Paradis
A surname from French “paradis,” meaning “paradise,” often used for someone living near a place called Paradise or as a name with religious overtones.
The #5,675 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 50,506 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Paradis comes through French paradis, ultimately from Latin paradisus and Greek paradeisos, meaning a park, garden, or paradise. In surname use, it was commonly applied to someone associated with a place called Paradise or with a picturesque spot near a church or monastery. The word itself was originally tied to the idea of an enclosed garden or pleasure-ground.
History
Historical surname dictionaries place Paradis mainly in French usage, where it is more common than the English form Paradise. In English records it appears as a French-style import or as a variant of local names attached to attractive places. The same root also produced several spelling and form variants in different regions.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Early writers sometimes glossed the surname as if it pointed to a “pretty spot,” reflecting how often scenic places were nicknamed Paradise.
From the historical record
“PARADICE ) (A.-Fr.-Lat.-Gr.-Pers.) i Dweller' PARADIS [ at a Paradise,, i.e. an open PARADISE ) space or court by a monastery or church. 2 a pers. name [Fr. paradis ; Lat. paradis-us, Gr. wapddeur-os, a park, garden, or pleasure-ground — used in the Septuagint for the Garden of Eden : from the Zend] The surname…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)