Dit name

The dit name (in French nom-dit [nɔ̃ di]) was a common French Canadian custom by which families often adopted an alternate surname. The practice lasted until the 19th century.^[1]

Dit or the feminine form dite translates as "called" and is the past participle of the French word dire "to say". A name such as Adolphe Guillet dit Tourangeau can translate as "Adolphe Guillet, called Tourangeau", where both "Gulliet" and "Tourangeau" are used as surnames, sometimes together and sometimes individually in different situations. The dit name can pose challenges for genealogists confronted with different surnames in different documents, particularly if they are not familiar with the custom.^[1]

References

1. Geyh, Banachowski & Boyea 2002, p. 14.

Works cited

• Geyh, Patricia Keeney; Banachowski, Joyce Soltis; Boyea, Linda (2002). French-Canadian Sources: A Guide for Genealogists. Ancestry Publishing. ISBN 978-1-931279-01-7.