Surname Filion - Meaning and Origin
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Filion: What does the surname Filion mean?
The last name Filion is of French origin. It is believed to be derived from the Latin name "Filius Ononis" which means "son of Ononis" or "descendant of Ononis". The root of this name was the Ancient Greek name Onon, meaning “suffering,” “honor,” or “army strength.”
The surname Filion first began to appear in written records in France as far back as the 12th century. During the Middle Ages, many families with this name migrated to other countries, particularly Canada. The Filion family formed churches, schools, and hospitals in Quebec throughout the centuries and were well respected by their peers.
Today, the surname Filion can be found all around the world in many countries such as the United States, Canada, France, Germany, England, Brazil, Argentina, and Belgium. The Filion name is typically associated with a person of French Canadian ancestry who is devoted to their familial ties and honors their proud heritage. They hold strong values and are highly respected members of their respective communities.
Order DNA origin analysisFilion: Where does the name Filion come from?
The last name Filion is quite common in French Canada, particularly in Quebec, although it is found in other parts of Canada and in the United States. The name began to become more popular in the late 19th century and has kept a presence in French Canadian culture ever since.
In Quebec, the name is derived from the French name "Fillion" originating from the Middle Ages in Normandy. In Quebec most of the Filions settled in the Eastern Townships, around Trois-Rivières, and in the regions closer to the American border.
In the rest of Canada, the name has also been present since the 19th century. According to Statistics Canada, in 2016 the Filion population was distributed across 30 provinces and territories, with 10,125 people using the last name. The highest concentration of people with the last name is in Quebec, totalling to 7,675 with Ontario coming second with 2,195 people.
In the United States, the name is particularly common in Louisiana, along with Mississippi and Arkansas. In the U.S., as of 2016 there were 768 people using Filion as a surname.
These numbers indicate that the population of Filions is ever increasing, as can be seen by the presence of the name both in Canada and the United States.
Variations of the surname Filion
The surname Filion, sometimes spelled as Fillion or Phillion, is of French origin. It is derived from the Latin personal name Filianus, or its French derivative Filianne, meaning “friendship, love” or “son of Filianus”.
Variations and alternate spellings of the surname include Fillions, Fillions, Fillions, Pullions, Phillions, Others, Filliones, Million, Fillians, Pilions, Filyons, Filaus, Filliaux, Fillius, Phillius, Filanson, Philion, and Filiane.
Variant spellings and surnames, formed using the same root word, may be found in other languages including Fillionck (Dutch and Flemish), Phillians (German) and Fillone (Italian).
Other derivations of the root name have been adopted and used by different cultural groups. For example, among the Irish, there is the surname Philan, derived from the personal name Philan or Fíleán, which is itself derived from the Latin name Filianus.
The Scottish and Irish culture has also adopted a variant of the killian resource name and declined it into MacPhilion, Filion, Philion and Fillioun.
The names Pilian, Fillans, Fillin and Fillon are found among the French-speaking minorities in Canada and are derived from the original French surname.
In the United States and Canada, some families have adopted the surname for the surname Fillian, which is a combination of the original French and German names. The early families from these countries would be more likely to use the spelling of Fillian rather than Filian, as the latter spelling was more common in Europe.
Surnames having the same origin as Filion, such as Phillion, Philianne, Fillians, Fillends, Pilion, Fialls, Filyons, Filiand and Filliones can also be noted.
Overall, Filion is a popular French surname with several spelling variations and alternate surnames that have their root in the Latin name Filianus.
Famous people with the name Filion
- Guy Filion: Canadian snowboarder and professional skateboarder.
- Gilles Filion: Canadian former speed skater who won a bronze medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
- Marie-Soleil Francine Filion: Canadian Olympic synchronized swimmer who won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
- André Filion: Canadian retired ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League.
- Geoffrey Filion: Canadian painter, sculptor and installation artist.
- Bob Filion: Canadian author and film producer.
- Rachel Filion: Canadian Olympic rower who won the bronze medal in the women's eight event at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- Mike Filion: Canadian retired professional football player.
- Emily Filion: Canadian actress who has been in films such as Chloé (2009) and Drumheller (2012).
- Raymond Filion: Canadian politician who was a Member of Parliament for the federal Conservative Party.