150 Common Canadian Last Names Or Surnames, With Meanings

Image: Shutterstock

When you think of Canada, you may think of its succulent maple syrup, profound educational system, exhilarating ice hockey, and its scenic beauty. Here’s one increasingly thing you’d be subtracting to the list by the end of this post, “the Canadian last names or surnames.”

What makes these surnames so special is that most of them have European ancestry. The ethnicity of Canada is vast due to upper immigration and colonization during and without the 18th century (1). Most immigrants were from Europe, expressly France. This is why you would see that most Canadian surnames have French origins. Even today, we see the country’s diversity growing day by day, making it a unconfined place to meet people from virtually the world.

Portraying the same diversity onto your screen, here is our list of the 150 most worldwide Canadian last names or surnames with meanings.

Popular Canadian Surnames Or Last Names

1. Adams

It is a variant of the Scottish patronymic surname “MacAdam,” meaning “son of Adam.” Although worldwide to England, this surname is quite popular virtually the world.

2. Allen

The surname Allen is said to have derived from the Celtic word Ailin meaning “little rock.” Allen is moreover worldwide in England, Scotland, and Wales. It is moreover the variant of the surname MacAllen.

3. Anderson

The Greek origin surname is said to have derived from the Greek name “Andreas.” It ways “manly” and “son of Andrew.”

4. Armstrong

Armstrong is a patronymic Scottish surname, meaning “son of a strong man.”

5. Baker

Of Old English origin, the occupational surname sergeant ways “earner of the bread.”

6. Barbeau

It is a worldwide surname among fishermen, and was derived from the French word “barbel” meaning “fish.”

7. Beaulieu

“Beau” in French ways “fair.” Itis a habitational name for someone “living near a lovely place.”

8. Belanger

The popular Canadian name of French origin ways “beautiful or divine anger.”

9. Bell

The surname Tintinnabulate is said to have many origins. It is said to be a topographic name for those living by a tintinnabulate or an occupational name to bell-makers.

10. Bennett

Bennett is a surname of English origin, meaning “blessed.”

11. Bergeron

Derived from the French word “Berger,”this surname ways “shepherd.” The root word “Berg” moreover ways “mountain” in Old German.

12. Bernier

The French surname Bernier is an occupational meaning “huntsman.” It moreover has its origin in English, meaning “son of Bernier.”

13. Bouchard

“Bouche” in French ways “big mouth,”thus giving this expressive name a meaning “someone with a big mouth.” The surname Bouchard moreover has Norman origins with a German touch as Bourgh ways “fort” and heard ways “brave.”

14. Boucher

The French origin name ways “butcher.”

15. Brown

The English origin descriptive name refers to a person with “brown hair or complexion.”

16. Cameron

Quite a popular surname in Canada. But did you know that Cameron is a Gaelic-derived word meaning “crooked nose?”

17. Campbell

The root word “cam” in Gaelic ways “crooked” and “bell” ways “mouth,”giving this popular surname its meaning “one with a unauthorized mouth.”

18. Caron

Itis a French habitational name for someone hailing from Cairon in France.

19. Charpentier

As obvious as it sounds, this French origin surname ways “carpenter.”

20. Clark

Correlated to the word Clerk, this Old English surname derived from Latin refers to “scribe” or “secretary.”

21. Chan

It is the Cantonese version of Chen, and ways “ancient.”

22. Chen

A worldwide East Asian Surname virtually the world, Chen, ways “ancient.”

23. Cloutier

In French, “clou” ways “nail,” thus giving the meaning of “nailer” to Cloutier.

24. Collins

The British name ways “son of Colin,”where Colin is the teeny form of Nicholas.

25. Cook

As simple as a surname could get, this Old English name ways “one who cooks.”

26. Cooper

A professional English surname, Cooper, has been derived from the German name Kiefer.

27. Cormier

The French habitational surname, Cormier, ways “someone living near a sorb tree.”

28. Cote

It is a French topographic name for those “who live near a slope or a riverbed.”

29. Couture

Derived from the Latin name “consutra,” meaning “seam,”this was the family name for “tailors.”

30. Cyr

The French name Cyr, inspired by the Latin version “Cyricus,”means “master.” It was a name given to the educated.

31. Davis

Davis is a patronymic surname meaning “son of Davis.” It is said to be the English version of the Welsh surname Dyfed.

32. Desjardins

The topographic and occupational French origin name ways “gardener.”

33. Dube

The surname Dube is of French origin and refers to someone from Douba.

34. Edwards

The patronymic surname, Edwards, is of English, Scottish, and Welsh origins, meaning “son of Edward.”

35. Evans

It is the English version of the Welsh origin name meaning “son of Ifan.” Ifan later became the English Evan.

36. Ferguson

The name Ferguson has Scottish origin meaning “son of Ferguson,”and moreover ways “son of the wrestling one.”

37. Fortin

From the French word “forte” meaning “strong,” this surname finds its root in English and it ways “a strong man.”

38. Fournier

It is the French surname for “bakers.”

39. Fraser

The popular Canadian surname is of Scottish origin and is said to be passed on from the Scottish “Clan Fraser” and “Fraser of Lovat.”

40. Gaboury

It is a Norman French surname meaning “joke.”

41. Gagne

The occupational surname ways “farmer” in French. Gagnon is flipside variant.

42. Gagnon

Gagnon is a metonymic surname of French origin referring to the powerful dog family “mastiff.”

43. Gauthier

Composed of German words “to govern” and “armed,”Gauthierwas a surname given to lumberman. It is moreover a worldwide French surname meaning “forest.”

44. Gill

The habitational surname Gill of Old Norse origin refers to “someone living near a ravine.”

45. Girard

Derived from the German Gerhard, Girard ways “brave spear.”

46. Graham

The topographical Old English name refers to someone hailing from Grantham in England.

47. Grant

With origins in Old English, French, and Latin, Grantis a descriptive name referring to a “tall” or “large” individual. Also, it is the anglicized version of the Irish MacGranny.

48. Gray

Of Gaelic origin, the surname Gray is the anglicized version of McGraw or McGrath.

49. Green

The topographical surname has Old English origin means”one who lives near grasslands.”

50. Grenier

It is an occupational Old French surname for “a person working in a mill.”

51. Hall

The popular surname Hall of English and Scottish origin is an occupational surname referring to “someone working in a manor.”

52. Hamilton

This surname was carried on by the descendants of Hamilton, a town in South Lanarkshire, Scotland. In Old English, Hamilton ways “crooked nose.”

53. Harris

This patronymic Irish surname ways “son of Harry.”

54. Harvey

Derived from the Old Breton name, Harvey ways “blazing iron.”It is a name given to warriors. Although popular, this name went off the records in the 12th and 13th centuries but made an indefinite comeback in the 14th.

55. Hebert

In French, it ways “son of Hubert.” It is moreover the English version of the German surname Heber.

56. Hill

Thehabitational Old English surname ways “one living near a hill.”

57. Huppe

A popular surname in Canada, Huppe, is of German origin. It ways “the bird.”

58. Jackson

Jackson is a popular English origin name in Canada, meaning “son of Jack.”

59. Johnson

The name says it all! Jackson meaning “son of Jack” is of Scottish origin.

60. Johnstone

It is a habitational surname for a person hailing from “St. John’s town.”

61. Jones

Of Welsh origin, Jones is a patronymic surname meaning “son of John.”

62. Kelly

It is the English version of the well-known Irish name O’Ceallaigh meaning “descendent of war.” In Gaelic, the word O’ in front of a name meant “male descendent of” whereas Ceallaigh meant “to strife.”

63. Kennedy

Kennedy, a surname of leaders, is derived from the Gaelic word O’Cinneide or O’Ceanneidigh, meaning ” furious chief.”

64. Khan

The Turkish name Khan, popularized by the ruler Genghis Khan is derived from Khagan, ways “ruler.”

65. Kim

The Korean surname Kim ways “gold.”

66. King

The surname King has been derived from the English word cyning, meaning “tribal leader.”

67. Lambert

The English, French, and German origin surname ways “bright land.”

68. Landry

Landry has a German etymology. It is derived from the German word with Landric meaning “landlord.”

69. Lapointe

This worldwide Canadian name has origins in French. The word pointe in French ways “point of a lance” and was used as a nickname for soldiers.

70. Lavoie

Lavoie is a worldwide surname in Canada and France. The surname was used to refer to an “unemployed” person, who “lived by the road.”

71. Leblanc

The root word “blanc” in French ways “white.” Thus, the surname Leblanc says “one with pearly complexion.”

72. Leclerc

It is a French surname meaning “the clerk.”

73. Lee

The surname Lee finds its etymology in the Old English word Leah, meaning “meadow.”

74. Lefebre

Itis an occupational surname, as “fevre” in Old French ways “blacksmith.”

75. Lessard

The topographical surname Lessard has been passed on by the localities from the region of Provence, France.

76. Levesque

Itis a prestigious Old French origin name. The root word “eveske” ways “bishop.”

77. Lewis

It is the name of several etymologies. In English, this name is inspired by the Old Norman name Ludovicus meaning “an sturdy champion.” The name moreover has German origins.

78. Li

The popular Chinese surname Li refers to “someone living near a plum tree.”

79. Lin

Of middle Chinese origin, Lin, the worldwide surname in Canada ways “forest.”

80. Liu

The surname Liu of Mandarin origin was carried by the descendants of the Han dynasty. Also, in the Ngoni tribe, it ways “voice.”

81. Macdonald

The Irish and Scottish origin surname ways “Son of Domhnall.”

82. Marshall

A worldwide surname in most countries is an occupational surname referring to “the marshals.”

83. Martel

The root word “martel” in Old French ways “hammer.” Thus, giving this surname a metonymic meaning of “smith.”

84. Martin

Martin, a worldwide primary or surname of Latin origin has been popularized without the Roman God Mars. It is a patronymic name meaning “descendent of Mars.”

85. McLean

It is a Gaelic surname meaning “son of Gilleon.”

86. Miller

It is both an occupational and toponymic surname. The surname Miller has English and Scottish origins, meaning “one who works in a mill” or “one who hails from Glasgow locale.”

87. Michaud

Itis a noble surname of French origin, meaning “a Godly or Holy person.” Its origins stage when to Languedoc, France, where the Michaud family ruled in the 17th and 18th centuries.

88. Mitchell

The surname Mitchell has Hebrew origins and is the modern version of Micheal, meaning “son of God.” It moreover has Middle English and French etymology.

89. Moore

The name has many origins. In Old English, it refers to “someone living near an unshut land,” while in Gaelic, it finds its root in the word “mordha,” which ways “a noble person.”

90. Morin

Derived from the Old French word “morin,” the surname captivates the essence of moor and ways “dark and swarthy.”

91. Morrison

The patronymic surname ways “son of Morris.” It moreover has origins from the Scottish Clan Morrison.

92. Murphy

It is the trendy Irish name for the Gaelic “O’Murchadha,” meaning “descendent of sea warrior.”

93. Murray

In Scottish, Murray is a habitational name for “someone settled near the sea.” Whereas, in Irish, it ways “son of Mary.”

94. Nadeau

The name ways “Christmas” and originated from the Poitou region of France.

95. Nelson

It is a baptismal surname of Irish origin, meaning “son of Eleanor.” The name moreover has Irish origins meaning “son of Niall or Neil.”

96. Nguyen

The Vietnamese name ways “musical instrument.”

97. Ouellet

Ouellet is a worldwide surname among French Canadians and refers to the “source of spring.”

98. Paquette

It is a metonymic name of a “seller” as “paque,” which in Old French meant “parcel.”

99. Park

The residential English surname ways “one who lives near a park.”

100. Parker

The English origin name ways “keeper of the park.”

101. Parsons

It is a patronymic surname that ways “Parson’s son” and an occupational name meaning “Parson’s servant.”

102. Patel

The Indian origin surname ways “landlord.”

103. Payne

The worldwide English surname became popular in Britain during the Norman conquest of England. In French origin, it ways “countrymen.”

104. Pelletier

The root word “Pellet” in French ways “skin,” thus giving this surname an occupational meaning “fur trader.”

105. Peters

The Dutch origin name ways “Peter’s son.” It moreover has Latin origins where the root word “petras” ways “stones.”

106. Poirier

Poirier is a French habitational surname referring to someone “living near a pear tree.”

107. Poulin

Composed of the French element “poul” meaning “chicken,”Poulinis a metonymic occupational name for an “animal breeder.”

108. Powell

Taken from the Welsh, the English name ways “son of Hywel.”

109. Reid

Reid is a descriptive surname of Scottish origin referring to a person “with red hair.”

110. Reynolds

Derived from the native German word, Reginald, this surname ways “powerful ruler.”

111. Richard

The French name Richard has origins in two German words “ric” and “hard,” meaning ‘powerful” and “brave.”

112. Roberts

It is a worldwide German origin name derived from the warmed-over version Hrodebert that means”brave.”

113. Robertson

The patronymic Scottish surname ways “son of Robert.”

114. Robinson

It ways “son of Robin,” where Robin ways “bright” in Old English.

115. Rogen

The Irish name, Rogen, ways ‘a red-haired person.”

116. Ross

Ross has both Gaelic and German origins. In Gaelic, it typically refers to “promontory” while in German, it ways “a horse.”

117. Roy

Common to England, France, Bengal, and Scotland, the surname Roy ways “king” and has Old Norman origins.

118. Russell

The Anglo-Norman surname Russell ways “red” and used to refer to someone with “red hair.”

119. Sartre

Derived from the Latin word sartor, this French surname ways “tailor.”

120. Scott

The name Scott ways “wanderer.”

121. Serrurier

Derived from French, the occupational surname ways “blacksmith.”

122. Shaw

It is a habitational Old English name given to people “living near the woods.”

123. Simard

Of German origin, Simard ways “famous victory.”

124. Simpson

It is a patronymic English and Scottish surname meaning “son of Simon.”

125. Singh

The name Singh ways “lion” in Farsi and is a metonymic name for “brave.”

126. Smith

The Old English surname refers to “blacksmith.”

127. St.Jean

It is a habitational name for the descendants from the region of St.Jean in France or Belgium.

128. Stewart

Derived from the Old German word stigeweard, Stewart refers to the “guardian of a house or Steward.”

129. Taylor

The French origin name ways “one who stitches clothes.”

130. Thibault

The French surname of Germanic origin ways “bold people.”

131. Thomas

It means”son of Thomas,” and is moreover a popular surname in England, Germany, and the Netherlands.

132. Thompson

It is a patronymic British name meaning “son of Thomas.”

133. Toussaint

Tous meaning “all,” this surname of French origin was used to name a child born on All Saints Day.

134. Trembley

Also written as Tremblay, the surname is of French origin, referring to someone living near an Aspen tree.

135. Turner

Of English and French origins, Turner ways “one who works with the lathe.”

136. Urbain

The root word stuff ”urban,” Urbain is a habitational French surname referring to a person “from a city.”

137. Vaillancourt

The French origin name originated from the regions of Lorraine, Northern France. It is a topographic name meaning “low-lying farms.”

138. Van

Van is increasingly of a prefix for surnames in Dutch but used as a surname in Canada. It ways “from” and is placed surpassing the native habitational surname.

139. Villeneuve

The surname ways “new settlement” in French and was worldwide among new settlers in a place.

140. Walker

The surname has English, Scottish, and German etymology. It was an occupational surname given to “forest baby-sit or inspector.”

141. Walsh

The surname Walsh originated without the Norman invasion of Ireland. It ways “Briton” or “foreigner,” and is given to the soldiers who were brought by Britain.

142. Wang

It is a surname of rulers as in Old Chinese Wang, it meant “king.”

143. Ward

It is an Old English and Old Gaelic surname, given to the “keeper of the gates” or “guardian.”

144. Watson

The popular surname ways “son of Walter.”

145. White

The English surname was given to a person “with white complexion.”

146. Williams

The surname Williams originated in England, France, and Italy. It is a patronymic name meaning “descendent of William.”

147. Wilson

“Wil” ways “desire” in English and Scottish. This name moreover ways “son of William.”

148. Wood

The popular English and Scottish habitational name refers to someone ‘living near the forest or wood.”

149. Young

The surname Young originated to distinguish the younger progeny of a family. It is moreover the anglicized version of the French name Dion.

150. Zhang

It is a surname for warriors, as it ways “archer” in Chinese.

The worldwide Canadian last names or surnames requite you a peek into their history. As Canada has unchangingly been unshut to immigrants, it has wilt a country with people from every corner of the world. With so much diversity, don’t you think Canada is a mini-world of its own?

References:

Recommended Articles