Leclerc Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does Leclerc mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
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Origin of the Leclerc name
Leclerc means "the clerk", from Old French clerc, a man in minor religious orders and, by extension, anyone who could read and write. Clerks worked as scribes, notaries and administrators for lords and churches. The name is common across France and is one of the best-known French surnames in Quebec. The northern spelling Leclercq keeps the older final consonant.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Leclerc name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Leclerc name in France. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as Canada, Belgium and Switzerland; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
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Your full Leclerc pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Leclerc coat of arms for you.
Leclerc name FAQ
What does the Leclerc name mean?
The clerk. Common variants include Leclercq, Clerc, Leclair.
Where does the Leclerc surname come from?
It originates in France, and is also found in Canada, Belgium and Switzerland.
Is there a Leclerc coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Leclerc crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Leclerc coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Albert Dauzat & Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).