Lemieux is one of Quebec's most recognisable surnames — and one made famous internationally by hockey player Mario Lemieux. The etymology is debated: the most common interpretation is that Le Mieux means "the best" (from Old French mieux), though some scholars connect it to a topographic name.
The family appears in Quebec records from the late 17th century, brought by early French colonists from Normandy. The Lemieux line spread widely through Quebec and into New England with French-Canadian migration. Mario Lemieux, born in Montreal in 1965, made the name recognisable to sports fans worldwide through his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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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