What does the last name St Jean mean?

Answer 1

'St Jean' is the french Surname of families originally from France. In English it is 'St John'. Some families originate from the Normandy Area. Some were Huguenots.

Originally there were know surnames as such - and people were named from where they lived or worked. The common belief is that 'St Jean' comes from the village of 'St Jean' - Hence some families originally being known as 'De St Jean', meaning - 'Of/in St Jean'. When the villages are from different areas there is always an after name eg: Saint Jean de Lez Ypres, Saint Jean de Geest, Saint Jean de Erems, Sent John in the 'Roll of the Battiel Abbey'

The 'St Jean' name has many variants - St Jean, Saint Jean, St John, Sension, Sention, Senjon, Sanjohn, Santjon, Saint John, Singeon, Sangeon, Say Jon, Say John, Santgeons, Sinjeons, Sinjen, plus many others to be clarified.

The reason for so many variants, it is beleived that way back many people spelt the words as they sounded. - There was also language barriers involved and writing was not a huge thing.

The 'St Jean' name is a completely different family from the 'St Johns of Bletsoe' and 'Lydiard Tregoze'. The 'St John' Genealogy is a hugely confusing family and families to research.

There is a common belief that 'St John' families are linked in some way. There is proof to be found, that they are not. The Noble 'St John's' are totally different from the Huguenots for example, as are the 'St John's' who took the name from Ancestors within their family as in those days was a right to do.

So the Original 'St Jean' name has many, many variants and is an enormous family to research.