Proulx History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The French name Proulx was derived from the French name Preux, a nickname meaning "wise," "worthy," or "valiant".

Early Origins of the Proulx family

The surname Proulx was first found in Brittany, where this eminent family was established in ancient times.

The members of the branch Proust were the lords of Cleuz, of Gironnière and of Portlavigne in Brittany. The members of the family also branched into other regions of France and there they distinguished themselves by means of numerous contributions to the society and to their respective communities. The branch Prousteau was ennobled in 1597.

The branch Proust produced an abbot of Saint Melaine in 1574, a mayor of Nantes in 1693 and two treasurers in 1725 and in 1766. The branch Prousteau of Montlouis was ennobled in 1817 in Paris. The family also rose in prominence by their important alliances to other distinguished families of the day.

Jean Proulx, born in 1647, son of Jean and Louise (née Vallée), travelled from Nantilly, France to the New World in the 17th century and married Jacquette Fournier, daughter of Guillaume and Françoise (née Hebert), on 5th June 1673.

Jean Prou, born in 1641, travelled from France to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in Quebec he married Catherine Pinel, daughter of Gilles and Anne, on 2nd November 1676. They remained together in Quebec until Jean's death at Pointe-aux-Trembles on 9th December 1703. 1

Early History of the Proulx family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Proulx research. The years 1655, 1706, 1754 and 1826 are included under the topic Early Proulx History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Proulx 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 Proulx is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Proulx, Leproulx, Proux, Leproux, Prou, Leprou, Preux, Lepreux, Proust, Leproust, Prousteau, Leprousteau, Prouet and many more.

Early Notables of the Proulx family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Proulx Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Proulx World Ranking

In the United States, the name Proulx is the 5,859^th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Proulx is ranked the 139^th most popular surname with an estimated 23,737 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Proulx is the 52^nd popular surname. 4

Proulx 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 Proulx 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 Proulx were

Proulx Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Maria Proulx, aged 30, who immigrated to the United States from Paris, France, in 1908
Albert E. Proulx, aged 25, who settled in America, in 1919
Joseph A. Proulx, aged 49, who landed in America, in 1920
Mary Proulx, aged 26, who immigrated to New York, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Proulx (post 1700) +

Edna Annie Proulx (b. 1935), American journalist and author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1994
Verner W. Proulx, American Republican politician, Candidate for New Hampshire State House of Representatives from Nashua 4th Ward, 1938 5
Kenneth P. Proulx, American politician, Independent Candidate for U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, 2000 5
Kathi Proulx, American Republican politician, Alternate Delegate to Republican National Convention from Kentucky, 2008 5
Henry J. Proulx, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from New Hampshire 2nd District, 1942; Vice-chair of New Hampshire Democratic Party, 1945 5
Gedeon P. Proulx, American politician, Delegate to New Hampshire State Constitutional Convention from Manchester 5th Ward, 1948 5
Charles A. Proulx, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Union; Elected 1910 5
Arthur W. Proulx, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Hampshire, 1944 5
Arthur A. Proulx, American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from Union; Elected 1926 5
Agnes Proulx, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Connecticut, 1948 5
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"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
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html