Doucet
Encyclopedia
Doucet is a French language
surname
, especially popular in Canada
, the former area of Acadia
in particular (now Nova Scotia
, New Brunswick
, Prince Edward Island
, and parts of Quebec
and New England
.
As a result of the Great Expulsion in 1755 and later from Acadia, Doucets are also amongst the Cajuns (an Americanization of "Acadiens") of Louisiana
.
The first Doucet to reach North America is thought to be Major Germain Doucet
dit La Verdure, a French military officer at Port-Royal (now Annapolis Royal) in 1632 who attempted to defend what is now Maine and Acadia from invasions from Boston in 1654. Many Doucets in North America trace their lineage to Germain Doucet.
". Most Doucets in Canada pronounce their surname as "DOU-set" or "Dou-SET", rather than "Dou-SAY" as modern French might require. Some argue this pronuciation may derive from dialects of sixteenth century French such as was found in Brittany, a common origin of French-Canadian settlers; however Dou-SAY is the most popular pronunciation among Cajuns in Louisiana.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
, especially popular in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the former area of Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
in particular (now Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, and parts of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
.
As a result of the Great Expulsion in 1755 and later from Acadia, Doucets are also amongst the Cajuns (an Americanization of "Acadiens") of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
.
The first Doucet to reach North America is thought to be Major Germain Doucet
Germain Doucet
Germain Doucet, Sieur de La Verdure , in France, was a French commander in the French colony of Acadia., and the progenitor of the surnames Doucet and Doucette in North America.Doucet's career began when he entered into an association with Charles de Menou d'Aulnay, noted seaman, captain, and...
dit La Verdure, a French military officer at Port-Royal (now Annapolis Royal) in 1632 who attempted to defend what is now Maine and Acadia from invasions from Boston in 1654. Many Doucets in North America trace their lineage to Germain Doucet.
Variants
A common variant in spelling is "DoucetteDoucette
Doucette may refer to:* Doucette, Texas, an unincorporated community in the United States* Chad Doucette, Season 4 Canadian Idol contestant* Jerry Doucette, Canadian guitarist, who released music as "Doucette"...
". Most Doucets in Canada pronounce their surname as "DOU-set" or "Dou-SET", rather than "Dou-SAY" as modern French might require. Some argue this pronuciation may derive from dialects of sixteenth century French such as was found in Brittany, a common origin of French-Canadian settlers; however Dou-SAY is the most popular pronunciation among Cajuns in Louisiana.
Notable Doucets
- Early DoucetEarly DoucetEarly Joseph Doucet, III is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State.-Early years:Early Doucet prepped at St. Martinville...
, current American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player playing for the Arizona CardinalsArizona CardinalsThe Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Cat DoucetCat DoucetDaly Joseph Doucet, Sr., known as Cat Doucet , was a Democratic politician and a law enforcement officer from St. Landry Parish in south Louisiana. He served as sheriff of St. Landry Parish for a total of twenty years.-Background:Doucet was born in Grand Prairie in St. Landry Parish to Lucius...
(1899-1975), sheriff of St. Landry ParishSt. Landry Parish, LouisianaSt. Landry Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is at the heart of Acadian/Cajun culture and heritage in Louisiana. The parish seat is Opelousas. According to the 2010 census, the population of St. Landry Parish is 83,384.St...
, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
from 1936-1940 and 1952-1968 - Clement DoucetClément DoucetLéon Clément Doucet was a Belgian pianist.Doucet studied for a time at the local Conservatoire, where his teacher Arthur De Greef had been a pupil of Liszt. Although his formal training was classical, he traveled to the USA around 1920 and by his return in 1923 had developed considerable talent as...
(1895-1950), Belgian composer and jazz/classical pianist - Gerald DoucetGerald DoucetGerald Doucet is a former politician and lobbyist from Nova Scotia, Canada. He represented the electoral district of Richmond in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1963–1974, as a Progressive Conservative.He graduated from St...
, former Progressive Conservative politician from Nova Scotia - Germain DoucetGermain DoucetGermain Doucet, Sieur de La Verdure , in France, was a French commander in the French colony of Acadia., and the progenitor of the surnames Doucet and Doucette in North America.Doucet's career began when he entered into an association with Charles de Menou d'Aulnay, noted seaman, captain, and...
(1595-1654?), called Sieur de la Verdure, FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
commandant in MaineMaineMaine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
and AcadiaAcadiaAcadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as... - Henri Lucien DoucetHenri Lucien DoucetHenri Lucien Doucet was a French figure and portrait painter, born in Paris, where he studied under Lefebvre and Boulanger, and in 1880 won the Prix de Rome. His pictures are usually piquant, sparkling representations of modern life, eminently Parisian in style, but the audacious realism of his...
(1856 – 1895), French painter - Jacques Doucet, sportscaster, longtime play-by-play announcer for the Montreal ExposMontreal ExposThe Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
- Jacques DoucetJacques Doucet (fashion designer)Jacques Doucet was a French fashion designer, known for his elegant dresses, made with flimsy translucent materials in superimposing pastel colors....
(1853-1929), FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fashion designer - Joe DoucetJoe DoucetJoe Doucet is a designer, artist, architect, furniture designer and inventor who lives and works in New York City.- Early life and education :Doucet was born in Houston, Texas to an artist mother and an iron-worker father...
, (1970- )American Designer - Julie DoucetJulie DoucetJulie Doucet is a Canadian former underground cartoonist and artist, best known for her autobiographical works such as Dirty Plotte and My New York Diary...
, Canadian cartoonist - Michael DoucetMichael DoucetMichael Doucet is a Cajun fiddler, singer and songwriter who founded the Cajun band BeauSoleil from Lafayette, Louisiana.In 2005 Doucet was one of 12 recipients of the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA award, which recognizes artistic excellence, cultural...
, CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
singer-songwriter and guitarist. - Lyse DoucetLyse DoucetLyse Doucet is a senior BBC presenter and special correspondent from New Brunswick, Canada. She works for both BBC World Service radio and BBC World News television, and also reports for BBC Radio 4 and BBC News in the UK, including reporting on Newsnight.-Education:Doucet was born in Bathurst,...
, Canadian journalist, presenter and correspondent for both the BBC World ServiceBBC World ServiceThe BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
radio and BBC WorldBBC WorldBBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
television. - Michael DoucetMichael DoucetMichael Doucet is a Cajun fiddler, singer and songwriter who founded the Cajun band BeauSoleil from Lafayette, Louisiana.In 2005 Doucet was one of 12 recipients of the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts. The NEA award, which recognizes artistic excellence, cultural...
, CajunCajunCajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
fiddler, singer and songwriter who founded the Cajun band BeauSoleilBeausoleilBeauSoleil is an American musical group specializing in Cajun music. Based in Lafayette, Louisiana, the group members are brothers Michael Doucet and David Doucet , Jimmy Breaux , Billy Ware , Tommy Alesi , and Mitchell Reed .-Band history:Founded in 1975, BeauSoleil BeauSoleil (French, beautiful...
from Lafayette, LouisianaLafayette, LouisianaLafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
. - Roger DoucetRoger DoucetRoger Doucet, CM was a Canadian tenor best known for singing the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada", on televised games of the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Alouettes, and Montreal Expos during the 1970s...
, Canadian, (1919-1981) singer, known as Mr. O'Canada, for his rendition of Canada's National Anthem.