Show ContentsLaplante History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The French name Laplante first arose during the Medieval period in Normandy (French: Normandie). It is derived from when the family having lived in Normandy at the Seigneury De Planques, from which their name is derived.

Early Origins of the Laplante family

The surname Laplante was first found in Normandy, the former Duchy of Normandy, where they were formerly seated in the honour of the seigneurie of De Planques in the region of Pas de Calais in the arrondissement of Montreuil sur Mer.

The family emerged at Wildenberg as a family of great distinction being descended from Conrad, Count de Rauzen, a Marshall of all France in 1712. Gaston Planté was a celebrated French physician who was born at Orthez in 1834 and died at Bellevue, Seine-et-Oise, 1889.

Jean Plante, born in 1621, son of Nicolas and Elisabeth (née Jouinne), settled in New France in the 17th century. After arriving in Quebec he married Françoise Boucher, born in 1636, daughter of Marin and Perinne (née Malet), on 1st September 1650. They settled together at Château-Richer, Quebec until Jean's death on 29th March 1706. Françoise passed away on 18th April 1711. 1

Early History of the Laplante family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Laplante research. The years 1712, 1834 and 1889 are included under the topic Early Laplante History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Laplante Spelling Variations

History has changed the spelling of most surnames. During the early development of the French language in the Middle Ages, a person gave his version of his name, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Some variables were adopted by different branches of the family name. Hence, there spelling variations of the name Laplante, some of which include Plant, Plante, Le Plant, Le Plante, Planque, Planquette, LaPlante, Laplante, Leplante, Planté, Duplante, Duplantie, Duplantis and many more.

Early Notables of the Laplante family

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

Laplante World Ranking

In the United States, the name Laplante is the 3,665th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Laplante is ranked the 362nd most popular surname with an estimated 12,575 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Laplante is the 152nd popular surname. 4


Laplante 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 Laplante 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 Laplante were

Laplante Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Leopold Laplante, aged 21, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Caronia" from Liverpool via Brest 5
  • Georgette La Plante, aged 37, originally from Paris, France, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Espagne" from LE HAVRE 5
  • Albert La Plante, aged 23, originally from Williamstown, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "La Lorraine" from Le Havre, France 5
  • Mary LaPlante, aged 38, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Mexico" from Havana and Mexico 5
  • Alford Laplante, aged 19, arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Proctor" from Saint Nazaire, France 5

Laplante migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Laplante Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Pierre Laplante, aged 38, who landed in Canada in 1643
Laplante Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Jean-Baptiste Laplante, son of Thomas-Bonaventure and Marie, who married Marie-Catherine Groton, daughter of Dominique and Marie-Catherine, in Saint-Laurent, Quebec on 12th January 1756 6
  • Michel Laplante, son of Thomas and Marie, who married Marie Martineau, daughter of Pierre and Madeleine, in Sault-au-Récollet, Quebec on 10th January 1757 6
  • Joseph Laplante, son of Jean-Baptiste and Marguerite, who married Marie-Louise Coltret, daughter of Pierre and Marie-Louise, in Nicolet, Quebec on 11th april 1758 6
  • Joseph Laplante, son of Joseph and Marie-Louise, who married Cécile Boudrot, daughter of Athanase and Félicité, in Nicolet, Quebec on 26th February 1781 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Laplante (post 1700) +

  • John LaPlante (1953-2007), American political columnist, news bureau director, and college professor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Joseph Normand Laplante (b. 1965), American federal judge for the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire
  • Mike LaPlante (b. 1966), American college basketball coach who coached Jacksonville State University for eight seasons
  • Debbie LaPlante (b. 1953), American gold and silver medalist hurdler
  • Darryl Laplante (b. 1977), retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre
  • André Laplante OC (b. 1949), Canadian Juno Award winning and two-time Felix Award winning pianist
  • Lynda La Plante (b. 1946), British screenwriter and actress


  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  3. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  4. "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
  5. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
  6. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.


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