Launay

Launay is a French toponym and surname. As a place name, Launay designates several communes and localities across France. The toponym is habitational in origin, typically linked to historical naming practices that identify a site by its geographic features; the exact etymology can vary between localities bearing the name.

As a surname, Launay originated from these place names and is found among populations of French origin and their descendants. It is most common in France and among French-speaking communities in Canada and Belgium, with variants arising through migration, regional spelling differences, and administrative changes.

In historical and contemporary records, bearers of the surname Launay have been involved in a wide range of occupations, including public administration, academia, the arts, commerce, and professional fields. The name appears in parish registers, civil documents, and genealogical sources, reflecting patterns of settlement, mobility, and regional distribution within the French-speaking world.

Launay also occurs in the names of streets, districts, and geographic features that commemorate or are associated with places named Launay. For researchers and genealogists, tracing the surname often involves identifying the specific Launay commune or locality connected to a family line, as multiple places share the name across different regions of France.