Lavanier History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

Etymology of Lavanier

What does the name Lavanier mean?

The French surname name Lavanier is derived from the Old French word "vanier," which referred to someone employed to blow the chaff from wheat, a practice known as winnowing.

Early Origins of the Lavanier family

The surname Lavanier was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where this distinguished family held a family seat in the seigneurie of Bauviers as members of the aristocracy of that region.

Early History of the Lavanier family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lavanier research. Another 70 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1789 is included under the topic Early Lavanier History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lavanier Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Lavanier, including Vanier, Vannier, Vanniere, Vanner, Vaner, Vaniere, Le Vanier, Levanier, Le Vannier, Levannier, Le Vanner and many more.

Early Notables of the Lavanier family

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

Migration of the Lavanier family

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 Lavanier 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 Lavanier were Catherine Vanier, who came to Quebec in 1656; Guillaume Vanier, who arrived in Quebec in 1672; Germain Vanier, who arrived in Quebec from Ile-de-France in 1669.