Show ContentsLe brun History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

From the historical and enchanting region of France emerged a multitude of notable family names, including that of the distinguished Le brun family. Originally, the people in this region went by one (personal) name. Surnames evolved during the Middle Ages when people began to assume an extra name to avoid confusion and to further identify themselves. These names then began to become "fixed" or hereditary between the generations. One of the types of names adopted as surnames were those derived from nicknames. Nicknames, or "eke-names," were an added name that generally reflected some physical characteristics or other attribute of the person that used the name. The Le brun surname derives from the French word "brun," meaning "brown"; and therefore was a nickname for someone who habitually dressed in the colour brown.

Early Origins of the Le brun family

The surname Le brun was first found in Poitou where this noble family held a family seat since ancient times.

Many members of this prominent family are listed in the ancient records as participants in the events surrounding the French Revolution. Distinctive among them were, François Le Brun who was elected as a Deputy of the Clergy to the Estates General on April 24, 1789; Marie Lucien Lebrun who was elected to the Legislature on September 2, 1791; and Benoit Lebrun who was elected as the representative at the Chambre of "Cent-Jours" on May 11, 1815.

Participating actively throughout the Revolution, Charles François Lebrun, Duke of Plaisance, was named the Inspector General of the domaines of the Crown and on March 29, 1789, he was elected as a Deputy to the Estates General. Once his term as Deputy was completed, he became the President of the Directoire of Seine et Oise. Charles was committed to Napoléon and in 1805, he was named the Governor General of the Republic of Gênes.

After the abdication of King Louis of Holland in 1810, Charles was granted the title of Lieutenant General of the Emperor and among his duties was the organization of all public services in Holland. However, after the invasion of Holland, he had to abandon his post and return to France where he remained faithful to Napoléon.

Noel Lebrun, born in 1669, son of Jean and Catherine of Boulogne, travelled from France to Canada in the 17th century. He married Anne Brochu, daughter of Jean and Nicole, at Saint-Jean-de-l'île-d'Orléans on 4th February 1697. 1

Early History of the Le brun family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Le brun research. Another 187 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1600, 1619, 1661, 1662, 1683, 1690 and 1700 are included under the topic Early Le brun History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Le brun Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Lebrun, Le Brun, Les Bruns, Brun, Brunne, Des Bruns, De brun, De Brun, Debrun, Des brun, Le Brune and many more.

Early Notables of the Le brun family

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

Le brun World Ranking

In the United States, the name Le brun is the 6,750th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Le brun is ranked the 930th most popular surname with an estimated 5,837 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Le brun is the 388th popular surname. 4 France ranks Le brun as 1,357th with 4,195 people. 5


United States Le brun migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Le brun Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Moize LeBrun, who settled in Rhode Island in 1686
Le brun Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Peter LeBrun, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1710
  • Ettine LeBrun, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1753 6
  • Jacques LeBrun, who settled in Louisiana in 1756
  • Charles Lebrun, who landed in Connecticut in 1763 6
  • Claude LeBrun, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1764 6
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Le brun Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • J. Lebrun, aged 24, settled in New York in 1820
  • Victor LeBrun, aged 49, settled in New York in 1820
  • Augusto Lebrun, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1851 6
  • Carlos LeBrun, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1866 6
  • Santiago Felipe LeBrun, who landed in Puerto Rico in 1874 6

Canada Le brun migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Le brun Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century
  • Jacques Lebrun, son of François and Jeanne, who married Catherine Chapelain, daughter of Bernard and Éléonore, in Saint-Pierre-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Quebec on 12th January 1693 7
  • Noel Lebrun, son of Jean and Rosalie, who married Anne Brochu, daughter of Jean and Nicole, in Saint-Jean-de-l'île-d'Orléans, Quebec on 4th February 1697 7
Le brun Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Étienne Lebrun, son of Noel and Anne, who married Marguerite Bolduc, daughter of René and Marguerite, in Saint-Joachim, Quebec on 27th June 1742 7
  • Noel Lebrun, son of Noel and Anne, who married Marie-Ursule Roy, daughter of Nicolas and Marie-Renée, in Saint-Vallier, Quebec on 6th August 1743 7
  • Ferdinand-Joseph Lebrun, son of Charles-François and Anne, who married Marie-Louise Delpée, daughter of François and Marie-Catherine-Thérèse, in Varennes, Quebec on 6th February 1747 7
  • Pierre Lebrun, son of Guillaume and Françoise, who married Marie-Angélique Lanceleur, daughter of Jean-René and Barbe, in Quebec on 21st October 1748 7
  • Jean-Baptiste Lebrun, who arrived in Canada in 1755
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Le brun migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Le brun Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Elizabeth Le Brun, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Blundell" in 1851 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Le brun (post 1700) +

  • Napoleon Eugene Charles Henry LeBrun (1821-1901), American architect, best known for his design of the Episcopal Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, New York
  • Jacques Le Brun (1931-2020), French historian who specialized in the study of Christianity in the 17th Century; he died from COVID-19
  • François Léon Lebrun, French Brigadier General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 9
  • Anne Charles Lebrun, Duke of Plaisance, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 10
  • Armand Lebrun de La Houssaye, French Divisional General during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars from 1789 to 1815 11
  • Céline Lebrun (b. 1976), French six-time gold, three-time silver and five-time bronze medalist judoka
  • Pierre-Antoine Lebrun (1785-1873), French poet
  • Louise Élisabeth Vigée LeBrun (1755-1842), French painter, the most important female painter of the 18th century
  • Charles-François Lebrun (1739-1824), 1st Duke of Plaisance, Prince of the Empire, a French statesman
  • Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun (1729-1807), French lyric poet
  • ... (Another 4 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  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. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  6. 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)
  7. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 2, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  8. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BLUNDELL 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Blundell.htm
  9. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, April 8) François Lebrun. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
  10. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, April 8) Anne Lebrun. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html
  11. Generals Who Served in the French Army during the Period 1789-1815. (Retrieved 2015, March 27) Armand Lebrun. Retrieved from http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/c_frenchgenerals.html


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