Re: BRETON and LABRETON as dit names for HELIE
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In reply to:
BRETON and LABRETON as dit names for HELIE
Daniel G. Webber 6/03/06
My understanding is that my ancestors were Helie dit Breton or Helie de Bretagne. They are now simply known as Breton.Helie was the family name, and dit Breton simply indicated that they were Breton (from Brittany).
What I find confusing is that there are so many Bretons in Quebec. It would seem to have made more sense to maintain the original family name and not take on the place nickname, since there were so many Bretons.So I don't know how or why the true family name got dropped.My best guess is that if people listed their full name on immigration papers, everything but the very last name may have gotten dropped.