Desmarais
A French surname meaning “of the marshes,” originally used for someone who lived near marshy ground.
The #7,933 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 74,040 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Desmarais is a French locational surname built from de/ des, meaning “from” or “of the,” and marais, meaning “marsh” or “swamp.” The name would originally have identified someone who lived by marshland or came from a place called Marais. In older spelling, the prefix may appear attached to the noun as a single surname form.
History
This type of surname is common in French naming, especially in forms beginning with Des- that point to a place-feature or locality. In North America, Desmarais is most strongly associated with French and French-Canadian families, and the spelling has remained relatively stable, though simplified forms may appear in records. The name is frequent enough in Canada and French-descended communities to be well established, but not so common as to have many widely known bearers outside those circles.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
French surnames with Des- often preserve a little geography in the name itself—this one literally points to marshland.
From the historical record
“clans la langue écrite , l'ancienne forme bisson subsistait encore dans le langage parlé. Au XYII* siècle , suivant le témoignage de Desmarais, l'on prononçait toujours bisson. *BlTOUZÉ, V. Touz£. . Blancagnel, V. Lagnel.”
— Noms de famille normands