Toussaint
A French surname and given name meaning “All Saints,” often first given to children born on the feast of All Saints.
The #4,759 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 41,492 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Toussaint comes from Old French Toussains or Toussaint, built from the words for “all” and “saints.” It ultimately refers to the Christian feast of All Saints, so the name literally means “All Saints.” The same form was also used as a personal name, especially for children born on or near the feast day.
History
The name is well established in French, where it functions both as a surname and as a masculine given name. Historical surname writers note it as a feast-day name, comparable to Noël for Christmas-born children. It also appears as a Norman place-name and in medieval records, showing that it could arise both as a personal name and, in some cases, from locality.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In older naming practice, feast-day surnames like Toussaint often began as nicknames for a child’s birthday or baptismal date.
From the historical record
“shire. TOUSSAINT. (O. Fr. tousaintz) a name TOW 351 given to a person born on the festival of All Saints; analogous to Christmas, Noel,”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom