Lafontain

Lafontain is a surname of French origin. It is a variant spelling of Lafontaine, which itself derives from the French toponymic element la fontaine, meaning “the fountain.” The form Lafontain likely originated as a descriptive or locational surname for families living near a fountain or near a place named La Fontaine, or as a marker adopted from such a place.

In contemporary usage, Lafontain is considerably rarer than Lafontaine. Spelling variations often arise from regional pronunciation, migration, and clerical recording practices. The name is found in francophone communities in France and Canada, particularly in Quebec, where diverse spellings reflect historical settlement patterns.

Notable individuals with this exact spelling are not widely documented in major encyclopedic references. The broader Lafontaine family name, with the final e, has a longer historical presence and includes several well-known bearers in French and Canadian public life. The Lafontain variant remains a minority spelling within those lineages and is sometimes encountered in genealogical records or local histories.

See also: Lafontaine, La Fontaine, Fontaine. For more on the name’s origin and variants, consult surname etymology references and genealogical databases that track French toponymic surnames.