Lévesque

Lévesque is a surname of French origin. It derives from the Old French l'évêque, meaning "the bishop," and likely originated as a nickname or occupational name for someone associated with a bishop or who served in a bishop's sphere. The modern form Lévesque emerged in medieval France and traveled to French-speaking colonies during the early modern period.

Today, the name is particularly common in Quebec, Canada, reflecting centuries of settlement by French colonists. It is also found in France and among Francophone communities around the world, and among descendants of French emigrants in the Americas and elsewhere.

Notable bearers include René Lévesque (1922–1987), a journalist and statesman who served as the Premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985 and founded the Parti Québécois.

Variants include Levesque and Léveque, with accents often omitted in non-French contexts. The root etymology remains linked to the word for bishop.