"DIT" Names
The word "dit", is a French word, meaning "say" and in the context of "dit" names, specifically means "called."
People were given a "dit" name to distinguish them from others bearing the same family name.
In the 1600s, people used the family name much more than the given name. Thus, when talking about Pierre Gautier, for example, people would say Gautier bought a horse rather than Pierre Gautier did. This custom stemmed from the days when people had only one name, usually what we now call the family name.
Researchers generally agree that the use of the "dit" names started in the army where single names were the norm, so in order to differentiate people, "dit" names were used.
The practice gained acceptance as population increased or, in the case of New-France, became concentrated, so that problems arose when two persons with the same family name co-existed, for example in a village and thus, as was the case in the army, the use of an identifier evolved. Since surnames came into being for the purpose of identification, we can say that the "dit" name came into being for the purpose of refining the identification of a person and, by extension, a family.
The origins of a person's "dit" name are infinite, at least as infinite as there are actual individual changes. However, there are some general sources for these changes or identifications. Some of them are:
a. Occupation/Guild
b. Place of origin
c. Physical description
d. Seignorial identification
e. Deed/accomplishment
f. Description of some object
g. Character description
For example, Pierre Gautier dit Poitevin's "dit" name POITEVIN is an indication he came from the Poitou region of France. This is similar to a person from New York being called a New Yorker.
Official documents, such as marriage registries, usually showed a person's actual name, for example Pierre Gautier, while others, such as contracts, sometimes simply referred to Pierre as Poitevin if Pierre was a secondary party to the contract or as Pierre Gautier dit Poitevin if he was a contracting party. There is no set rule controlling the use of a "dit" name, rather, it was used as local custom, and frequency of a name, dictated.
Sometimes the mother's surname became the "dit' name as in the case of Jean Gautier dit Gentès. Some of his children might then keep the original surname (e.g. Gautier), and while others used the "dit" name (e.g. Gentès). Soon, some of Jean's descendents became known only by the family name of Gentès, eventually dropping the surname Gautier entirely while others retained the Gautier name.
There is no negative connotation implied to a "dit" name which sometimes is the case with the English use of "alias" often used as a method of hiding nor can it be compared to "also known as". It was used in addition to a family name.
The Gauthier "DIT" names
Each Gauthier in this list is the first of his line to establish himself in New-France. Note that the "h" in Gauthier and the "l" in Gaultier have been omitted in order to retain the spelling used in the 1600s. The explanation of each "dit" name is specific to the person and cannot be transposed to another bearing a similar "dit" name.
1. Guillaume Gautier de LaChenayeThe name Chesnay means an oak plantation in French. thus it may apply to a person who owned one or lived on one. Guillaume could have originated from one.
2. Charles Gautier dit Boisverdun de la Pigeonnière
A "pigeonnière" is French for a pidgeon coop. The name Boisverdun de la Pigeonnière may designate a house.
3. René Gautier de Varennes et de LaVérendrie
Varennes and Varandière were the names of the lands owned by the family in France.
4. Pierre Gautier dit Saguingoira
It has been impossible to establish the origin of the name SAGUINGOIRA but it is believed to be an Indian name which he may have received during a trip.
5. René Gautier dit Larose
Larose seems like a typical army name.
6. Mathurin Gautier dit Landreville
Mathurin Gauthier may have been named Landreville after his place of origin, a parish of the same name South-East of the city of Troyes, in Champagne.
7. Jean Gautier dit Gentès
Jean married Angélique Gentès in Varennes in 1704. Since there were already many Gautiers in the area, people started calling him Gentès, a name which eventually became the family name of some of his descendents replacing the original name of Gautier.
8. Philippe Gautier de Comporté
He was said to be a noble thus I would tend to think he derived his name from his estate.
9. Jean Gautier dit Larouche
The name Larouche may be a variant of the French words "Le Rousse" meaning "The Red" to identify a red-headed person. Could Jean have red hair?
10. Bernard Gontier
Gontier was a family name on its own in France and Bernard's actual name but its variants in New France deserve some explanation. Because there were so many Gauthiers in the country, some descendents of Bernard ended up being called Gauthier simply by popular association. Some grand-children of Bernard's adopted the surname of Bernard sometime around 1760 and it eventually replaced the original name of Gontier.
11. Germain Gautier dit St-Germain
St-Germain is a classic example of a "dit" name attributed in the army. When one joined the army, colleagues often put a "Saint" before the family name and it stuck to you forever.
12. Jacques Gautier dit Sanscartier
Sanscartier from the French meaning without quarters. Thus, in the army, one who does not give quarters or who does not have any quarters.
13. Jean Gautier dit Frappe d`Abord
Frappe d`Abord: From the French meaning he who hits first. This name may have been acquired in the army.
14. Nicolas Gautier dit Bélair
Nicolas may have been Sieur de BELAIR, named after his lands in France..
15. Pierre Gautier dit Rabot
Rabot means a plane, so Pierre may have been a cabinet maker or carpenter.
16. Pierre Gautier dit Poitevin
Pierre originated from the Poitou region of France thus he became known as POITEVIN.
17. Jacques Gautier dit Coquet
Coquet mean pleasant and refined, also coquettish or flirtatious thus Jacques may have had a similar trait.
18. Claude Germain Gautier dit Vierville
Vierville was an estate in France.
19. René Gautier dit Lafleur
Lafleur meaning "the flower" which associates René with a flower.
20. Robert Gautier dit Montreuil
Montreuil is a place in France.
21. Pierre Gautier dit Ciceron
Ciceron would be a domain in France.
22. Jean François Gautier dit Lupenin
Le mot Lupenin est introuvable sur Internet et apparaît pas dans le Petit Robert.
23. Charles Pierre Gautier dit Jolicoeur
Jolicoeur meaning "beautiful heart". Charles may have had a pleasant disposition.
24. Joseph Gautier dit Labonté
Labonté meaning good-hearted. It may explain his "dit" name.
25. Jacques Gautier dit Francoeur
Francoeur is really two words in one. "Franc" meaning frank or candid and "coeur" meaning heart. Perhaps Jacques was a person who spoke candidly.
26. François Gautier dit Lafrance
La France meaning a person from France.
Copyright © 1999 Association de généalogie des familles Gauthier
Toute reproduction de ce site sans l'accord écrit préalable de ses auteurs est INTERDITE.