Saturday, May 26, 2012

Surname Saturday - Fleury

Many surnames have their origins in the natural world. Because it's the month of May, it seems appropriate to take a look at some floral surnames. One such name in my own family tree is the name Fleury. The name occurs in French Canada, but my ancestor with this name lived in Brittany, in what is now the department of Loire-Atlantique.  The name Fleury is an adjective derived from the noun fleur 'flower'.  In addition to a surname, Fleury is common as or as part of place names in France (see here).  The name was most likely applied to a place where flowers commonly bloomed.

My seventh great grandfather Pierre Fleury married Anne Guchet on May 4, 1756 in Saint-Jean-de-Boiseau.  The following excerpt from their marriage record gives information about the couple's parents and their places of origin.  Pierre Fleury's mother-in-law also fits the floral theme.
 ...pierre fleury fils de Louise gabrielle fleury sa mere, agé de dix neuf ans environ, du pelerin natif, et anne guchet fille de pierre guchet et de janne bouquet ses pere et mere de cette paroisse..
...Pierre Fleury son of Louise Gabrielle Fleury his mother, aged around nineteen years, native of Le Pelerin, and Anne Guchet daughter of Pierre Guchet and Jeanne Bouquet his father and mother of this parish...
Notice how only Pierre's mother is listed and that she has the same surname.  This probably indicates that Pierre was illegitimate.