Prejean
A French surname, probably from an old personal name with the common patronymic ending -jean, meaning 'son of Jean.'
The #9,830 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 93,730 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Prejean is a French surname built on Jean, the French form of John, with a prefixed element that likely comes from an older regional or dialect form rather than a direct modern French word. In practice, it is usually treated as a patronymic surname connected to a man named Jean. The literal sense is therefore something like 'descendant of Jean' or 'family of Jean.'
History
The surname is especially associated with French-speaking populations, including French Louisiana and other areas shaped by French settlement. In North America it is often found in Cajun and Creole communities, where French surnames were preserved even as spelling and pronunciation shifted over time. Because the name is relatively rare, many modern bearers belong to a few concentrated family lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In Louisiana, Prejean is a familiar Cajun surname and is sometimes heard with a distinctly French-style pronunciation that English speakers often find surprising.