| ![Show Contents]() Marleau History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The illustrious surname Marleau is classified as a habitation surname, which was originally derived from a place-name, and is one form of surname belonging to a broader group called hereditary surnames. Habitation names were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Topographic names, form the other broad category of surnames that was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree.
Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. Marleau is a place-name from in Morlaix, in Brittany, a peninsula in the northwest of France. Formerly known as Armorica, a possession of the Roman Empire, this land consists of a plateau with a deeply indented coast and is broken by hills in the west. Early Origins of the Marleau familyThe surname Marleau was first found in Cheshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D. Early History of the Marleau familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marleau research. Another 128 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1132, 1409, 1564, 1733 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Marleau History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Marleau Spelling VariationsSince the Old and Middle English languages lacked definite spelling rules, Breton surnames have many spelling variations. Latin and French, which were the official court languages, were also influential on the spelling of surnames. The spelling of surnames was rarely consistent in medieval times, and scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded rather than adhering to any specific spelling rules. Therefore, it was common to find the same individual referred to with different spellings of their surname in the ancient chronicles. Moreover, a large number of foreign names were brought into England after the Norman Conquest, which accelerated and accentuated the alterations to the spelling of various surnames. The name has been spelled Marley, Marlay, Marly, Maroley and others. Early Notables of the Marleau familyAnother 43 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Marleau Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Marleau RankingIn Quebec, Canada, the name Marleau is the 703rd most popular surname. 1  Migration of the Marleau family to Ireland
Some of the Marleau family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 78 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Migration of the Marleau familySome of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Marleau, or a variant listed above: Nicholas and Jane Marleaw and their three children, who arrived in Virginia in 1630; John Marley, who came to Virginia in 1658; Roger Marley, who settled in Virginia in 1660.
| Contemporary Notables of the name Marleau (post 1700) | + |
- Marie-Ève Marleau (b. 1982), Canadian gold medalist diver at the 2007 Pan American Games
- Jim Marleau (b. 1947), American politician, Republican Member of the Michigan State Senate (2010-)
- Diane Marleau PC, MP (1943-2013), Canadian politician, Member of the Canadian House of Commons for Sudbury (1988-2008)
- Robert Marleau, Canadian public official, 1st Integrity Commissioner of the City of Ottawa (2012-)
- Patrick Denis Marleau (b. 1979), Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the San Jose Sharks
- Louise Marleau (b. 1944), Canadian Genie Award winning actress
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England
France
Ireland
