Deraison

Deraison is a surname of French origin that has been in use since the medieval period. The name is believed to derive from the Old French term “deraison,” meaning an explanation or justification, or from a toponymic root “de rais” referring to a ridge or elevated land. Its earliest records appear in the parish registers of the Limousin region in the 12th century, and by the 16th and 17th centuries family members were noted in aristocratic lists in Gascony, often associated with landholding estates.

In contemporary times Deraison is found in various professional fields. A prominent figure was Michel Deraison, a French botanist (1920–1985) who published significant research on alpine flora in the Journal of Plant Sciences. Emigration in the 19th century extended the name to North America; the 1910 U.S. Census records around one hundred fifty individuals with the surname in the Midwest, many engaged in farming.

Beyond its use as a family name, Deraison also refers to a small Roman Catholic church in Saint‑Rémy‑de‑Provence, dedicated in 1884. Locally called Notre‑Dame de la Deraison, the church hosts an annual pilgrimage that underscores local agricultural traditions.

The Deraison surname remains a distinctive marker of regional heritage in France and occasionally appears in business names. Example: Deraison Specialty Foods, a boutique sauce producer founded in Lyon in 1995, focusing on Mediterranean flavor profiles and recognized by regional culinary guides.