Lemoine
A French surname meaning “the monk,” originally a nickname for someone thought to resemble or live like a monk.
The #5,484 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 48,675 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lemoine comes from Old French le moine, literally “the monk.” The word moine goes back to Latin monachus, from Greek monachos, meaning “solitary” or “monastic.” As a surname, it was likely first used as a nickname for a man associated with a monkish manner, appearance, or way of life.
History
The surname is long established in France and appears in several spellings, including Le Moine and Lemoigne. English-language surname dictionaries also treat it as a French name, and it is found in later records among people of French origin or descent. Some older writers suggested broader or more figurative uses, but the core sense remains “the monk.”
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
French surname lists often gloss Lemoine simply as “the monk,” making it one of the more transparent nickname surnames in French.
From the historical record
“governor ; Lat. magister'] LEMOINE |(Fr.) The Monk [Fr. 7e, the + LE MOiNE Jmoine, monk; Lat. *moni-us; f. Gr. niy-os, alone] LEMPRIERE "I (Fr.) The Emperor (a nick- LEMPEREUR J name for an imperial servant) [Fr. /', the + empereur, Lat. imperator\”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)