Surname Lallemant - Meaning and Origin

Lallemant: What does the surname Lallemant mean?

The last name Lallemant is a French surname with a rich and mysterious history. Its origins are likely found in Latin, with ‘lallemant’ being derived from the verb ‘allemare’, which refers to ‘wandering’ or ‘journeying’. As such, the name suggests that the bearer had some kind of history of travelling, either with their family or professionally.

Throughout the last few centuries the name has been connected with individuals who have gone on journeys, or perhaps left their birthplace to seek something new. For example, during the Huguenot diaspora of the seventeenth century, a large number of the French population left their homeland to escape religious persecution and war. Among this group was a man named Étienne Lallemant. He is believed to have journeyed to Prussia, as did many other Huguenots, at the invitation of Frederick the Great.

The surname stands for courage and determination in the face of adversity, as well as the travelling spirit of so many of its bearers. This noble heritage lends a further meaning to the present day holders of the surname - that of a sense of adventure or of broadening the horizon through travel.

Lallemant: Where does the name Lallemant come from?

The last name Lallemant is a French surname with an aristocratic heritage, originating in the historical region of Champagne, in northern France. Today, the name is still found in the region but with much lesser frequency. It is also common in parts of Belgium. As the descendants of most aristocratic French families have spread around the world, it is also now found in areas such as Latin America, North America, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and even in some East African countries.

Within France, the name is most prevalent in the Champagne region as well as in the departments of Meurthe-et-Moselle and Moselle in northeastern France. The last name is also relatively common in some Belgian provinces, such as Liège and Namur in Wallonia. Other areas where the name Lallemant can be found in smaller numbers include Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Nowadays, many descendants of the original Lallemant family have adopted different spellings of the name, such as Lallements, Lemants, Lemanteaux and Lallement, which can be used to track the name in locations where it is scattered around the world.

Variations of the surname Lallemant

The surname Lallemant is believed to have originated from Germany or France and is a variant of the name Lallemand, which is itself a derivative of the old Germanic and French name Lalleman. Generally the name is associated with Germanic and French regions, but it is also used in other parts of the world. Common variant spellings of the surname include Laalemant, Laellemant, Laellemand, Lallemand, Lallemant, Lallemend, Lallemande, Lallimand, Lalman and Lelmemand.

Surnames with similar origins are also found, in adapted forms, in different countries. Examples include Lemke in Germany, Lallemand in France, Luxemand in Switzerland, Lalleman in the Netherlands, Timosaurus in Russia, Lemena and Lomena in Greece, Lemesa and Hemesa in Turkey, Lőmező in Hungary, Llonguemart in Portugal and Lleme in Spain.

In the United States, it is believed that the original spelling of the name was Lallemand. In the early 19th century the name became changed to Lallemant when many of the family members migrated to Louisiana, where they settled and intermarried with other French settlers. It is believed that the adaptation happened when Louisiana had been ceded to the United States, and so the original spelling became more of an Americanized version, which then spread to other parts of the country.

In addition to the variants, the Lallemant surname has other derivatives, such as Lallman, Lelman, Laalman, Lelimand and Laalemand. For those with this interesting surnames, it is likely that their ancestors were brave pioneers who ventured into unknown lands.

Famous people with the name Lallemant

• Saint Jean de Brebeuf, otherwise known as Jean de Brebeuf or Jean de Brébeuf was a French Jesuit missionary who was martyred in Ontario, Canada in 1649.
• Jean de Lalemant was a French Jesuit missionary who was martyred in Ontario, Canada in 1648.
• Louis Lallemant was a French Catholic theologian who lived from 1624 to 1695.
• André de Lallemant was a French Jesuit missionary who worked primarily in New France.
• Joseph de Lallemant was a missionary at the Sault Saint Louis mission in New France.
• Auguste Lallemant was a French historian, writer and soldier who served in the Crimean War.
• Amédée Lallemant was a French Jesuit missionary who worked in New France from 1705 to 1715.
• Jean Baptiste Lallemant was a French Jesuit missionary who worked in North America.
• Jean-Joseph Lallemant was a French Jesuit missionary who worked in New France from 1730 to 1745.
• Jean-Antoine Lallemant was a French Jesuit missionary who worked with the Hurons and Iroquois in New France.
• François Lallemant was a French Jesuit missionary who worked in New France from 1643 to 1653.
• Charles Lallemant was a French Jesuit missionary who served in New France and Canada from 1665 to 1701.
• Pierre-Joseph-Marie Lallemant was a French Jesuit and missionary who worked in Canada in the early eighteenth century.
• René Lallemant was a French Jesuit historian who studied and wrote histories of various Jesuit missions from 1714 to 1719.
• Jacques De Lallemant was a French admiral during the eighteenth century who fought in a variety of battles for France.
• Gaspard Joseph de Lallemant was an eighteenth century French priest and missionary who worked primarily in New France.
• Pierre Lallemant was a French Jesuit missionary and rector of the Jesuit College in New France from 1705 to 1716.
• Ambroise Lallemant was a French painter from the eighteenth century who was known for his portraits and religious paintings.
• Jean de Lallemant was a French painter active in the court of Louis XIV in the late seventeenth century.
• Jeanne Lallemant was a French noblewoman and painter in the court of Louis XIV in the seventeenth century.

Other surnames

LallemandLallemang