Cajun Last Name Generator

From Acadia to Louisiana: where Cajun names come from

Cajun surnames trace back to Acadia, the French colony founded in the early 1600s in what is now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. When the British took control, they demanded an oath of loyalty the Acadians refused, and in 1755 began the Grand Dérangement, the forced expulsion of thousands of families. Many spent years in exile in the American colonies, France and the Caribbean before reaching Spanish Louisiana from the 1760s onward.

The word Cajun itself comes from Acadien, which was shortened to Cadien and then anglicized. A fairly small number of founding families produced a very large population, so the same names recur across Acadiana: Landry, Hebert, Broussard, Guidry, Richard, Arceneaux, Thibodeaux, LeBlanc, Breaux and Boudreaux. Many families today can trace their line to one ancestor who lived at Port Royal, Acadia, in the 1600s.

Why so many Cajun names end in -eaux

The -eaux spelling is the most recognizable feature of Cajun surnames, and it is largely a Louisiana development. In France and early Acadia many of these names were spelled -eau or -ault, as in Boudreau, Thibodeau and Breau. In Louisiana, clerks and families added an x, following a common French plural spelling, so Boudreaux, Thibodeaux, Breaux, Arceneaux and Robichaux became standard. The x is silent, so Boudreaux is said BOO-dro.

Other Cajun names show local sound changes. Hébert usually loses its accent and is pronounced AY-bear, which puzzles visitors. Richard is said ree-SHARD, and Guidry is GID-ree. After French was banned in Louisiana public schools in 1921, some families anglicized their spelling, while others have proudly kept every accent. For a character from Lafayette or Houma, the Louisiana spelling is usually the right choice.

Cajun, Creole and using the Cajun last name generator

Cajun and Creole are not the same. Louisiana Creoles descend from French and Spanish colonists, Africans and free people of color who were in the colony before the Acadians arrived, and their surnames include names like Metoyer, Fontenot and Deshotels. The two communities intermarried over generations, so plenty of names are shared, and Creole names sit alongside Acadian ones in this generator to reflect the real mix of south Louisiana.

Set ends with to eaux for the classic Cajun sound, or leave it open for names like Landry, Guidry and Broussard. Pair results with Louisiana first names such as Remy, Celeste, Beau or Adeline to preview them. Nicknames are a big part of local culture, so a character might be T-Boy Thibodeaux to his friends. Copy, save or download the list once you have your family.