Dupuis
A French surname meaning “of the well” or “from the pit,” originally a topographic name.
The #4,340 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 37,749 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Dupuis is French in form and comes from Old French du puis, meaning “of the well” or “from the pit.” The key word puis here is the older form of French puits, from Latin puteus, “well” or “pit.” In surname use, it likely began as a topographic byname for someone living by a well or pit.
History
The name is well established in French-speaking areas and appears in historical surname lists alongside related forms such as Du Puy, showing how similar-looking surnames could arise from different local features. English-language writers on surnames have long treated Dupuis as a straightforward French topographic name. In North America it is also found among French-descended families, especially in regions shaped by French settlement or migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
French surname writers often pair Dupuis with Du Puy because they sound similar but refer to different landscape features: a well or pit versus a hill or height.
From the historical record
“DUPUIS 1 (Fr.) Of the Well or Pit [O.Fr. DU puis; puis (Ft. putts), Lat. pute-us] DUPUY "1 (Fr.) Of the Height [South. Fr. DU PUY //>«>, a, height; Lat. podi-um, a balcony, elevated platform] Le puy est, k proprement parler, la plate-forme a rebords qui caract6rise la cime des anciens volcans d'Auvergne. —”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)