Updated March 27, 2024

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Family name origins & meanings

  • Southern French : diminutive of Lafaye, a topographic name for someone living near a beech tree or beech wood, from Old French fage, variant of fou ‘beech’ (Latin fagus).
  • Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette (1757–1834), was a rich French aristocrat and soldier who allied himself with the cause of liberty, religious toleration, and the abolition of slavery. He came to North America in 1777 and played a major part in securing George Washington’s victory over the British.