Surname Therriault - Meaning and Origin

Therriault: What does the surname Therriault mean?

Therriault is a surname of French origin, commonly found in French-speaking regions, particularly in Quebec, Canada. The name is derived from the Old French personal name Therry, an equivalent of the English name Terry. The -ault ending is a French diminutive suffix indicating "little" or "son of". Therefore, Therriault could be interpreted as "little Terry" or "son of Terry." Like many surnames, it was likely used to identify individuals in the Middle Ages, highlighting their familial lineage or geographical origin. Over time, these names became hereditary surnames passed down through generations. Thus, the surname Therriault represents familial links to historical individuals named Terry. It does not have a distinct meaning or symbolism beyond this historical and linguistic origin.

Therriault: Where does the name Therriault come from?

The Therriault surname is most commonly found in France today. According to an online search of the French national phonebook, there are hundreds of Therriault surnames listed. This name is concentrated in the north of the country, but is also found throughout the rest of France.

The Therriault family is believed to have originated in the region of Picardy in the 1100s. Many of the family members over the centuries moved to other regions, such as Brittany in the northwest and Normandy in the north. From there, the surname spread around France, with some even immigrating to Canada in the 1700s.

The Therriault surname is particularly common in the province of Brittany in France. In the city of Brest alone, there are close to 150 registered members of the Therriault family. It’s also quite popular in Paris, where about 100 people reportedly have the name.

Although most of the people with the Therriault surname in France are of French origin, some of them may also be of Canadian origin. After all, many French-Canadians left the country and moved to France during the 19th century, and some of them might have kept their original surname.

Today, the Therriault surname is found in all parts of the world, from Canada and the United States to France and other European countries. It’s an increasingly popular name, with new people adopting it each year.

Variations of the surname Therriault

The Therriault surname has a few variants in spelling and surnames of the same origin. They include Terriault, Terrio, Teriau, Thiriau, Thiriault, Tiriau, Thirault, Terriault, Tireault, Tyriault, Tourault, Terriau, Terrio, Teryo, Trayo, Treyo, Triault.

The surname Terriault grew out of two French regions: Brittany and Normandy. In Brittany, it started off as "Tireault" from Thierry, Tirin or Tirel. The name evolved to "Tiriau", then "Thiriau". From "Thiriau", the spelling changed to "Thiriault" in some areas.

In Normandy, the names "Terrio" or "Teryo" were used in the beginning. This changed to "Terriau" and finally developed to "Terriault".

Some of the other variants are from a mixture of different French dialects, created when people moved within provincial borders. Examples are "Tourault", "Trayo", "Treyo" or "Triault".

In the US, most of the Therriault variants are no longer used and are rarely seen. The exceptions are "Tireault" and "Thiriault", as seen in the records of the US Census Bureau from the mid-1800's.

The Therriault name is still prominent in Quebec, where it is found in records from the 1600's. In its various forms, it is the 27th most common surname in Quebec.

Famous people with the name Therriault

• David Therriault: Canadian actor, producer and director who is best known for his role in the CBC sitcom “Seeing Things.”
• Evelyn Dufresne Therriault: First lady of Maine from 1979-1987, wife of Governor Joe Brennan.
• Gregory Therriault: American economist and professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• Mason Ray Therriault: Winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize in Classics for his work on the epic poems of Ancient Greece.
• Stephen Therriault: American baseball player who made his Major League debut in 2017.
• Ted Therriault: scientist, photographer, and pioneering researcher in environmental health sciences.
• Wilfred Therriault: Father of the Canadian air force and member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
• Jonathan Therriault: sculptor and potter from Quebec, Canada, whose art is inspired by nature.
• Brianna Therriault: Canadian professional wrestler who competed in WWE’s first-ever all-female tournament, the Mae Young Classic.
• Rachel Therriault: Canadian ice dancer who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Other surnames

Therriau