Tracing Huguenot Ancestry

Who were the Huguenots?

Huguenots were French Protestants, mostly Calvinists, who lived in a mainly Catholic kingdom during the 16th to 18th centuries. The Edict of Nantes (1598) gave them limited rights. Its revocation by the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685 made Protestant worship illegal and pushed many to leave. An edict in 1787 later restored some civil status to non-Catholics.

Estimates of how many people left France vary, and figures between about 150,000 and 200,000 are often quoted. Many others stayed in France, converted outwardly, or practiced in secret.

The origin of the word “Huguenot” is not settled. Several explanations are given, and historians do not agree on one, so treat any single story with caution.

Where Huguenot refugees went

Refugees often went first to nearby Protestant lands and then moved on. Common destinations include:

• England, Ireland and Scotland: London (Spitalfields), Canterbury, Norwich, Southampton and Dublin had notable communities.
• The Netherlands, Switzerland and German states: Brandenburg-Prussia offered refuge too.
• North America: Settlers appeared in places such as New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina.
• South Africa: The Franschhoek area of the Cape is closely associated with Huguenot settlers.

Knowing the pattern helps you decide where to look. A family that appears in London’s French churches in the 1690s is a different research problem from one in colonial Charleston.

Is my ancestor a Huguenot? Clues to look for

Hardly any family tradition about Huguenot descent is proven, and some are mistaken, so look for evidence rather than relying on a surname alone.

• Timing: Main waves of arrival in England are usually dated to the 1680s through the 1720s. Earlier, smaller movements occurred as well. French refugees after the 1789 Revolution were mainly Catholic, so they are a different group.
• Place: Settlement clustered in certain towns and neighborhoods, usually near trades such as weaving.
• Surname: A French-sounding name may help, but names were often spelled phonetically, translated or changed. Examples often cited are Rivoire becoming Revere, or names changed to English equivalents. Do not assume a name changed just because it looks similar.
• Occupation: Many were artisans, such as weavers, silversmiths and clockmakers, though this is only a pattern and not a test.
• Religion: Baptisms or marriages in a French Reformed church are one of the strongest clues.
• Intermarriage: Daughters married into local families, so a Huguenot line may be hidden behind an English or Dutch surname.

DNA is not a reliable way to confirm Huguenot descent. No ethnicity estimate can show someone’s religion, although DNA matches combined with a paper trail can support a connection to a documented family. See how far back DNA can trace ancestry.

Records to search

In Britain and Ireland

• French Protestant church registers: Registers of the French churches in London and other towns record baptisms, marriages and burials. The Huguenot Society (UK) has published many of them.
• Denization and naturalization: Many refugees applied for legal status, which creates paper records. Denization papers are often indexed in published Huguenot Society volumes.
• Church of England records: Some families moved into the Anglican church within a generation or two.
• Charity and relief lists: Support for refugees was recorded in lists that can show names and origins.

In France

Because Protestant worship was banned, many Huguenots appear in Catholic registers, sometimes after forced baptisms or marriages. Before 1685, Reformed churches kept their own registers, but survival is patchy. Later records and notarial files can help. For general guidance on French sources, see our beginner’s guide to French genealogy records.

In North America

Look at colonial church records, land grants, wills and local histories, including census records such as those described in Virginia census records. Regional societies, such as the Huguenot Society of South Carolina, publish material on local families.

Lineage societies

The National Huguenot Society, the Huguenot Society of America and similar groups keep lists of ancestors that members have documented. The National Huguenot Society has said its ancestor listing is limited to people whose Huguenot status was proven by documents, and that it is not a full list of all Huguenots. Absence from a list therefore does not mean your ancestor was not a Huguenot. The societies also set their own proof standards, so check their current requirements.

Common Huguenot surnames

Many surnames are associated with Huguenot families, for example Bernon, Bayard, Delano, Du Pont, Lanier, Maury and Fontaine. Treat any such list as a starting point only. The presence of a name tells you very little unless you can document the line, and many French-origin families were Catholic.

Does the Huguenot Church still exist?

Yes, in several forms. French Reformed and Lutheran churches merged in 2013 to form the United Protestant Church of France. In the United States, the Huguenot Church in Charleston, South Carolina, is often described as continuing a French Protestant congregation. Descendants of Huguenots are also members of many other denominations.

A research plan

1. Work back through documented generations in your country of settlement.
2. Look for a French Reformed church baptism, marriage or burial entry.
3. Check denization, naturalization and relief records.
4. Search society publications for the family name.
5. Look for the French place of origin, then use the local archive.
6. Record the evidence for each link carefully before joining a lineage society, perhaps using the genealogy research report template.