Show ContentsPreux History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Preux

What does the name Preux mean?

The French name Preux was derived from the French name Preux, a nickname meaning "wise," "worthy," or "valiant".

Early Origins of the Preux family

The surname Preux was first found in Brittany, where this eminent family was established in ancient times.

The members of the branch Proust were the lords of Cleuz, of Gironnière and of Portlavigne in Brittany. The members of the family also branched into other regions of France and there they distinguished themselves by means of numerous contributions to the society and to their respective communities. The branch Prousteau was ennobled in 1597.

The branch Proust produced an abbot of Saint Melaine in 1574, a mayor of Nantes in 1693 and two treasurers in 1725 and in 1766. The branch Prousteau of Montlouis was ennobled in 1817 in Paris. The family also rose in prominence by their important alliances to other distinguished families of the day.

Jean Proulx, born in 1647, son of Jean and Louise (née Vallée), travelled from Nantilly, France to the New World in the 17th century and married Jacquette Fournier, daughter of Guillaume and Françoise (née Hebert), on 5th June 1673.

Jean Prou, born in 1641, travelled from France to Canada in the 17th century. After arriving in Quebec he married Catherine Pinel, daughter of Gilles and Anne, on 2nd November 1676. They remained together in Quebec until Jean's death at Pointe-aux-Trembles on 9th December 1703. 1

Early History of the Preux family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Preux research. The years 1655, 1706, 1754 and 1826 are included under the topic Early Preux History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Preux Spelling Variations

Most surnames have experienced slight spelling changes. A son may not chose to spell his name the same way that his father did. Many were errors, many deliberate. During the early development of the French language, a person usually gave his version, phonetically, to a scribe, a priest, or a recorder. Prefixes or suffixes varied. They were optional as they passed through the centuries, or were adopted by different branches to signify either a political or religious adherence. Hence, there a many spelling variations of the name Preux, including Proulx, Leproulx, Proux, Leproux, Prou, Leprou, Preux, Lepreux, Proust, Leproust, Prousteau, Leprousteau, Prouet and many more.

Early Notables of the Preux family

Another 34 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Preux Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Preux Ranking

In France, the name Preux is the 7,513rd most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2

Migration of the Preux family

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 Preux 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 Preux were Jean Prou, who married Jacquette Fournier in Quebec in 1673; Jean-Baptiste Prou, who married Catherine Pinel in Quebec in 1676; Denis Prou, who married Marie-Anne Gagné.



  1. Olivier, Reginald L. Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties. Logan: The Everton Publishers, Inc., P.O. Box 368, 1972. Print
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/


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