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Updated February 1, 2024

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Family name origins & meanings

  • French : occupational name for a fur trader, from Old French pelletier (a derivative of pellet, diminutive of pel ‘skin’, ‘hide’).
  • Since the beaver fur trade was essential in the early development of Canada, by both the British and the French, the name Pelletier and its variants is, not surprisingly, quite common. The earliest documented arrival was at Quebec City in 1637, from the Beauce region of France.

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