Understanding Dit Names

Patrick asked:

My ancestor was Abraham Crevier dit Saint Jean. What does dit mean in his name?

Olive Tree Answer: A dit name is a nickname of sorts. It does not always signify a place of origin. It can be occupational or based on a personal characteristic. Dit names are like a legal alias and when searching records for an ancestor with a dit name, you have to look under his surname, his dit name or a combination of both.

The dit name was in very common use in New France where colonists used Dit names to distinguish among inviduals with the same or similiar names. For example one of my New France ancestors was Simeon LeRoy. His dit name was Audy and he is recorded as Simeon LeRoy dit Audy, plus many variants.

For more information, see Dit Names