Allaire (surname)

Allaire is a surname of French origin, mainly found in Northern France (Brittany),<ref>Géopatronyme : repartition of the births with the surname Allaire before 1915</ref> Jersey, and Quebec.

Etymology

The Breton toponymic origin of the surname Allaire is described by Francis Gourvil in his publication Noms de famille bretons d'origine toponymique. <ref>Les noms de familles bretons d’origine toponymique, Revue internationale d'onomastique, vol. 17, no 3, 1965, p. 209–224</ref> This would point to Allaire, a commune located in the Morbihan department.

Other Breton toponymic connections include lieux-dits "Ville-Allaire" in the communes of Langouet (Ille-et-Vilaine) and Illifaut (Côtes-d'Armor).<ref>Ferme, la Ville Allaire (Langouët)</ref><ref>Lieu-dit LA VILLE ALLAIRE Illifaut</ref>

Two other possible etymologies can be traced:

Variant form of Hilaire, French form of Latin Hilarius, derived from Latin hilaris meaning "joyful".<ref>Albert Dauzat, Noms et prénoms de France, Librairie Larousse 1980, édition revue et commentée par Marie-Thérèse Morlet. p. 328ab.</ref><ref>Mémoire du Québec - Allaire (étymologie)</ref>
In Brittany can be given after saint Aloire (Template:Langx), bishop of Quimper, Brittany.<ref>R. P. ARCHANGE GODBUT, Nos Ancêtres au XVlle siècle. dans Rapport de l'Archiviste de la Province de Québec pour 1951-53, p. 478</ref>

Anthony Allaire (1829–1903), American firefighter and police officer
François Allaire (born 1959), ice hockey coach
Gaston Allaire (1916–2011), Canadian musicologist, organist, pianist and composer
James P. Allaire (1785–1858), American mechanic and steam engine builder
Jean Allaire (born 1930), Quebecer politician and lawyer
Jeremy Allaire (born 1971), American technologist and Internet entrepreneur
Joseph J. Allaire (born 1969), American software engineer and Internet entrepreneur
Paul Allaire (1938–2019), businessman, CEO of Xerox Corporation
Zoé Allaire-Bourgie (born 2004), artistic gymnast