Common Cajun and Creole Surnames

Download Article

Learn about the meaning & history of these unique last names

Co-authored by Devin McSween

Last Updated: December 29, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Popular
|
• Common
|
• Creole Surnames
|
• History of the Cajuns
|
• Cajun vs Creole
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

Cajun people are a unique ethnic group in America, primarily residing in southern Louisiana (Acadiana) and some surrounding areas. They have a rich history and unique surnames to match! Curious to learn more? In this article, we’ll tell you about the most popular Cajun last names and what they mean, and go over the history of the Cajuns. While they’re a separate ethnic group, we’ll also tell you about Creole last names that you might hear in Louisiana, too. Keep on reading to learn more!

What are some common Cajun last names?

• Hebert: Meaning, “bright army.”
• Landry: Meaning, “land ruler.”
• Broussard: Meaning, “brushwood” or “scrubland.”
• LeBlanc: Meaning, “the white.”
• Guidry: Meaning, “guide.”

Steps

Section 1 of 6:

Most Popular Cajun Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   Popular Cajun last names include Hebert, Landry, and Broussard. Cajun last names typically have a French influence, which comes from their unique history—Cajuns are descendants of French-Canadian settlers. Some of the most popular Cajun names you’ll hear in Louisiana (and parts of Texas and Mississippi) include:

   • Benoit: Meaning, “blessed.”
   • Bergeron: Meaning, “shepherd.”
   • Bordelon: Meaning, “lived near a farm.”
   • Boudreaux: Meaning, “farmer.”
   • Bourgeois: Meaning, “town dweller” or “free man.”
   • Breaux: Likely derived from “beau,” meaning “handsome.”
   • Broussard: Meaning, “brushwood” or “scrubland.”
   • Cormier: Meaning, “sorb tree.”
   • Fontenot: Meaning, “from the spring.”
   • Guidry: Meaning, “guide.”
   • Guillory: Meaning, “resolute.”
   • Hebert: Meaning, “bright army.”
   • Landry: Meaning, “land ruler.”
   • LeBlanc: Meaning, “the white.”
   • Melancon: Meaning, “melancholy.”
   • Richard: Meaning, “strong ruler.”
   • Theriot: Meaning, “ruler of the people.”
   • Thibodeaux: Meaning, “bold people.”
   • Trahan: Meaning, “silkworker.”
Advertisement

Section 2 of 6:

Common Cajun Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   Other common Cajun surnames include Dubois, Gautreaux, and Savoie. While Cajuns are only from a small area in the US, including the Acadiana region in south Louisiana and some nearby areas in Texas and Mississippi, there are actually lots of Cajun surnames! Some other common last names include:

   • Aucoin: Meaning, “at the corner.”
   • Barrilleaux: Meaning, “barrel.”
   • Bernard: Meaning, “strong as a bear.”
   • Blanchard: Meaning, “white.”
   • Comeaux: Meaning, “little hill.”
   • Daigre: Meaning, “from Aigre,” a town in France.
   • Doucet: Meaning, “sweet” or “pleasant.”
   • Dubois: Meaning, “from the woods.”
   • Duhon: Possibly a variation of Dufon, meaning “from the bottom.”
   • Dugas: Meaning, “from the bog” or “leader.”
   • Dupuis: Meaning, “from the well.”
   • Foret: Meaning, “forest.”
   • Gautreaux: Meaning, “ruler of the spear.”
   • Girouard: Meaning, “spear” or “guard.”
   • Guilbeau: Meaning, “will” or “bold.”
   • Labauve: Possibly meaning, “slobber.”
   • Leger: Meaning, “light” or “nimble.”
   • Mouton: Meaning, “sheep.”
   • Naquin: Meaning, “youngster” or “serving man.”
   • Orillion: Meaning, “small fort” or “little ear.”
   • Prejean: Meaning, “brave John.”
   • Robichaux: Meaning, “from Robert.”
   • Savoie: Meaning, “covered in fir trees.”
   • Soileau: Meaning, “rye” or “sun.”
   • Sonnier: Meaning, “to ring.”

Section 3 of 6:

Common Creole Last Names

Download Article

1. 
   Common Creole last names include Arnaud, Lafitte, and Segura. “Creole” can mean a lot of different things, but in colonial Louisiana, it typically referred to people born in the state. It included people of French, Spanish, African, Indigenous, and mixed ancestry. So, Creole last names can come from a lot of different cultures, and some are also even Cajun (though it’s important to remember that Creole and Cajun are different!). Some common Creole surnames include:

   • Arnaud: Meaning, “eagle power.”
   • Bontemps: Meaning, “good time.”
   • Claude: Meaning, “crippled.”
   • Desportes: Meaning, “from the gates.”
   • Faustin: Meaning, “fortunate.”
   • Lafitte: Meaning, “boundary marker.”
   • LaFleur: Meaning, “the flower.”
   • Miguez: Meaning, “son of Miguel.”
   • Romero: Meaning, “pilgrim.”
   • Segura: Meaning, “safe” or “secure.”
   • Toussard: Meaning, “housekeeper.”
Advertisement

Section 4 of 6:

History of the Cajuns

Download Article

1. 1
   Cajun people are descendants of French settlers known as Acadians. In the early 1600s, people from the Vendee region in France made their way to Canada and settled in an area they called Acadia (now Nova Scotia and parts of Maine). They thrived as farmers and fishers, and became known as the Acadians.
2. 2
   The Acadians were expelled from Acadia in the 1700s. Around a century after the Acadians landed in Canada, Great Britain took over the area. But, the Acadians refused to recognize Britain as their ruler. So, starting in 1755, British soldiers began to force them from their homes. This became known as Le Grand Dérangement (The Great Expulsion).
3. 3
   Many Acadians settled in Louisiana and over time, became known as Cajuns. The British soldiers shipped the Acadians all over, and many ended up in South Louisiana. These Acadians made their homes in the bayous and swamps, and began new lives hunting and raising cattle. Slowly, they developed their own dialect (called Louisiana French) and a distinct culture from their French-Canadian descendants. So, the Acadians morphed into Cajuns!

   • If you haven’t put it together, the word “Cajun” comes from “Acadian!”
   • Cajuns are still alive and well today! Many still speak Louisiana French (check out this video by Where's Andrew? to give it a listen), make delicious Cajun food, and play beautiful blues-y music.
   • Where the Acadians originally settled in Louisiana is known as Acadiana (it’s also sometimes called Cajun Country). It includes most of the southern parishes in the state.
Advertisement

Section 5 of 6:

Are Cajun and Creole the same thing?

Download Article

1. No, Cajun and Creole people are different (but they’re closely related). In colonial Louisiana, being Creole meant being native to Louisiana, regardless of race or ethnicity. On the other hand, being Cajun meant you were a descendant of the French-Canadian Acadians. So, you can think of Creole people as the overarching ethnic group in Louisiana, while Cajun people are a sub-sect of Creoles. (In other words, Cajuns are Creole, but not all Creoles are Cajun!)

   • Because Cajuns are Creole, these groups share many similarities. However, they have some distinct differences, too. While they cook similar foods, the ingredients they use are one of the biggest differences: Cajun food doesn’t use tomatoes, while Creole food does.
   • More broadly, Cajun food is known as being spicy, rich, and smoky, while Creole food has a lot of intricate flavors and is influenced by African, Caribbean, and Spanish cuisine.

Section 6 of 6:

More Last Names

Download Article

1. Curious to learn about more last names in other cultures? We’ve got you covered! Check out our lists about other surnames across the globe, including:

   • Southern Last Names
   • French Last Names
   • Native American Last Names
   • Italian Last Names
   • German Last Names
   • Gaelic Last Names
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!