Ménard

Ménard is a French surname. It originates from the Germanic given name Meginhard, which itself is composed of the Old German elements megin 'power, strength' and hart 'hard, firm, brave, hardy'.

Etymology

The name Meginhard was borne by a 12th-century saint, a bishop of Livonia, and became the source of multiple European surnames. In France, the patronymic Ménard evolved as a shortened form of the Germanic original, showing the typical French reduction of unstressed syllables. The English variant Maynard and the German Meinhardt are cognate names from the same root.

Notable Bearers

The surname Ménard has been carried by a wide range of notable individuals across different fields. In colonial history, André Ménard served as a Governor General in the French colonial empire. In Canada, Antoine Ménard (dit Lafontaine) was a building contractor and politician in Lower Canada. The name also appears among French politicians, such as Christian Ménard, a member of the National Assembly of France.

In sports, Claude Ménard was a French high jump athlete, while Hillary 'Minnie' Menard was a Canadian hockey player and Howie Menard played in the National Hockey League. Canadian general Dollard Ménard was wounded five times in 1942 at the Dieppe Raid. The arts are represented by Émile-René Ménard, a French landscape and antique painter, and D.L. Menard, a Cajun music songwriter and performer.

Distribution

Ménard remains almost specific to France and has been carried overseas, particularly to Canada (Québec) and the United States. Its bearing today proceeds primarily among Francophone populations, either as the original form Ménard or as the orthographic variant Menard (without the accent).

• Meaning: derived from Meginhard ('power, strength' + 'hard, firm, brave')
• Origin: Germanic given name
• Type: patronymic surname
• Usage regions: France, Canada, United States