LaChance
A French surname meaning “the chance” or “good luck,” likely first used as a nickname or descriptive byname.
The #5,988 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,751 Americans shares it.
Etymology
LaChance is a French surname built from the definite article la plus chance, a word meaning “chance,” “luck,” or “fortune.” As a surname, it was probably first attached to someone as a nickname or descriptive byname, perhaps for a lucky turn of events or an optimistic association. In some cases it may also have been adopted as a set family name from a house sign, place name, or similar French naming custom.
History
The name is found chiefly in French-speaking communities and spread to North America with French migration, especially to Quebec and later to French-descended families in the United States. In North America it is often written as one word, LaChance, following the common French practice of surnames beginning with La-, Le-, or Du. The surname is not among the most common French names, but it is well established in Francophone family lines.
Origin
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Fun fact
Because chance in French can mean both “luck” and “randomness,” the surname has a pleasantly double-edged meaning: “fortune” in the everyday sense, but also “a stroke of luck.”