The dit name (French: nom-dit [nɔ̃ di]) was a common French-Canadian custom by which families often adopted an alternate surname.
[1] The dit name poses challenges for genealogists confronted with different surnames in different documents, particularly if they are not familiar with the custom.
[1] Dit and the feminine form dite translate as "called" and are the past participle of the French verb dire, "to say".
A family's dit name often derived from a personal attribute (Leblond, Leblanc, Leroux), place of origin (St-Onge, Coderre, LeBreton), or profession (Chartier, Meunier, Vanier).
The custom originated in the military, where those with the same name adopted noms de guerre to distinguish themselves.