The rare French surname Deschanel[1] is probably for D'Eschanel, regional variant form of eschamel "stepladder", nickname of a trader.[2] It is supposed to be from the region of Lyon,[2] maybe in the Ain département. Notable people with the surname include:
A family of French politicians:
- Émile Deschanel (1819–1904), French author and politician, and his son:
- Paul Deschanel (1855–1922), 11th President of the French Republic
A family of French American artists:
- Caleb Deschanel (born 1944), American cinematographer, and his daughters:
- Emily Deschanel (born 1976), actress
- Zooey Deschanel (born 1980), singer and actress
- Mary Jo Deschanel (née Weir, born 1945), American actress
References
edit- ^ Geopatronyme.Com
- ^ a b Albert Dauzat, Noms et prénoms de France, Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et commentée par Marie-Thérèse Morlet, p. 195a