Doucet

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doucet is a French language surname, especially popular in Canada, the former area of Acadia in particular (now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and parts of Quebec and New England.

As a result of the Great Expulsion in 1755 and later from Acadia, Doucets are also amongst the Cajuns (an anglicization of "Acadiens") of Louisiana.

The first Doucet to reach North America is thought to be Major Germain Doucet dit La Verdure, a French military officer at Port-Royal (now Annapolis Royal) from 1632 who attempted to defend what is now Maine and Acadia from invasions from Boston in 1654. Many Doucets in North America trace their lineage to Germain Doucet. ^[1]

Noteworthy people with this surname include:

• Gerald Doucet is a former Progressive Conservative politician from Nova Scotia.
• Germain Doucet, dit Sieur de la Verdure, was a French commandant in Maine and Acadia (1596-unknown).
• Jacques Doucet is a sportscaster, longtime play-by-play announcer for the Montreal Expos.
• Jacques Doucet was a French fashion designer (1853-1929).
• Julie Doucet, Canadian cartoonist
• Luke Doucet is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist.
• Lyse Doucet a presenter and correspondent for both the BBC World Service radio and BBC World television.
• Michael Doucet is a Cajun fiddler, singer and songwriter who founded the Cajun band BeauSoleil from Lafayette, Louisiana.

A common variant in spelling is "Doucette". Most Doucets in Canada pronounce their surname as "DOU-set" or "Dou-SET", rather than "Dou-SAY" as modern French might require. This pronuciation may derive from dialects of sixteenth century French such as was found in Brittany, a common origin of French-Canadian settlers.

[edit] References

1. ^ [Doucet du Monde]. Descendants of Germain Doucet, Sieur de LaVerdure. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.

[edit] Notes

1. Les Doucet du Monde