Depew
A surname likely reshaped in America from French Dupuy, meaning “of the hill” or “from the hill.”
The #6,595 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 60,126 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This name is generally taken as an Americanized form of French Dupuy. In French, du puy means “of the hill” or “from the hill,” referring to someone who lived near or came from a hill or elevated place. The spelling Depew reflects English-language adaptation of the French sound and spelling in America.
History
The surname appears in American records in forms that suggest French origin, and 20th-century writers specifically noted Depew as a reshaped form of Dupuy. It is best known in the United States through the prominent Depew family, including Chauncey M. Depew. Because the change is a spelling-and-pronunciation adaptation, the name can look more English than its French source.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The name was once pointed to as a neat example of how a French surname could be naturalized into an English-looking American form.
From the historical record
“pleton. John Pew was a defendant in the United- States Court in 1856. Mr. Bethell was passenger in a Cunard steamer (1857). Mr. Depew is a gra- duate of Yale. A Mr. Churchyard is mentioned, in 1593, in Nichols's "Progresses." There was a well- known versifier of this name in Queen Elizabeth's time. An edition of…”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)