Surname Lapoint - Meaning and Origin

Lapoint: What does the surname Lapoint mean?

The last name Lapointe or La Pointe is of French origin and literally translates to "the point". The name is topographic, referring to someone who lived at the tip or edge of a geographical feature, such as a peninsula, or near a pointed landmark, like a sharp mountain peak. It may also derive from a place named with this word. Additionally, it could denote someone's work– many surnames originally denoted professions or roles in the society, and Lapointe might have been used for soldiers, referencing the ‘point’ of a spear or other weapons. These interpretations are only speculative as the exact origins of the name could vary based on the family's history, geography, and circumstance. As with many last names, throughout history spelling variations could occur based on phonetics, such as La Pointe, Lapoint, Lapointe, and others. It remains fairly common, particularly in places with significant French-speaking populations, such as France, Canada, and regions of the United States.

Lapoint: Where does the name Lapoint come from?

The surname Lapointe, often Anglicized as Lapoint, originated from France. It's a topographic name for someone who lived at a prominent natural feature, specifically derived from the French term ’la pointe’, meaning ’the point’ or ‘the tip’. This could refer to someone who lived at the tip of a peninsula, a mountain peak, or simply at the edge of a town or village.

Today, the surname Lapoint or Lapointe is frequently found in Canada, predominantly Quebec, due to large-scale French immigration during the 16th to 18th centuries. The French-Canadians often bear this surname due to the assimilation and incorporation of the French language and culture into the Canadian identity.

However, Lapointe or Lapoint remains common in France, as well as in other francophone regions like Belgium or Switzerland. It is also reasonably prevalent in the United States, particularly in areas known for French influence or immigration, like Louisiana and New England.

Variations of the surname Lapoint

The surname Lapointe is a French-Canadian name that is often anglicized to Lapoint. It is a topographic name for someone who lived by a pointed piece of land or near a prominent peak or hill, derived from the Old French “Pointe,” meaning point, or peak. It is also known to have a locational origin, from places in France called Pointe.

Common variants or anglicized forms of the name include: Lepointe, Lepoint, LaPointe, La Pointe, Lapointe, and La Point. Other spelling variations such as De la Pointe and Point are also sometimes used.

It's also important to note that surnames could have regional variations depending on their geographies and dialects. Such variations of the same surname could include prefixes or suffixes, double letters, and changes in vowel and consonant placement.

Some notable people with variations of this surname include Jean Lapointe, a Canadian senator, actor, and singer and Guy Lapointe, a Canadian hockey player. Given its French origin, this name is most commonly found in Quebec, Canada but is also present in populations across France and the United States.

Famous people with the name Lapoint

• Frank Lapoint Jr.: professional skateboarder, television personality, and X Games commentator.
• Lizz Lapoint: professional freestyle skier, X Games Sylmar winner, and four-time US Freestyle National Champion.
• Amanda Lapoint: US Freestyle Skier, X Games Slopestyle finalist, and Big White Freestyle Junior Champion.
• Ben Lapoint: Professional snowboarder and Olympian.
• Mark Lapoint: former professional football player.
• Michael LaPoint: professional fencer who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games.
• Claude LaPoint: former professional ice hockey player.
• Pascal Lapoint: French professional ice hockey forward who played in the Ligue Magnus.
• Jake Lapoint: professional rally driver and winner of the Dakar Rally Pride Division.
• Ramon LaPoint: former professional heavyweight boxer.
• Tim Lapoint: American racecar driver who won the Lions World Challenge in 2003.
• Lynne LaPoint: makeup artist, best known for her work on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.
• Olivier LaPoint: French sculptor and jewelry designer.
• Mary LaPoint: singer-songwriter.
• Kayla LaPoint: actor, best known for playing the character Brooke on the television show The Fosters.
• Serge Lapoint: Canadian actor, best known for his roles in the films The Barbarian Invasions and Les Bougons.
• Cameron Lapoint: basketball player for the Westchester Knicks.
• Michael LaPoint: mayor of the city of Rialto, California.
• Julie LaPoint: assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at Louisiana State University.
• Robert LaPoint: artist, curator, and founder of Theadore LaPoint Fine Art Studio.

Other surnames

LaPointe