ARNAUD
Arnaud is a surname with deep roots in French and Germanic heritage, the name deriving from the personal name Arnaud and ultimately from the Old Germanic Arnald or Arnold. The elements of this compound name are arn, meaning “eagle”, and wald, meaning “rule” or “power”; together they convey the notion of an eagle‑ruler or a ruler possessing the strength of an eagle.
Early references to the name appear in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a Roger filius Ernaldi is listed, followed by an Arnoldus de Bolonia in the Red Book of the Exchequer, dated 1212. The first recorded usage of the surname in England occurs in the latter part of the twelfth century, with William Arnold cited in Suffolk in 1277 and John Arnoud in Cambridgeshire in 1279. In France the earliest documented instance is of Pierre Arnaud in 1312.
The surname is associated with twelve distinct coats of arms, a fact noted in several entries in the Dictionary of National Biography. This heraldic multiplicity reflects the surname’s spread across regions of both France and England, and in later centuries, to the New World. For example, Thomas Arnaud, aged thirty, departed from London aboard the ship “Plaine Joan” in May 1635 and was recorded as an early settler in Virginia.
Arnaud is also a common surname in French‑speaking areas outside of France, notably in Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg and various African countries such as the Republic of the Congo and Gabon. In the United States the name appears in states with substantial French‑American populations, for instance California, Florida, Louisiana and Massachusetts. The prevalence of the surname in these regions illustrates the broader influence of French migration and cultural diffusion.
Variants of the name exist in many languages, reflecting linguistic adaptation and administrative record‑keeping. In France, spellings such as Arnault, Arnaud, Arnault-Lefèvre and Arnaud‑Lefèvre are noted. Abroad, forms appear in Italian as Arnaldi or Arnoldi, in Catalan as Arnó, in Spanish and Portuguese as Arnús, and in Germanic tongues as Arndt. These variations have arisen through the Latinisation of the Germanic root, the influence of local orthographic practices, and the movement of families across Europe and into the Americas.
Traditionally, the surname has been linked to falconry, either as an occupational identifier for a falconer or for someone employed with a noble‑man’s falcons. It also functioned as a nickname for a person exhibiting a proud or haughty disposition, echoing the commanding presence of the eagle. Today, bearers of the surname Arnaud are found in diverse professional fields, including journalism, banking, law and academia, thus continuing the legacy of distinction associated with the name.
Typical given names associated with the Arnaud surname
Male
- Andrew
- Anthony
- Christian
- David
- Etienne
- Fabrice
- Franck
- Francois
- Matthew
- Olivier
- Peter
- Stanley
Female
- Aurelie
- Caroline
- Claire
- Jane
- Jean
- Katherine
- Pauline
- Sarah
- Stephanie
- Tracey
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Arnaud in...
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There are approximately 187 people named Arnaud in the UK. That makes it one of Britain's least common surnames. Only around three in a million people in Britain are named Arnaud.
