Labbé is one of the classic French occupational surnames — derived from abbé (abbot), it was given either to someone who worked in an abbey's service, lived near one, or perhaps bore some resemblance to a clergyman in demeanour. The name arrived in New France (Quebec) with early Norman settlers in the 17th century and became one of Quebec's most common surnames.
The Labbé family tree in Quebec traces back to a handful of original immigrants who crossed to New France before 1700; today there are tens of thousands of Labbés in Quebec, and the name spread with French-Canadian migration to New England (particularly Maine and Massachusetts), Ontario, and the Maritime provinces.
Love to Visit France covers the stories, places, and people behind French culture — from the Alps to the Atlantic, from ancient surnames to living villages.
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