Surname David dit Saint Michel - Meaning and Origin
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David dit Saint Michel: What does the surname David dit Saint Michel mean?
The last name "David dit Saint Michel" is traditionally used in France, especially in the region of Quebec, and it means "David, called (or known as) Saint Michel". In French, this type of name is "dit name" which is a descriptive nickname, and is used to distinguish a person from others sharing the same first name. In some cases, it is used to identify members of the same family.
The name "Saint Michel" most likely came from the name of a Catholic martyr and saint, as Michel (the French spelling of Michael) was the patron saint of many fervent Catholics from France who settled in Quebec during the 17th and 18th centuries. This is why the name often appears in French-Canadian family trees. It is also possible that the people of the same family had all assumed the same name (or nickname) of the saint they were devoted to.
The surname thus reveals religious devotion, as well as an indication of the family's French roots. Furthermore, it offers insight into the humble beginnings of a family, possibly signifying that they were poor immigrants in a new land. These immigrants were pioneers, and the “dit name” was a way of keeping records and identifying generations of their descendants.
Order DNA origin analysisDavid dit Saint Michel: Where does the name David dit Saint Michel come from?
The last name David dit Saint Michel is primarily found in the province of Quebec in Canada today. This surname originated with the French who settled in what was then New France in the seventeenth century. According to various sources, the name is derived from the personal name David or the biblical character David, combined with the name Saint Michel.
The name is quite rare in the majority of other regions outside of Quebec and is quite uncommon when compared to other last names today. In Quebec, this surname is most common in the region surrounding Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean as well as in the city of Montreal. The highest number of people bearing this surname in Canada can be found in the city of Joliette, where roughly 1.9% of the population has the surname David dit Saint Michel.
Although the surname is rare, the majority of the bearers usually live in the same region of Quebec, where the surname first originated. Despite the large number of people in this region with the name David dit Saint Michel, the name is still quite uncommon when compared to other last names.
Variations of the surname David dit Saint Michel
David dit Saint Michel is an ancestral French-Canadian surname that can be traced back to its roots in Normandy, France. The name is derived from the Latin for "he who is loved by God", so it is likely to have been borne by a prominent Christian religioso at some point in its history. Variants of this surname include Davide, Davyde, Daivida, Daivide, Deivid, Deivyd, Deividas, Divas, Divyde, Davides, Daivides, Dividdas, and Davyd.
The surname also has certain regionalized versions known as seigneurs. These vary from region to region, but some variants of the seigneurs associated with the surname David dit Saint Michel include Saint-Miche, De Saint-Michel, Deville dit Saint-Michel, Dion dit Saint-Michel, Dionne dit Saint-Michel, Michaud dit Saint-Michel, and Poot dit Saint-Michel.
The most common spelling of the surname in France is Davy, but it has also been spelled as Davie, Daevyy, Daevy, Daevie, Daevyi, Divey, and Devy. In Spain the surname is spelled as Davi or Davy, and in quebecois French it is often spelled as David.
David dit Saint Michel is an example of a French-Canadian surname with significant regional, linguistic, and cultural variation. There are numerous variants of the surname from different regions throughout Europe, so it is important to keep in mind regionalized versions when doing genealogical research.
Famous people with the name David dit Saint Michel
- David dit Saint-Michel Baudelle, French author
- David dit Saint-Michel, a French-Canadian who was part of the Desertion Act of 1791
- Anastas David dit Saint-Michel, father of Jean-Baptiste David dit Saint-Michel, who was an early French settler in the Wisconsin area
- Jean-Baptiste David dit Saint-Michel, early French settler in the Wisconsin area
- François David dit Saint-Michel, first mayor of Ogdensburg, New York