Canadian name

English Canadian names

In English Canada, names follow much the same convention as they do in the United States and United Kingdom. The first name on the birth certificate is the name the child is expected to go by, although use of a middle name in everyday life is not uncommon. The last name is usually the same as the father's last name though it is not unheard of for children to take their mother's last name, or for both names to be hyphenated. Middle names are optional and are generally only used on official documentation. Multiple middle names are rare but are officially recognized.

With the exception of Quebec, either spouse, though usually the wife, has the right to change their last name after marriage. Their marriage certificate is considered proof of their new name.

One of Canada's chief values is multiculturalism. As such it is not uncommon to see names that follow patterns differing from the English and French naming conventions.

French Canadian names

Given names in Quebec

In French Canada, up until the late 1960s, children of Roman Catholic origin were given three names at birth (usually not hyphenated): the first, Marie or Joseph, usually indicated the gender of the child. The second was usually the name of the godfather or godmother, while the third and last given name was the name used in everyday situations. Thus, a child prenamed Joseph Bruno Jean on his birth or baptismal certificate would indicate the baby to be a boy, the godfather's first name to be Bruno and that the child would be called Jean (and not Joseph) for all intents and purposes of everyday life. This naming convention was in the most part dropped following the Quiet Revolution (late 1960s), and is now seen much more rarely. The Quebec government recommends not using more than four given names.

Surnames in Quebec

Currently, most couples give the child the surname of the father, though the Quebec civil code allows a couple to combine at most two of their surnames, with or without hyphens. Thus a couple named Joseph Bouchard-Tremblay and Marie Dion-Roy could give to their children the surnames Bouchard, Tremblay, Dion, Roy, Bouchard-Tremblay, Dion-Roy, Bouchard-Dion, Bouchard-Roy, etc. In Quebec, name change upon marriage is no longer automatic, and is difficult or impossible to do if desired. Requests for a name change in Quebec require a reason, and requests to adopt a husband's name after marriage have been denied in the past.

The "nom-dit" tradition

Until the late 19th century, several families also had a "nom-dit" tradition. This was a family nickname (literally a "said name"). The origins of the noms-dits were various. Some noms-dits were the war-name of the first settler, while he was a soldier: Hébert dit Jolicoeur (Pretty Heart, cf. Braveheart), Thomas dit Tranchemontagne (mountain chopper). Some denoted the place of origin of the first settler: Langevin (Anjou), Barbeau dit Poitevin (Poitou). Others probably denoted a characteristic of the person or of his dwelling: Lacourse, Lépine, Larivière.

See also

• List of most common Canadian surnames