Arsenault History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

Etymology of Arsenault

What does the name Arsenault mean?

The Arsenault name comes from that Medieval landscape of northern France known as Normandy. The name Arsenault was originally derived from a family having lived at Arcine, in the Canton of Haute-Savoie in Normandy.

Early Origins of the Arsenault family

The surname Arsenault was first found in Normandy (French: Normandie), the former Duchy of Normandy, where this ancient family has held a family seat since very early times.

The first record of the name was in 1257 and 1264, and has a connection with the noble name of Von-Locarno. The period of the time when the family name was Arcenium was perhaps the most rewarding period in that during this time and up to July 1657 this family branch was elected to be the Barons Arcenale de Langon of Orleans and Poitou, but this branch became detached from the main stem of the name of Arsenault.

The branch which spelt its name Arzegnio ultimately became Counts, but their history has disappeared into the mists of time. When the family arrived in North America it is thought to have first settled in the Canadian Maritimes in the late 1600's and the name became spelt with the traditional "lt" ending. The name flourished more during this period and until the 20th century, although the name is rarely found in the official records of the early French settlers. However, the name is still found in its original form of Arcegno (pronounced Arsenault) in Switzerland where many noble branches of the family exist.

François Arseneau married Suzanne Lecomte in 1665. Suzanne died due to complications from childbirth after delivering their first son, Michel, on 24th December 1666. François died on 10th Februrary 1669 from influenza in Batiscan, Quebec. 1

Early History of the Arsenault family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Arsenault research. Another 65 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1347 and 1452 are included under the topic Early Arsenault History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arsenault Spelling Variations

The many different spellings of French surnames can be partially explained by the use of local dialects and by the influence of other languages during the early development of the French language. As a result of these linguistic and cultural influences, the name Arsenault is distinguished by a number of regional variations. The many spelling variations of the name include Arsenault, Arsenaul, Arsenaulte, Arsenauld, Arsenaud, Arsenaut, Arsenot and many more.

Early Notables of the Arsenault family

More information is included under the topic Early Arsenault Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Arsenault World Ranking

In the United States, the name Arsenault is the 2,793^rd most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Arsenault is ranked the 141^st most popular surname with an estimated 23,236 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Arsenault is the 76^th popular surname. 4

Arsenault migration to the United States +

Immigration to New France was slow; therefore, early marriage was desperately encouraged amongst the immigrants. The fur trade attracted migrants, both noble and commoner. 15,000 explorers left Montreal in the late 17th and 18th centuries. By 1675, there were 7000 French in Quebec. By the same year the Acadian presence in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island had reached 500. In 1755, 10,000 French Acadians refused to take an oath of allegiance to England and were deported to Louisiana. The French founded Lower Canada, thus becoming one of the two great founding nations of Canada. The distinguished family name Arsenault has made significant contributions to the culture, arts, sciences and religion of France and New France. Amongst the settlers in North America with this distinguished name Arsenault were

Arsenault Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Frances S. Arsenault, aged 29, who landed in America, in 1912
S. Henri Adalsat Arsenault, aged 78, who immigrated to the United States from Lyon, France, in 1914
Marie Arsenault, aged 23, who landed in America from Lyon, France, in 1919
Anthony Arsenault, aged 35, who settled in America from Brookline, Massachusetts, in 1924

Arsenault migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Arsenault Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Albert Arsenault, aged 27, who immigrated to Montreal, Canada, in 1912
Alphonse Arsenault, aged 19, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1918
Jules Arsenault, aged 57, who settled in Quebec, Canada, in 1920
Edmond Arsenault, aged 43, who settled in Montreal, Canada, in 1923

Contemporary Notables of the name Arsenault (post 1700) +

Samantha Arsenault (b. 1981), American gold medalist swimmer at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Raymond Ostby Arsenault (b. 1948), American historian and academic
Frank Arsenault (1919-1974), American percussionist, teacher and Educational Field Representative for the Ludwig Drum Company, best known for his recording of The 26 Standard American Drum Rudiments and Selected Solos
Duncan Charles Arsenault (b. 1974), American drummer, known for his work with The Curtis Mayflower, The Curtain Society, Sam James and more
Joseph Alfred Arsenault (1938-2007), American blues and jazz organ player
Nelson Arsenault, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Huron County Democratic Party, 2003 5
Joseph Wilfred Arsenault (1953-2011), Canadian politician who represented Evangeline-Miscouche in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island from 2000 to 2007
Télésphore Arsenault (1872-1964), Canadian politician, businessman and farmer, Member of the Canadian Parliament for Kent (1930-1935)
Prosper A. Arsenault (1894-1987), Canadian educator and politician who represented 1st Prince in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island (1956 to 1959) and (1962 to 1970)
Pierre Jean Arsenault (b. 1963), Canadian professional baseball scout for the Miami Marlins
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Arsenault family +

Vimy Ridge

George Arsenault (d. 1917), Canadian Private in the 26th Battalion who died at Vimy Ridge April 1917
John Arsenault (1877-1917), Canadian Private in the 85th Battalion who died at Vimy Ridge April 1917
Patrick Raymond Arsenault (1897-1917), Canadian Private in the 13th Company who died at Vimy Ridge April 1917

Citations +

Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 2) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html