Maillard Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Maillard last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Maillard last name
Meaning of the Maillard last name: mallet, hammer. The Maillard surname is French and usually began as a nickname from Old French mail, "mallet, hammer", for a man who used one. Some families may take the last name from an old Germanic personal name meaning "strong and brave". It is found across northern and western France. A curious detail: the browning of toast and roasted coffee is called the Maillard reaction, after the chemist Louis-Camille Maillard.
Arms associated with the Maillard name
French heraldry loved the fleur-de-lis, the lion and bold bands of colour, and coats of arms associated with the Maillard surname grew in that tradition; even the words of a blazon come from Old French.
Get your full Maillard family history
This is only a glimpse of the Maillard story. The full Maillard history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Maillard coat of arms. Get the full Maillard report.
Maillard name FAQ
What does the Maillard name mean?
Mallet, hammer. Common variants include Mailliard, Maillart.
Where does the Maillard surname come from?
It originates in France, and is also found in Switzerland, Canada and Belgium.
Is there a Maillard coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Maillard coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Albert Dauzat & Marie-Thérèse Morlet, Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de famille et prénoms de France; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).