French-to-English Translations of the Occupations Recorded in Genealogy Records Before 1775

It is surprising to discover how many occupations were recorded in French genealogical records.

The most common occupation was that of farmer. Most people had to produce the food they needed for their large families because transportation across the country was primitive by today's standards. Transportation across the land was done with horses or on foot, and that on inland water done by canoe along with portage because the main waterways, like the St Lawrence River, often had rapids. Trade across the ocean was practically slow since all carrying was done by ships whose power source was wind.

The earliest occupation was that of soldier. The first French men sent to Canada were soldiers whose mission it was to keep other countries' kings from claiming the land for themselves and keeping foreigners out.

But in addition to the job of farmer and soldier, there were a large number of specialized occupations as well. There were no factories. Everything had to be made by hand on an individual basis. Goods required local craftsman and tradespeople.

It's not always easy to find out what those occupations actually were, so this listing is provided here to help. It is a list of all the professions that people recorded, on census, marriage and death records, that men and women had before 1775. The French listing of jobs held by every man, where the information was available, was drafted in 1798, and is translated and resorted alphabetically by me here.

Kinds of Work Related Words:

labeur = labour
métier [met!] = trade, craft
oeuvre = a work
ouvrage = work
occupation = occupation
professionel = professional
travail = work; labour

Male:

Most frequent:

fermier = farmer
soldat = soldier

Alphabetic:

acteur = actor
administrateur (noble and non-noble) = director, manager; trustee, administrator
anspessade =
apothicaire = apothecary
apprenti = apprentice
architecte = architect
armurier = armourer or gunsmith
arpenteur = land-surveyor
arquebusier = arquebusier, harquebusier (?)
aubergiste = innkeeper; landlord
avocat = lawyer
bailli = bailliff
banquier = banker
bêcheur = digger (agriculture)
bedeau = beadle, verger (?)
berger = shepherd; pastor
beurier = butter maker or butter-man
blanchisseur = launderer, washerman
bonnetier = hosier (textiles)
brasseur = brewer (of beer)
briquetier = brick-maker
brocheur = sewer of books
boucher = butcher
boulanger = baker
bourgeois = burgess; citizen, middle-class person
boutonnier = button-maker (of metal)
braconnier = poacher
bucheron = wood-cutter, woodman, lumberjack, lumberman
cabaretier = publican
cantinier = (military) canteen-keeper; sutler
calfat = caulker
canonnier = gunner (maker of cannon stuff because cat as metal artisan)
capitaine = (military) captain; (nautical) master mariner, deep-sea captain (of ocean-going merchantman or ship); lieutenant-commander (of corvette); commander (of frigate); harbour-master (of port); captain (of ship); skipper, maser (of merchant ship)
caporal = (military) corporal; (commerce) caporal (tobacco)
cardeur = carder (textiles)
cardinal = (ecclesiastic) cardinal
chamoiseur = not sure...something to do with chamois or shammy-leather
chanteur = singer
chantre = (ecclesiastic) singer or cantor
chapelier = hatter
chandelier = (ecclesiastic) candlemas
charbonnier = charcoal burner (maker of charcoal of wood); coal-heaver; coal-merchant, coal-dealer, coalman (merchant); (nautical) coaler
charcutier = pork-butcher
charretier = carrier, carter, carman
charpentier = carpenter
charpentier de navire = ship carpenter
charron = cartwright, wheelwright
chasseur = hunter, huntsmant; trapper; page-boy, messenger-boy, commissionaire, bell-boy, bellhop; (military) (with alpin) alpine troops, mountain light infantryman; (nautical) chaser
chaudronnier = coppersmith, tinsmith, brazier
chaufournier = not sure {chauffeur = stoker, fireman; chauffeur, driver}
chef de bataillon = (military) major, battalion chief
chirurgien-major = surgeon
chirurgine {chirurgienne = female surgeon}
clerc = clerk (of lawyer)
clergé = (ecclesiastic) clergy, priest
cloutier = nail-maker, nail-merchant
cocher = coachman; cabman, cab-driver
coiffeur = barber
colon = colonist, settler, planter
colonel = (military) colonel
commandant = (military) commandant, major; (nautical) captain (grade) {commandeur = commandant also but not found in documents}
commerçant = tradesman, trader {see marchand = merchant also}
commis = clerk, salesman
commissaire des vivres = commissary (delegated), steward; (juridicious) commissioner; (military) prosecutor; (nautical) average surveyor, paymaster, purser
comptable = accountant, book-keeper
contracteur = contractor
contrebandier = smuggler
contremaitre = foreman, overseer, ganger; boatswain's mate
copiste = copyist
cordier = rope-maker
cordonnier = shoe-maker, boot-maker, cobbler
corroyeur = currier, leather dresser
courrant des bois = hunter in the woods {coureur = runner}
courrier = courrier, messenger
couseur = sewer
coutelier = cutler
couvreur = slater (in slate); thatcher (in thatch); tiler (in tiles) (roofer?)
cuisinier = cook, chef
cultivateur = farmer, cultivator
debardeur = docker, stevedore
défricheur = clearer; pioneer; explorer (of land)
dentiste = dentist
directeur d'entreprise = director, manager, president of enterprise
distillateur = distiller (modern word)
distilleur =distiller (word found in records)
docteur en medecine = doctor, physician
douanier = custom-house officer
drapier = draper
draveur =
ébéniste = cabinet-maker
échevin = alderman
écuyer = esquire; squire, armour-bearer; carver (tranchant); rider, horseman
éleveur = farmer (of bees, furry animals), breeder, stockbreeder
enseignant = teacher
enseigne = (military) ensign; (nautical) sub-lieutenant
esclave = slave
évèque = bishop
fabricant d'armes = maker of arms (metal-work)
fabricant de tabac = tobacco maker
facteur = maker; carman, carrier; postman
faiseur d'avirons = maker of oars
farinier = flour-merchant
fendeur de bois = splitter of wood
ferblantier = tinsmith, tinman or merchant of tinware
fermier = farmer; tenant-farmer; crofter
fifre = fife-player, fifer (artist)
fileur = spinner (of threads)
fondeur = founder (of metals like bronze), caster (of metals)
forgeron = blacksmith
fourbisseur d'épée = refurbisher of swords
fourrier = (military) quarter-master sergeant
fourreur = furrier
fraudeur = defrauder; smuggler
fromager = cheese-maker; cheese-monger, cheese-dealer
garçon de service = boy in service
garde = guardian, watchman, keeper, warden
garde-magasin = warehouseman
gardeur = keeper; preserver; herder
gardien = guardian; keeper; protector
garnisson = (military) garrison
geolier = jailer
gouverneur = governor
grand prévot = grand-provost
greffier = town-clerk, recorder, registrar; clerk
habitant = settler, planter (agriculture)
homme de peine = labourer
horloger = clock-maker
horticulteur = horticulturist
hotelier = {owner of hotel or hostel}
huissier = usher
imprimeur = printer (of books, cloth, metal)
ingénieur = engineer
inpecteur = inspector
instituteur = founder, institutor (of hospital, etc...); school-teacher, school-master
interprete = interpreter
jardinier = gardener
journaliste = journalist
juge = judge
laboureur = laborer (of agriculture)
laitier = milkman, dairy man
libraire = bookseller; bookstall attendant
lieutenant = (military) lieutenant; (nautical) lieutenant, lieutenant-commander
lieutenant-colonel = (military) lieutenant-colonel
lieutenant-major = (military) lieutenant-major
lieutenant-aide-major = (military) lieutenant-major-aide???
maçon = mason, brick-layer
maître = teacher
maître-couturier = couturier, ladies' tailor
maitre d'armes = master or chief of arms
maitre de barque = master of barge or small boat
maître d'école = teacher
majeur = major
majeur de la garnisson = major of the garrison
manufacturier = manufacturer, mill-owner
maraicher = market-gardener
marbrier = marble-cutter
marchand = dealer, tradesman, merchant; shopkeeper
marchand de nouveauté = merchant of fancy goods (linen, drapery)
=draper
{marechal = (military) marshall}
marechal des logis = (military) cavalry or artillery sergeant
marechal-ferrant = blacksmith, farrier (tied to horseshoeing)
marguillier = (ecclesiastic) churchwarden
matelot
{marteleur = hammersmith, hammerman}
mécanicien = mechanic, mechanical engineer
mégissier = tawer, leather-dresser
mendiant = beggar
menuisier = joiner, carpenter
messager = messenger
meunier = miller (food)
milicien = (military) militia man
militaire = (military) military man, serviceman, soldier
mineur = miner, collier
modiste = milliner, modiste
mousse = (nautical) ship's boy, deck-boy
musicien = musician
navigateur = (nautical) navigator, sailor
négociant = wholesale dealer or merchant; wholesaler
nettoyeur = cleaner
noblesse = nobility
(administrateurs) noble = noble, nobleman {the weighty}
notable =
{notaire?=notary]
nourrice = nurse, wet-nurse - move
orfèvre = goldsmith
ouvrier métallurgiste = metal-worker
palefrenier = stableman, groom, ostler
passeur = ferryman
patissier = pastry-cook
peaussier = skin-dresser
pêcheur = fisherman
peigneur = wool-comber (textiles)
peintre = painter (art)
peintre en batiment = painter of buildings
pelletier = furrier
perruquier = wig-maker or barber
pharmacien = chemist, druggist
pilote = (nautical) pilot {see timonier}
plombier = plumber, lead-worker
poigneur = {poignee = handle}
pompier = fireman
porcher = swine-herd, swine-keeper
porte-cassette = not sure
postier = post-office employee
postillon = not sure
potier = potter (clay, metal0
poudrier = not sure, possibly gunpowder maker
poullieur = not sure
prêtre = priest
prisonnier = prisonner
ramoneur = chimney-sweep, sweep
receveur general = receiver-general, collector-general
religieux (se) = (ecclesiastic) monk; also other religious people
reporter = reporter
relieur = bookbinder (metal work artisan)
roulier = haulier, carrier, waggoneer
sabotier = sabot-maker
saunier = salt-maker
savetier = cobbler (shoe-maker)
secretaire = secretary
seigneur = lord, master, noble; owners of manors or seignory
senechal = seneschal
sergent = sergeant
sergent-major = (military) quartermaster-sergeant
scieur de long = pit-sawyer
scieur de pierre = sawyer of stone, rock cutter
sculpteur = sculptor (of rock, wood)
sellier = saddler, harness-maker
serger (something to do with twill in textile)
serrurier = locksmith
soldat = soldier
sous-lieutenant = (military) second-lieutenant
sous-officier = (military) non-commissioned officer
syndic = syndic
taillandier = edge-tool maker
tailleur = tailor {see couturier); banker; (agriculture) cutter, pruner
tailleur de pierre =cutter of precious stones, hewer of stone
tailleur d'habit = suit tailor, man's tailor
tambour = drummer
tanneur = tanner
tapissier = upholsterer or tapestry-maker or tapestry-merchant (tapis also means carpet)
teinturier = dyer; dyer and cleaner
timonier = (nautical) helmsman, man at wheel, steersman; signal man
tireur de laine = wool puller
tisserand = weaver (of fabric)
tisseur = weaver (of fabric)
tissier = not in my dictionary, but must be related to woven material
tondeur = shearer (of cloth, sheep) or clipper (of animals)
tonnelier = cooper (wood)
tourneur = turner, lathe-worker
traitant = medical practicioner {usually with medecin}
traiteur = eating-house or restaurant keeper
transporteur = transporter, carrier
trappeur = trapper
travaillant = worker, labourer
trompette = trumpeter
typographe = printer
vacher = cowherd, cow-keeper
vagabond = vagabond, vagrant, tramp
valet = man-servant, valet, groom, stable-lad or ostler, farmhand, footman
vanneur = (agriculture) winnower, sifter; (technical) vanner
vannier = basket-maker or basket-worker
{vendeur = seller; (commerce) vendor; salesman; shopman; shop-assistant, counterhand; salesclerk}
vendeur d'animaux = seller of animals
vigneron = vine-grower
vinaigrier = vinegar-maker; vinegar-merchant
vitrier = glazier; window-glass maker
voilier = (technical) sail-maker
voiturier = carrier, carter
voyageur = traveller; passenger; (commercial) commercial traveller

Master tradesmen are also recorded as such in the records. The French word "maître-" is placed in front of the profession to designate a master-craftsman.

For example, a master-carpenter would be recorded as maître-charpentier.

The French king was not in France, but this lists French occupations related to him:

page = page
prince = prince
princesse = princess
reine = queen
roi = king
roy = king

Female:

bonne = maid
chanteuse = singer
dame de compagnie = female companion
domestique = maid
gouvernante = governess or housekeeper
infirmière = nurse
intendante de maison du seigneur ou bourgeois = manager of house of lord
maîtresse = teacher
sage-femme = midwife
servante = servant
soeur = nun, sister
suivante, maitre d'hotel = maid of hotel

The Simplest Ways to Edit a File With French Accented Letters or Long Names Using Cut-and-Paste or Find-and-Replace

I still think that the most efficient ways of adding French accented letters or words other than with the Alt-key combos is to use cut-and-paste or do find-and-replace operations.

You can start by sticking all the accented letters in a row, all spaced out, at the top of a file. When you need an accented letter, cut it out and paste it where you need it. Keep the most frequently used symbol, é, in your cut memory buffer when not in use.

Another option is to use a special character to represent a given letter-accent combo, and when you are done, do a find-and-replace on all of them.

For example, you can use the / to represent é, \ to represent è, ^ to represent ê, etc...

Or you can do the same using initials such as JB, FX, Js or PQ to represent the long or frequent names Jean-Baptiste, François-Xavier, Joseph or Quebec, or any other.

Then at the end of your work, you simply do a find-and-replace operation under Edit to replace all of the symbols or abbreviations with the characters. This way, you type a symbol with one keystroke and let the word processor do the substitution of the Alt-code which is normally four keystrokes for you. Or you type a 2 keystroke abbreviation and turn it into a 6 to 25-or-more letter word combination.

However, you have to be careful doing it this way. If you make an error and substitute a symbol for the wrong accented letter, you can completely wreck your document. It's useful then to save the file in temp files in between each find-and-replace operation in case of a mistake. This shorcut method is not recommended if you are being distracted by pets, kids, tv, ipod or phone.

It's extremely important to keep your symbols and abbreviations consistent from work period to another, and from file to file, in case you forget a find-and-replace operation one day or want to do it some other day, like when you are completely done with the file

Replacing Your Keyboard With the International Keyboard to Type In French Accents

Another alternative to try when typing a lot of accented or special ASCII characters is to set up the keyboard as an International Keyboard so you don’t have to type in lots of 3 and 4 digit memorized or looked up numbers, or use cut and paste.

Changing your keypad to International allows you to type in a symbol representing an specific accent before a letter in order to create the letter. However, this makes it more difficult to type in quotation marks ‘ ’ and " " because then you have to hit the space bar every time you want it to act like a quotation mark.

For example, the common French expression c’est can only be typed by typing c, then ‘, then space, then e s t if you change to the International Keyboard.

If you type in a lot more quotation marks than accented letters, it’s probably easier to leave your keyboard setup as is and type in the ASCII ALT codes as needed. Or you can reset your keyboard back and forth depending on what you are mostly doing.

The International Keyboard setup will allow you to make the following accents with 2 or 3 keystroke instead of 4 or 5:

é ........ type ‘ (on " keyboard key, middle-right) then e
à, è, ... type ` (on ~ keyboard key, upper-left) then vowel
ê, ô .... type ^ (on 6 keyboard key, upper-middle) then vowel
ë, ï,ü .. hold shift key and press ‘ (on " keyboard key, middle-right) then vowel

Of course, each operating system has a different way of setting up the keyboard. Once set up, the lower right corner of your desktop should have a little box telling you the keyboard that you are using is US - International.

For all Windows operating systems, start by opening the Control Panel.

This is done usually either through the Start Menu or through the My Computer icon in non-
Vista systems, and Control Panel Home in the Classic View in Vista systems.

Vista: Under Clock, Language, and Region, click Change keyboards or other input methods, click Change keyboards, click Add, scroll down to English (United States). If the list doesn’t show United States-International, click + to show full list. Pick United States-International from the list, then click OK in each dialog window.

XP: Double-click Regional and Language Options, click Languages, click Details, click Add, pick English (United States - International) under Keyboard Layout/IME and pick English (United States) under Input, click OK.

Win 95, 98, ME, NT: Double-click Keyboard, click Language, click Properties, Settings or Details (whichever one you see), click Add, pick English International or United States International, click OK.

Win 2000: Double-click Keyboard, click Input Locales, click Change, click Add, pick English International or United States International, click OK.

How to Type In French Accents

There are different ways to type Franch accents into documents.

ASCII Alt Key Method:

The following is a compilation of ASCII code numbers that allow one to type in accented French letters. Only the commonly found accented letters are listed in this text.

To start off, push the NumLock button on the keypad if your keyboard is usually set so that the keypad functions of Insert, Delete, Page Up, Page Down, Home and End are the ones your keypad is set to. This will change your keypad so that the keys are now numbers. Usually, when you restart your computer, it sets the keys to the functions as opposed to the numbers.

To get an accented letter, press and hold the Alt key at the bottom of the keyboard, and type in the three digit number corresponding to the accented letter. Use only the right-most keypad numbers, not the numbers at the top row of the keyboard.

If typing the numbers does not work and you get a "?" or nothing, then push the NumLock button on the keypad and then try again.

Result Alt Key And
à ......... 133
ç .......... 135
é .......... 130
è .......... 138
ê .......... 136

Remember, press Alt and the code at the same time to get the accented letter. You also have to release the Alt key before it shows up on the screen.

These are most of the only ones you will ever need in genealogy, and you may want to memorize them or write them on a post-it note.

Since a laptop doesn’t have a keypad and the letters on the keyboard serve as the keypad, this can be a bit of a nightmare to hit the right key since the keypad function of the letter is tiny and doesn’t really stand out at all.

One of the things I do when I need to type in a lot of special accented characters is store a list of them in a file. When I need it, I simply open that file when I need it, and either copy and paste the characters in and out of the file, or simply look at the file with its listed code and type it in, in order to not to have to memorize the Alt codes. The file can be stored with your family tree computer files.

If you need to use the keypad as function keys, just toggle the Numlock key on and off.

The following accents are rarely found in genealogy, but are included here because there are some occurences of them, along with the most common ones above, just in case you need one:

Result Alt Key And ...................... or Alt Key And

â .......... 131 ...... a with circonflexe ......... 0226
ä .......... 132 ...... a with tréma or umlaut 0228
à .......... 133 ...... a with accent grave ...... 0224
ç .......... 135 ...... c cedilla .......................... 0231
é .......... 130 ...... e with accent aigu ........ 0233
è .......... 138 ...... e with accent grave ...... 0232
ê .......... 136 ...... e with circonflexe ......... 0234
ë .......... 137 ...... e with tréma .................. 0235
î ........... 140 ...... i with circonflexe .......... 0238
ï ........... 139 ...... i with tréma ................... 0239
ô .......... 147 ...... o with circonflexe .......... 0244
ö .......... 148 ...... o with tréma .................. 0246
ù .......... 151 ...... u with accent grave ...... 0249
û .......... 150 ...... u with circonflexe ......... 0251
ü .......... 129 ...... u with tréma .................. 0252
ÿ .......... 152 ...... y with tréma .................. 0255

This shows that you can either press the Alt key with the three digit code, or the Alt key with the four digit one all with a leading zero.

In French, by convention, if the first letter of a capitalized word is accented, the accent is omitted.

However, sometimes people do like or want the accent on the capitalized words to emphasize its non-capitalized spelling for the purpose of accuracy, so that list of ALT keys is included here:

Result Alt ..... or Alt

À ......... 0192
 ......... 0194
Ä ......... 142 ....... 0196
Ç ......... 128 ....... 0199
É ......... 144 ....... 0201
È ......... 0200
Ë ......... 0203
Ê ......... 0202
Î .......... 0206
Ï .......... 0207
Ô ......... 0212
Ö ......... 153 ....... 0214
Ù ......... 0217
Û ......... 0219
Ü ......... 154 ....... 0220

Note that in this list of capitalized accented letters, some require a 4-digit ASCII or ALT code in which the leading 0 must be typed in.

There are two other French letter combinations which have a special character code. They are not however needed since typing in the two vowels will do. But for the sake of fun or appearance, you may want to use the special characters themselves.

Result ALT ......Type............................................... or Alt

æ ......... 145 ........ ae ......... a e ligature .....................0230
Æ ........ 146 ........ AE ........ a e ligature capitalized . 0198
œ ......... 156 ........ oe ......... o e ligature
Π........ 140 ........ OE ........o e ligature capitalized

--------------------------------------------------------

Microsoft Word

Hold down the Control key and press the symbol key or keys all together. Then release the keys and type in the letter that goes with the symbol.

Result Ctrl

â .......... Shift + ^ (caret), a
ä .......... Shift + : (colon), a
à .......... `(accent grave), a
ç .......... , (comma), c
é .......... ‘ (apostrophe below "), e
è .......... ` (accent grave), e
ê .......... Shift + ^ (caret), e
ë .......... Shift + : (colon), e
î ........... Shift + ^ (caret), i
ï ........... Shift + : (colon), i
ô .......... Shift + ^ (caret), o
ö .......... Shift + : (colon), o
ù .......... Shift + ` (grave), u
û .......... Shift + ^ (caret), u
ü .......... Shift + : (colon), u
ÿ .......... Shift + : + y
æ ......... Shift+ &, a
œ ......... Shift+ &, a

Thus, press the Control key and either ', `, "," , Shift key and :, Shift key and 6 or Shift key and &, then release all two to three keys, and click the letter that is to be accented.

In summary,the symbol key or keys are: ‘ = aigu, ` = grave, Shift and : = trema, Shift and ^ = circumflex, Shift and & = ligature.

For capitals, simply substitute the letter with its capital, using Shift and letter.

I’m not sure how Microsoft Word saves keystrokes from the Alt-key way, since it uses up 4 to 5 typed keys for regular accented letters, and 5 to 6 for capitals, when the same thing using the Alt-keys requires 4 for regular letters and 5 for capitals.

---------------------------------------------------------

Mac OS:

Hold down the Option key and press the symbol key. Then release the keys and type in the letter that goes with the symbol.

Result Option

â ........... I, a
ä ........... U, a
à ........... ` (accent grave above Tab key), a
ç ........... C
é ........... E, e
è ........... ` (accent grave), e
ê ........... I, e
ë ........... U, e
î ............ I, i
ï ............ U, i
ô ........... I, o
ö ........... U, o
ù ........... ` (accent grave), a
û ........... I, u
ü ........... U, u
ÿ ........... U, y

Thus, in general, press Option and a letter E, I or U, or the accent grave, then release and click the letter to be accented.

In summary, the symbol key or keys are: C = cedille, I = circumflex, ` = grave, E = aigu, U = trema.

For capitals, simply substitute the letter with its capital, using Shift and letter.

For translation's sake, the French-to-English translation of the accents themselves are:

accent = accent
aigu = aigu
grave = grave
circonflexe = circumflex
tréma = trema
cédille = cedilla
ligature = ligature

Common French Male First Names, Translations and Roots

Prior to the 20th century, most French boys were named similarly, especially the further back in time one goes.

Most of these names came from the Bible's New Testament, Catholic early saints, occasionally the Old Testament or French royalty.

The Catholic tradition was for each boy to have a unique name, combined with the name Joseph as a second or middle name. But some priests wanted all boys to be named Joseph first, and occasionally placed the name Joseph as first name without the consent of the parents. So a Joseph name may not be the name the boy or man actually went by, but rather, his name may have simply been the second listed name

The practice of switching the order of the names was much more commonly done with girls though, than boys.

At some point in time, boys were given a first, second and third name to go with their surname. In this instance, all boys' third name had to be Joseph. The tradition continues in the Catholic Church to this day.

Though girls names often were adapted from male names, never did the opposite occur where a boy's name was the masculinized version of a female saint.

Though some boys had names that came the Old Testament names, the frequency of use of these names was extremely low.

The following lists all of the common first male names spelled correctly in French, with the source of the name and the English translation where it's not obvious:

Adam ................... Adam, of the Old Testament
Aäron ................... Aaron, of the Old Testament
Aimé
Amable
Andre ................... Saint Andrew
Baptiste ................ Saint John the Baptist
Claude................... Saint Claude
David..................... David of the Old Testament
Denis or Denys ... Saint Denis
Emerance?
Etienne
François ............... Saint Francis
François-Xavier .. Saint Francis
Gabriel ................. Angel Gabriel
Giles
Honore or Honoré
Hugues
Jacques ................. from Jacob and thus Jack
Jean ....................... Saint John, evangelist
Jean-Baptiste ....... Saint John the Baptist
Joseph ................... Saint Joseph, stepfather of Jesus
Lazarus
Léo ......................... Many saint popes of this name
Louis ...................... Saint and French king Louis
Marc ...................... Saint Mark, evangelist .... from French Marc
Mathieu ................. Saint Matthew
Mathurin ............... Saint Matthew, from French Mathieu
Martin .................... Saint Martin
Michel ..................... Archangel Michael, from French Michel
Moïse ...................... Moses, of the Old Testament
Moÿse ..................... Moses, older spelling
Nicolas .................... Saint Nicholas
Noé ......................... Noah, of the Old Testament
Paul .........................Saint Paul, from French Paul
Pierre ..................... Saint Peter, from French Pierre
Raphael .................. Angel Raphael
René
Simon...................... Saint Simon in the New Testament
Solomon ................. Solomon, of the Old Testament
Thomas................... Saint Thomas
Vincent ................... Saint Vincent
Xavier

Common French Female First Names, Translations and Roots

Prior to the 20th century, most French girls were named similarly, especially the further back in time one goes.

Most of these names were feminized forms of male names, most of whom came from the Bible's New Testament, Catholic early saints or French royalty.

The few female names that are not founded on male names also come directly from the New Testament, Catholic saints or French royalty too.

The Catholic tradition was for each girl to have a unique name, combined with the name Marie as a second or middle name. But some priests wanted all girls to be named Marie, and often placed the name Marie as first name without the consent of the parents. So a Marie-x name may not be the name the girl or woman actually went by, but rather, her name may have simply been the second listed name, despite the documents showing otherwise.

At some point in time, girls were given a first, second and third name to go with their surname. In this instance, all girls' third name had to be Marie. The tradition continues in the Catholic Church to this day.

There are some instances of women's name being taken from the Old Testament, but their occurence was extremely rare.

The most common name is Marie, which is followed a distant second with Marie-Joseph or one of the latter's variations, such as Marie-Josephte or Marie-Josette.

The following lists all of the common first female names spelled correctly in French, with the common abbreviation, source of the name, the English translation where it's not obvious and its meaning and origin:

Adelaide (Ad.) (German) noble and serene
Adriane (Greek) rich; (Latin) dark (Saint Adrian (male))
Agathe (Ag.) Agatha (Greek) good, kind (Saint Agatha (long before 530))
Agnes (Greek) pure (Saint (d. c. 305))
Aimee (Latin) loved
Amable Amabel (Latin) lovable
Andrée Andrea (Greek) strong, courageous (Saint Andrew (male), from French Andre)
Angeline Angela (Greek) angel, messenger (Angel)
Angelique (Ang.) Angela (Greek) angel, messenger (Angel)
Anne (A.) Ann (Hebrew) gracious (from Hannah) (Saint, mother of Mary)
Antoinette (Ant.) Antonia (Greek) flourishing (Latin) praiseworthy (Saint Antony (male), from French Antoine)
Archange (Arch.) Archangel (Angel)
Aymee (Latin) loved (see Aimee)
Barbe Barb (Latin) stranger, foreigner (Saint Barbara (d. c 303))
Bastienne
Brefitte
Carole Carol (French) song of joy (English) strong and womanly (German) farmer
Caroline (Car.) Carolyn (French) little and womanly
Catherine (Cath.) Katherine (Greek) pure (Saints)
Cécile (Latin) blind (Saint Cecilia (3rd century))
Charlotte (Charl.) (French) little and womanly (form of Caroline; also from Charles)
Christine (Greek) Christian, anointed (Jesus Christ)
Claire (Latin) clear, bright (Saint Clare (1194-1253) & (d.1308))
Claude Claudia (Latin) lame (Saint Claude (male))
Claudette Claudia (Latin) lame (Saint Claude (male))
Clemence (Latin) merciful (Saint Clement (male))
Colombe (Latin) dove (Saint Columba (male))
Cunegonde (Cun.) (Saint Cunegund (c. 978-1033)) rarely found today
Deborah bee (Deborah, from Old Testament)
Delia (Greek, from Delos) visible; (German) short form of Adelaide
Delima short form of Rose de Lima, rarely found today
Denise or Denyse French: (follower of Dionysius) (Saint Dennis (male), from French Denis)
Desiree (French) desired, longed for
Dominique Dominica (Latin) belonging to the Lord (Saint Dominic (male))
Dorothee Dorothy (Greek) gift from God (Saint Dorothea (d. c. 304))
Edmee form of Aimee?
Emma-Marie Emily-Mary (Latin) flatterer (German) industrious
Emerance (Saint Emerentiana) rarely found today
Esther (Persian) star (Esther in Old Testament, synonym of Ishtar, Babylonian & Assyrian goddess of love, fertility and war)
Ethiennette (Et.)
Etiennette (Et.) (Greek) crowned (from Saint Stephen, the French Saint Etienne (male)) rarely found today
Elisabeth (Elis.) Elizabeth (Hebrew) consecrated to God (Saint, cousin of Mary)
Elizabeth (Eliz.) see above
Eveline (Hebrew Eve) life (Eve from the Old Testament)
Felicite (Fel.) (Latin) fortunate, happy
Fleurence (French) flower
Florence (Latin) flowering, blooming, prosperous
Françoise (Frse.) Frances (Latin) free, from France (Saint Francis (male))
Gabrielle (Gab.) (Hebrew) devoted to God (Angel Gabriel (male))
Geneviève (Gen.) (French) white wave, white phantom (German, Welsh) Guinevere (Saint Genofeva or Genevieve (d. c . 500))
Germaine (French) from Germany (Saint Germanus (male), French Germain)
Gilberte (German) brilliant, pledge, trustworthy (Saint Gilbert (male))
Gilette (Saint Giles)
Gratienne ()
Guillemette (English William) determined guardian (Saint Guillaume (male) means William)
Guillemine (English William) determined guardian (Saint Guillaume (male) means William)
Hélène (Hel.) Helen, Ellen (Greek) light (Saint Helena (c. 250-330) & Helen (d. c.1160))
Honora or Honoré Honoured (Saint Honorius (male))
Huguette (German) bright mind (Saint Hugh (male), French Hugues) rarely found today
Isabelle (Isa.) Isabel (Spanish) consecrated to God (Saint Elizabeth, cousin of Mary)
Jacqueline (Jacq. or Jq.) supplanter, substitute (from St James of New Testament, from Jacob of Old Testament)
Jacquette (Jacq. or Jq.) same as above
(Marie-)Jacques (M.Jq.)
Jeanne (Jne.) Jean, Jane (French) God is gracious (Saint John, evangelist, female form of Jean)
Jehanne
Joanne
(Marie-)Joseph (M.J. or M.Jos.) (Saint Marie and Joseph, parents of Jesus )
Josephte or Josette (J. or Jos.) (French) God will add, God will increase (Saint Joseph, stepfather of Jesus)
Josephine
Judith
Julienne
Justine
Lenoire
Liesse a familiar form of Elizabeth rarely found today
Lise Lisa a familiar form of Elizabeth
Lisette Lisa a familiar form of Elizabeth
Louise (Lse.) (German) famous warrior (Saint and French king Louis)
Lucie
Madeleine (Mad.) Madeline (Greek) high tower, from Hebrew Magdala (Saint Mary-Magdeleine)
Magdeleine (Mag. or Magd.) same as above; rarely found in this form today
Marceline (Marc.) (Saint Mark, evangelist .... from French Marc)
Marguerite (Marg.) Margaret (Greek) pearl (Saint)
Marianne
Marie (M.) Mary (Hebrew) bitter, sea of bitterness (Mother of Jesus and other Biblical Saintly women, from Hebrew Hiriam)
Marthe Martha (Aramaic) lady, sorrowful (Saint, sister of Lazarus and Mary)
Mathurine (Math.) (Hebrew) gift of God (Saint Mathew, from French Mathieu) rarely found today
Martine Martina (Latin) martial, warlike (Saint Martin (male))
Michelle (Hebrew) who is like God? (Archangel Michael (male), from French Michel)
Monique
Nicole (Greek) victorious people (Saint Nicholas (male))
Noelle
Noemie
Odile (Greek) melody, song; ode (Hebrew) I will praise God (English) forested hill (Saint (660-720)) rarely found today
Pauline (Latin) small (Saint Paul, from French Paul)
Pérette (Saint Peter, from French Pierre)
Perine (French) pear-tree; (Latin, Greek) small rock (Saint Peter, from French Pierre)
Périnne (French) pear-tree; (Latin, Greek) small rock (Saint Peter, from French Pierre)
Peronne
Pierrette (Saint Peter, from French Pierre)
Philomene (Phil.) Philomena (Greek) loved song, loved one (Saint Philomena (early Roman martyr- called Lumina on tomb) rarely found today
Radégonde (Rad.) (Saint Radegund (518-87)) rarely found today
Reine (Saint Rayne)
Renée (French) born again
Richarde
Roberte
Rolline
Rose (R.) (Latin) rose (Saint Rose de Lima)
Rose-de-lima (R.d.L.) Rose of Lima (other name for Mary, mother of Jesus; also Saint Rose de Lima (1586-1617)) rarely found today in French names
Rose-Delima same as above
Sara Sarah (Hebrew) princess (Sarah of the Old Testament)
Scholastique (Schol.)
Sebastienne
Simone (Hebrew) she heard (Saint Simon (male) in the New Testament)
Sophie Sophia
Susanne (Sus.) Susan (Hebrew) lily (Saint Susanna (3rd century))
Suzanne (Suz.) Susan (Hebrew) lily (Saint Susanna (3rd century))
Thérèse (Ther.) Theresa (Greek) reaper (Saint Theresa (1515-82) & (1873-97))
Thoinette (from Antoinette)
Toinette (from Antoinette)
Toussine (Tous.)
Ursule (Urs.) Ursula (Greek) little bear (Saint Ursula (4th century)?)
Véronique (Ver.) Veronica (Latin) true image (Saint in New Testament)
Vincente (Latin) victor, conqueror (Saint Vincent (male)) rarely found today
Virginie

French Genealogy Common Word Translations

Two of the problems in researching French family genealogical records that I had, and still have, are understanding the meaning of words and abbreviations found in the records, and making sure no mistakes of spelling, or worse misunderstanding, occur when I write or type the data in my files.

I can't even get the spelling of the word "genealogy" right, no matter how many thousand times I have seen that word. For some insane reason, not related to my French education since apparently that word is spelled the same in French and English in the area of the word I am always in error, I always, always, always, spell that word as "geneology" instead of "genealogy"! The spelling "genealogy" just doesn't look right to me!

Ditto for the word "descendant". My brain refuses to repeat that correct spelling, and will only write "descendent". Perhaps it is because the French noun comes from the French verb "descendre", whose tenses include "descendent" as the third person plural present. Who knows!

It's kind of like this blog website. No matter how many times I put two spaces after the period at the end of the sentence, it takes one of those spaces out. It also eliminates any spaces greater than 2 so that I cannot create a table. The website just won't follow the proper grammar rules - like my brain won't follow the correct spelling rules - because for some crazy reason, its programming just won't accept the truth.

The French language also has a complexity it inherited from the Latin, namely the attribution of male and female gender attributes to nouns and their adjectives, articles, pronouns and verbs. Fortunately the French dropped the neutral nouns. Nevertheless, all nouns in the French language have a genealogy that is from the Latin and is either female or male.

Fortunately, in genealogy, the need to know the gender of a noun is not necessary. But, it does help to know that an adjective or verb can be spelled differently, yet still have the same meaning, and that the reason for the difference is simply one of gender. The English language does this with verbs, for example, to differentiate the singular from the plural. The French, and Latin as well, do so also to separate nouns into male and female as well as the plural. Think of the French words like a genealogical record of husband and wife with some nouns masculine or male, and others female. In genealogy, gender is everywhere and it matters in tracing your family tree.

Most French children grasp this concept early in life when sitting at the dinner table. The "knife" or "couteau" is masculine, and thus the father of the place setting. The fork or "fourchette" is feminine, the mother of the spoon or "cuillere", also feminine, which plays the part of their little girl.

In this listing, the French word is equate with an "=" sign to the English. The feminine version of the word is placed in the "[ ]" brackets unless it is important to differentiate them.

The plural of French nouns and adjectives is usually dealt with the same way in English as in French, with the addition of an "s". There are exceptions to this grammar rule and are listed here where needed.

I am going to start off with the French-English translations of two most used words in "geneology" and "descendent". It makes it much more difficult to do a web search on family ancestry if you have these words incorrectly spelled as I usually do.

French = English

genéalogie = genealogy
descendant [descendante] = descendant
famille = family
arbre = tree
branche = branch
racine = root

histoire = history
passé = past
présent = present
futur = future

Events:

né = born (male)
née = born (female)
naissance = birth
naître = to be born
naquis = to be born

baptisé = baptised (male)
baptisée = baptised (female)
baptême = baptism, christening
baptiser = to baptise

marié = married (male)
mariée = married (female)
mariage = marriage
marier = to marry, wed

décès = deceased (noun)
décédé [décédée] = deceased (adj)
décéder = decease (verb)
feu = deceased (adj) (commonly seen word, usually written as "(feu)" to mean "(late)", in records to indicate a parent was dead at the time of the event, such as a mother or father of a bride or bridegroom; confusing since the usual meaning of "feu" is "fire")
mort = dead
mort = death
mourir = to die
tuer = to kill (often seen in the records as a cause of death of people killed by native Indians)
noyé = drowned ( sometimes seen in the records as another cause of death)

enterre = buried (male)
enterrée = burried (female)
enterrer = to bury

confirmé = confirmed (male)
confirmée = confirmed (female)
confirmation = confirmation

People Relationships:

mâle = male
femelle = female

mari = husband
homme = man
femme = wife or woman
époux = husband
épouse = wife
épousé = bridgegroom
épousée = bride
épouse = spouse, wife

veuf = widowed (male), widower
veuve = widowed (female), widow

non marié = unmarried
célibataire = unmarried

parenté = parentage, group of relatives (slang term used in Canada, not identified as such in the French dictionary)
naissance = parentage

parent = parent
enfant = child
fille = girl
garçon = boy
soeur = sister
frêre = brother
jumeau = twin
jeune = youngster, adolescent
adolescent = adolescent
mère = mother
père = father
grandmère = grandmother
grandpère = grandfather
grand-grandmère = great grandmother
grand grandpère = great grandfather
oncle = uncle
tante = aunt
cousin = cousin (male)
cousine = cousin (female)
neveu = nephew
neveux (plural form) = nephew or descendents
nièce = niece
marraine = godmother
parrain = godfather

parental = paternal and maternal
paternel = paternal
maternel = maternal

paternité = paternity
maternité = maternity

Age Relationships:

age = age
ans = years (old)
ainé [ainée] = oldest
jeune = young
plus jeune = younger
majeur [majeure] = major (over 18 years old; often seen in marriage records abbreviated as Maj.)
mineur [ mineure] = minor (under 18 years old; often seen in marriage records abbreviated as Min.)
majorité = majority
agé = old

Words Used Within Names:

dit = said (extremely common, used to separate the typical French two surnames, written in records as an "-" between them)

de = from, of, by (when found; always before a noun or adjective as the first syllable of a surname)
le = the (masculine; when found, always before a noun or adjective as the first or second syllable of a surname)
la = the (feminine; when found, always before a noun or adj. as the first or second syllable of a surname)

Documents:

contrat = contract (often seen as an abbreviation of ct. with a number following a lawyer's name and associated with a marriage)

recensement = census (the more common word used in genealogical records, often abbreviated as r.)
cens = census

livre = book
archives = archives

Places:

église = church
Saint = Saint (male, usually abbreviated as St. or more commonly St-)
Sainte = Saint (feminine, usually abbreviated as Ste. or more commonly Ste-)

prêtre = priest (common since the priest was at the centre of most events and also because many French men became priests and thus had no genealogical descendants)
frère = priest, brother

soeur = nun, sister (common because many French women became nuns and thus had no genealogical descendants)

cimetière = cemetary
cerceuil = coffin

Time:

année = year
mois = month
jour = day
heure = hour
siècle = century

Numbers:

un = one (masculine)
une = one (feminine)
deux = two
trois = three
quatre = four
cinq = five
six = six
sept = seven
huit = eight
neuf = nine
dix = ten
onze = eleven
douze = twelve
treize = thirteen
quatorze = fourteen
quinze = fifteen
seize = sixteen
dix-sept = seventeen
dix-huit = eighteen
dix-neuf = nineteen
vingt = twenty
trente = thirty
quarante = forty
cinquante = fifty
soixante = sixty
soixante-dix = seventy
quatre-vingt = eighty
quatre-vingt-dix = ninety
cent = hundred
mille = thousand

Months:

janvier = January
février = February
mars = March
avril = April
mai = May
juin = June
juillet = July
aôut = August
septembre = September
octobre = October
novembre = November
décembre = December

Frequent Countries of Origin to or from French Canada:

pays = country
France = France
Grande Bretagne = Great Britain
Angleterre = Great Britain
Allemagne = Germany
Espagne = Spain
Etats-Unis = United States
Amérique = America
Amérique du Nord = North America

Languages and People:

langue = language
language = language
peuple = people

français = French
anglais = English
espagnol = Spanish
allemand = German

Nationalities:

nationalité = nationality
français [française] = French
anglais [anglaise] = English
américain [américaine] = American
juif [juive] = Jewish
indien [indienne] = Indian

Religious Affiliation:

religion = religion
Catholique = Catholic
Protestant = Protestant
Juif [Juive] = Jewish

Place Positioners:

à = at
dans = in
de = from

Articles:

le = the (masculine)
la = the (feminine)
les = the (plural)

un = a or one (masculine)
une = a or one (feminine)
des = a (plural)

cet = this (masculine)
cette = this (feminine)
ces = this (plural)

Verbs:

est = is (he is, she is)
été = was (he was, she was) or summer
a = has (he has, she has)