived from the French word "jeune," which means "young". 1

Early Origins of the Lajeunesse family

The surname Lajeunesse was first found in Brittany (French: Bretagne), where the family held a family seat since ancient times.

The members of the different branches of the family also distinguished themselves with contributions of every sort to their respective communities. Bernard Lejeune was a corrective advisor in the treasury of Burgundy, in 1762. Claude Le Jeune (1530-1600) was an illustrious composer, who was a member of the Academy of poetry and music, founded in 1570 by A. de Baïf. He was also the music teacher of the duke of Anjou, the brother of Henry III. Jean Lejeune (1592-1672) was a French preacher and the author of "Sermons" (1688), and Louis François Lejeune (1775-1848) was a French Baron, a general and a painter.

Jean-Baptiste Lejeune, son of Germain and Anne-Marie (née Trahan), married Marguerite Clemenceau in Acadia in 1742. They settled at Anse-au-Matelot, Isle of Saint Jean together until Marguerite's death at the age of 25 on 24th November 1756. Jean-Baptiste passed away at the age of 40 and was buried at Saint-Charles on 11th February 1758. 2

François Lajeunesse, born in 1740, son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Anne (née Lamotte), married Catherine Charpentier, born in 1734, daughter of Joseph-Leonard and Marie-Françoise (née Cadieux), at Rivière-des-Prairies, Quebec on 22nd January 1759. They settled together in Quebec and had three daughters. 2

Early History of the Lajeunesse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lajeunesse research. Another 87 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1248, 1819, 1841, 1845 and 1864 are included under the topic Early Lajeunesse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lajeunesse Spelling Variations

There were a great number of spelling variations in French surnames. One reason for this was the wide variety of cultural influences present in France during the early development of the French language. The many spelling variations of the name include Lajeunesse, Lajeunne, Lejeune, Jeunesse, Jeune, Jeunet, Jeuneau, Jeuneaux and many more.

Early Notables of the Lajeunesse family

Notable amongst this name at this time was the Honourable Henri Le Jeune, born in 1819, an artist, a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Royal...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lajeunesse Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lajeunesse Ranking

In Quebec, Canada, the name Lajeunesse is the 510^th most popular surname. 3

Lajeunesse migration to the United States +

In 1643, 109 years after the first landings by Cartier, there were only about 300 people in Quebec. Migration was slow. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year 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 Lajeunesse 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 Lajeunesse were

Lajeunesse Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

M. La Jeunesse (called Legros,) who was living in Illinois in 1726
Prudent LaJeunesse, who settled in New York in 1775
Jean Baptiste LaJeunesse, who also settled in New York in 1775

Lajeunesse Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Ernest N. Lajeunesse, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1909

Lajeunesse migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Lajeunesse Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Jean-Baptiste Lajeunesse, son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie, who married Marie-Joephte Harel, daughter of Jean-François and Madeleine, in Montreal, Quebec on 27th July 1734 4
Jean-Baptiste Lajeunesse, son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Josephte, who married Charlotte Bray, daughter of Pierre and Marie-Charlotte, in Longueuil, Quebec on 12th May 1766 4
Antoine Lajeunesse, son of Jean-Baptiste and Marie-Josephte, who married Marguerite Reguindeau, daughter of Joseph and Madeleine, in Boucherville, Quebec on 15th June 1767 4
François Lajeunesse, son of François and Brigitte, who married Marie-Thérèse Bouchard, daughter of Antoine and Marie-Jeanne, in Les Éboulements, Quebec on 4th November 1772 4
Louis Lajeunesse, son of François and Brigitte, who married Thècle Bouchard, daughter of Joseph-François and Dorothée, in L'Isle-aux-Coudres, Quebec on 9th August 1774 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Lajeunesse (post 1700) +

Omer LaJeunesse (1908-1994), American football player and coach
Claude Lajeunesse (b. 1941), Canadian who is the president and chief executive officer of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada
Serge Lajeunesse (b. 1950), retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman
Simon Lajeunesse (b. 1981), retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender
Marie Louise Emma Cécile Lajeunesse (1852-1930), Canadian opera singer

Citations +

Dionne, N.-E., Origine Des Familles Canadiennes-Français. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1969. Print.
Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"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
Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.