Surname De Meulles - Meaning and Origin
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De Meulles: What does the surname De Meulles mean?
The surname De Meulles is of French origin, although its exact meaning isn't readily apparent. However, it may be derived from old French terms relating to mills or milling, given that "meule" means millstone in French. The "de" prefix often denotes "of" or "from," suggesting the name could potentially signify someone who came from a place associated with mills or worked in that industry. However, these interpretations remain speculative. The name De Meulles became more well-known due to Antoine-Denis Raudot and Jacques Raudot, who jointly held termed position of intendant (administrative superintendent) of New France from 1705 until 1710. Their assistant was Charles De Meulles, whose last name they temporarily adopted at times. Therefore, the name De Meulles also carries historical significance in the context of French colonial history.
Order DNA origin analysisDe Meulles: Where does the name De Meulles come from?
The surname De Meulles originates from Belgium, particularly from the region of Flanders. The word "molen" means windmill in Dutch, hinting that the family might have been in a profession related to windmills. As history shows, families often derived their surnames from their work or the locations they inhabited.
According to the surname distribution data, De Meulles is not a very commonly found surname today. There are a few references to individuals with this surname mostly in Canada and France. The name can be traced back to Jacques de Meulles, a French administrator who served as the Intendant of New France (now Quebec, Canada) from 1682 to 1686, possibly indicating some migration to North America. So, while the name origin is Flemish, its current prevalence is largely French and Canadian. However, it is not widespread and still considered quite rare.
Variations of the surname De Meulles
The surname De Meulles is of French origin and has further variants due to transliteration, regional differences, and evolution over time. Variants include Demoul, DeMeulles, De Moul, De Moules, Demoulin, Demoules, and De Moulles.
As it is not uncommon for French surnames to include prefixes such as "de", "du", and "des", which mean "of" or "from", variations might also exclude or include these prefixes. Thus, addtional variations could be Meulles, Moules, Moul, or Moulin.
Spellings and pronunciation of the name might have changed due to migration and changes in language. For example, English or Americanized versions of the surname could be Mulls or Mills, as "moulin" translates to "mill" in English.
The surname De Meulles may also be associated with the names Meulen, Van der Meulen, or Vermeulen, commonly found in the Netherlands and Belgium, indicating a potential common ancestral origin. These variants are based on the potential phonetic and geographic evolutions of the name.
Famous people with the name De Meulles
There appear to be very few famous individuals bearing the last name De Meulles. One notable person is Antoine-Jean-Marie Thévenard de Meulles, best known as Antoine de Meulles. Antoine de Meulles was a French public servant recognized for his contributions as Intendant of New France (now part of Canada) from 1682 to 1686. His period of service was marked by various efforts to implement fiscal policies and measures that attempted to address the colony's financial situation. Other figures with the surname De Meulles do not appear to have attained the same level of historical fame or notoriety.