Duval

Etymology

Duval is French in form and literally means “of the valley,” from French du “of the” + val “valley,” ultimately from Latin vallis. It was originally a locational byname for someone who lived in, or came from, a valley. Older surname collections also translate it simply as the French equivalent of English Dale.

History

The name appears in medieval and later French surname records, and it spread widely enough to become common in France and in French-speaking communities abroad. English surname dictionaries sometimes note it as a French name borne by families found in Britain. The form is straightforward and has remained stable because it is a fixed prepositional surname rather than a heavily altered patronymic.

Origin

Regions

Variant spellings

Fun fact

French surnames beginning with Du- often preserve a tiny fossil of a place description, and Duval is one of the clearest examples: it is basically a surname that says “from the valley.”

Related surnames