Lavoie
A French surname usually referring to someone who lived by a road or route, or sometimes from a place named La Voie.
The #3,765 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 32,817 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lavoie is a French surname built from la voie, meaning "the road," "the way," or "the route." As a family name, it most likely began as a topographic label for someone who lived near a main road, pathway, or thoroughfare. In some cases it may also be locational, referring to a person from a place called La Voie or something similar.
History
The name is especially well established in French-speaking regions, including France and francophone Canada, where many bearers descend from early colonial families. In North America it is particularly associated with Quebec and other Acadian or French-descended communities. The spelling with the article fused to the noun is typical of French surname formation.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because voie can mean both a road and a path or route, the surname can evoke an ancestor who lived by a country lane rather than a grand highway.