Marleaux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

Etymology of Marleaux

What does the name Marleaux mean?

The surname Marleaux is a name whose history dates back to the Middle Ages. It was a Norman name for a someone who bore a fancied resemblance to a blackbird having derived from the Old French word merle, meaning blackbird.

Early Origins of the Marleaux family

The surname Marleaux was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where this ancient family was established in early times.

The family was admitted to the honors of the Court in 1776, and again in 1789. Pierre-Hughes-Victor Merle was a general, who entered into the nobility in 1809; Jean-François Merlet was a counsel of the Conseil d'État, who entered into the nobility in 1810, and Jean-Joseph Merle was a colonel, who received his title to nobility in 1811.

Guy du Merle was an officer of the Legion of Honour and a lieutenant-commander, and he married Marcelle de Prat in 1907. Jean du Merle was a Contractual Engineer of water and forests, and Marguerite du Merle, a nun, was the secretary of the Mother Superior of Sacré Coeur in Rome.

Early History of the Marleaux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Marleaux research. Another 166 words (12 lines of text) covering the years 1050, 1302, 1306, 1509, 1560, 1562, 1575, 1731, 1798, 1810 and 1845 are included under the topic Early Marleaux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Marleaux Spelling Variations

French surnames were subject to numerous alterations in spelling because of the various cultural groups that inhabited specific regions. Eventually, each region possessed its own local dialect of the French language. The early development of the French language, however, was also influenced by other languages. For example, Old French was infused with Germanic words and sounds when barbarian tribes invaded and settled in France after the fall of the Roman Empire. Middle French also borrowed heavily from the Italian language during the Renaissance. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Marleaux is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Marleau, Marleaux, Marlaud, Marlault, Marlet, Marlette, Marlod, Marlot, Marlotte, Marle, Merle, Merleau, Merleaux, Merlaud, Merlault, Merlet, Merlette, Merlod, Merlot, Merlotte, du Merle, Marlout, Marloux, Merlout and many more.

Early Notables of the Marleaux family

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

Migration of the Marleaux 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 Marleaux 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 Marleaux were André Merlot-LePetit-Laramee, who settled in Quebec in 1678; Louis Edmund Merle, who arrived in New York in 1823; Jean, aged 32; Anne, aged 31; Jean, aged 9.