ACADEMY OF SAINT GABRIEL REPORT 1815 http://www.s-gabriel.org/1815 ************************************ 21 Oct 1999 From: (Josh Mittleman) Greetings from the Academy of Saint Gabriel! You asked for information about the surname as it would have been used in eastern France before 1450. This letter is a brief answer to your question. is a very common surname in modern France, particularly in the south. It derives from a word that meant "red", and was originally used to describe for a red-haired person [1]. By 1450, though, many French surnames were inherited, as in modern usage; so in that period it could have been used by anyone, red-haired or not. Used of this name wasn't restricted to the south: We found an example in Picardy (in northwestern France) in 1245 [2]. We believe that the name is probably a fine choice for you. However, if you'd prefer a surname that it typical of eastern France, you might consider the names , , which are most common in the east of France; or , which is common in Burgundy [1]. We hope this brief letter has been useful. Please write us again if you have any further questions. For the Academy, Arval Benicoeur 28 Oct 1999 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References [1] Dauzat, Albert, _Dictionnaire Etymologique des Noms de Famille et Prenoms de France_ (Paris: Libraire Larousse, 1987), s.n. Roux. [2] Morlet, Marie-Therese, _Etude d'anthroponymie picarde, les noms de personne en Haute Picardie aux XIIIe, XIVe, XVe siecles_ (Amiens, Musee de Picardie, 1967).