Quebec Surname Spelling Variants

Family names often appear under several spellings in historical records. This tool retrieves the spelling variants associated with a standardized name, making it easier to conduct genealogy research in Quebec archives.

The dictionary reflects the name standardization used by LAFRANCE. It connects historical, phonetic and variable forms of a family name while preserving the observed spelling found in each original record.

Search for a spelling variant

Enter a family name to display its known spelling variants and standardized form.

Refine your search

Enter a full name or include the following valid wildcard characters in the writing of a variant.

%Any string of zero or more characters.
(ex: 'goudr%')
_(underscore) Any single character..
(ex: 'ann_')
[ ]Any single character within the specified range ([a-f]) or the set ([abcdef]).
(ex: '[C-P]arsen' finds last names ending with « arsen » and starting with any single character between C and P, for example Carsen, Larsen, Karsen, and so on.)
[^]Any single character not within the specified range ([^a-f]) or set ([^abcdef]).
(ex: 'de[^l]%' all last names starting with « de » and where the following letter is not « l ».)

Why does one family name have several spellings?

Before spelling became standardized, the same family name could be written in many ways depending on the priest, notary, census enumerator or other person who created the document. The LAFRANCE standardization dictionary groups these variants so that one search can identify the different spellings used in historical records.

Pronunciation, literacy, the recorder's language and local parish habits could all influence the written form. Accents, doubled letters, spaces and certain consonants sometimes changed from one record to another. A surname spelling variant is therefore not necessarily an error; it may reflect the usage of a particular period or the way a family name was heard.

Begin with the spelling you already know, then review the standardized name and observed forms shown in the results. You can reuse these variants in genealogy searches for baptisms, marriages, burials, census entries or notarial records that an exact search might miss. Always compare locations, dates and family relationships before concluding that two spellings identify the same ancestor.