Paquette
A French surname likely built on a saint’s name linked to Easter, ultimately from Latin *Pascha* (“Easter”).
The #3,699 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 32,141 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The historical sources connect Paquette with an old feminine form of the saint’s name Paschase/Paschasia, itself derived from Latin *Pascha* meaning “Easter” or “Passover.” In other words, the surname likely began as a name associated with a saint’s name or feast-day name rather than as a descriptive word. The same source tradition also treats it as related to French forms like Paquet and Paquotte.
History
Paquette is a well-established French surname and later a French-Canadian surname found in North America through French settlement. The historical notes provided suggest that older spellings and related forms clustered around the same saint-name etymology. In modern usage it is especially familiar in Quebec and in French-descended communities.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Despite its resemblance to the French word *paquet* (“package”), the surname is traditionally explained from a saint’s name tied to Easter, not from parcels or bundles.
From the historical record
“i'a^^^uior. Pacotte a le même sens (jue Paquette, nom de sainte, eu la- tin Paschasiii. Voy. Pasquier. Pacton, Pactet. Dér. «le Paquet. Padel, Padet. 1° Poêle, poêlon”
— Dictionnaire des noms (French surnames)