Charron
A surname often linked to the old French word for a cartwright or wagon-maker.
The #7,803 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 72,800 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Charron is generally explained from Old French charron, meaning a cartwright or maker of carts and wagons. It belongs to the same word family as French char, “cart,” and ultimately reflects a craft name rather than a place name. In some regional traditions the form may also overlap with local dialect spellings such as Caron, Cheron, or Quaron.
History
Historical references in Normandy and northern France suggest that the name was well established there in the Middle Ages, and later spellings show considerable regional variation. Some 19th-century writers also noted apparent parallels between French and Norman forms of the word, which they took as evidence of local occupational naming. In North America, the surname appears among early French and later English-language records, especially in areas with French settlement or migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
French dialect evidence shows that forms like Chéron and Quâron were used in some places to mean the same thing as charron, a reminder that one occupation could generate many spellings.
From the historical record
“Wichard de Grosse, co. Line, lart. A. Gwychardas Charron, 1315: DdD. i. 4. Gaichard de Charron, 1441 : ibid. p. 10. John Gychard, 1340: KKK. vol. vi.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (alternate scan)