French "Dit" Names

A unique custom among the French can add a twist to your genealogy research. You may come across ancestors who seem to have 2 last names with the little word "dit" in the middle. From my father's side of the family, I have the example of Emilie Montpellier dit Beaulieu. "Dit" means "called" (more or less) in French.

So basically, the "dit" name is what a person was actually called or known as. Quite often these names were adopted as sort of nicknames in order to keep track of people when a family was particularly large. Different branches of the family might be given different "dit" names based on where they lived, physical qualities, military nicknames, political affiliations or any other defining characteristic. "Dit" names were never given to just one person, though.

In my above example, Emilie's father was a Montpellier and her mother was a Dupont. I have no idea why Emilie would have adopted a "dit" name, but I think I will see if I can find out. Beaulieu does seem to be a common "dit" name. One more thing for me to track down, I suppose.

You can find this naming habit in French names (both France-French and French-Canadian) as well as some Scottish names.

Over time, records can end up switching the names (Montpellier dit Beaulieu becomes Beaulieu dit Montpellier) or one of the names ends up getting dropped. Just one more possible puzzle for you to work out as you dig into your French ancestry.

While it's not really a complicated concept, it can really make your research and record-keeping difficult. Not all genealogy programs allow for the "dit" designation or the 2 surnames.

Just so you know, when talking about these surnames, "dit" is pronounced "dee".

_{This article was originally published at Suite101.com}