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The origins of the CYR name

The following is reproduced (with thanks) from Claude L. Cyr's "The Origins of the Cyr Name" published in "The Cyr Legacy" Book, on the occasion of the CYR FAMILY REUNION held in Madawaska, Maine in July 1981.

A Cyr, is a Sire, is a Cire, is a Cyre and, by any other spelling, is still a CYR!

Individual surnames originated for the purpose of more specific identification and are relatively recent in the annals of mankind. They became a necessity when a single village could count several Johns; thus John the Blacksmith, Silversmith or Tinsmith became John Smith... an association with his trade.

John who lived on the outskirts of the village in the valley, was identified as John Vale (La Valle), and John who lived on a side hill, became John LaMontagne (Hill).

Another John who lived in a timber stand may have ended up with the surname Epinette (Spruce), or from the stand of oaks, his English name would be John Oaks (John Deschenes, in French).

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The individual who owned a remarkable animal, might be called "LeBoeuf" (Bull) or "Colombe" (Dove).

If a John in the village was from England or spoke English, he may have ended up with the surname "Langlais" (English or England); if he was French in an English community, he became John French (La France). The list could go on and on, with French names being given an English spelling... such as Lang to Long, Cyr to Sear, Sirois to Searway.

Other cultures adopted a means by which a man and his descendants were called sons of... such as Anderson, Peterson, or the Irish custom which uses "Fitz", as in Fitzpatrick, Fitzsimon; and the Scots with "Mac", as in MacDonald and MacArthur. This practice was not common in French. The only link to this custom, would be that of adding "fils" to the father's name.

The name "CYR" appears to have denoted a location..."one who comes from Saint Cyr", along with an association with the Greek and French, meaning descendant of Cyr (teacher) and "one who appears Lordly".

Variations in spelling the same original surname, seems common. Dictionaries of names indicate that "CYR" could have been spelled Cyril, Cyrillus, Cyrillo, Cyrille, Ciril, Ciro, Cyre, Syr, Syre, Cire and Sire... and, less we forget, "Crock or Croque" a well-known nickname amongst the Jean-Baptiste Cyr clan.

The family name "CYR", is one of the oldest Norman French names and comes from the borders of Normandy and Brittany. It is recorded in history, back to the years 1000 and seems to be associated with the ancient family of William of Moncaux, the ancient Lords of Maers and Counts of Nevers.

The Cyrs of St. Cyrs, were chief tenants of the Moncaux Counts and held land around the church of St. Cyrs De Nevers. It is there in Brittany, that the Cyr or Cyre "Coat of Arms" is registered.

The "CYR" family name arrived on the North American Continent of Acadia, via PIERRE SIRE/CYR (1668).

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The "CYR" name has been established in history by numbers of illustrious persons which include Cyr of Alexandria (Cyril) (376 - 444 A.D.); Cyr Lucaris (Cyril) (1572 - 1638), Patriarch of Constantinopole in 1621. He presented the "Alexandrian Codex" to Charles the First, and Valademirovich Cyr (Cyril - Kirill) (1866 - 1938), a Russian Grand Duke, during the Russian Revolution.

A study of Acadian and North American history, also reveals a number of "Cyrs" who have established worthwhile places as politicians, educators, religious leaders and authors. There are great numbers who would deserve a place as distinguished bearers of the "CYR" name, but since this presentation is not meant to be a "Who's Who" amongst Cyrs, nor is it meant to be a complete study of family history, we let the readers complete their own lists from the Cyrs still living!

The following is reproduced (with thanks) from the source notes provided me by my uncle Roch Cyr, who obtained them from his good friend Leo G. Cyr.

A final word needs to be said about the CYR family name, variously spelled Sire, Cire, Syre, Cyre and Cyr. Church and civil records in Acadia contained these and other random spellings, dictated more often by recorder's degree of familiarity with the local scene, than anything else. Our name came from France as Sire. Its metamorphosis to Cyr was gradual and a rather long time in developing. Why did Cyr prevail? My own theory is put forth for what it's worth. Cyr was probably more wisely known than Sire in the 18th century. There was an elite school for girls at Versailles, widely known as l'Academie St. Cyr. Subsequently, St. Cyr became widely known as the West Point of France. Sire and Cyr are pronounced exactly alike in French; cire. I suggest that missionaries newly arrived from France, on hearing the family name at the baptismal font in Beaubassin, thought of St. Cyr and began to favor that spelling. This process took place over a period of time when there was a dearth of education among the Acadians. The spelling of their name was, so to speak, taken out of their hands. A current fad for spelling names in various ways, may have contributed to the process. The actual experience of our particular branch of the family, was typical:

• PIERRE (first generation) appeared in the 1671 census of Acadia, as Pierre SIRE. We may assume that, as a gunsmith schooled in France, he was able to spell his name. He gave it as he had spelled it in France. Sire was a name indigenous to northwestern France.

• JEAN (second generation) signed Jean SIRE in 1715 as one of the commissioners reporting to the British the decision of the Beaubassin population, in regard to taking the oath of allegiance to George II.

• JEAN-BAPTISTE (third generation) appeared as Jean SIRE in the Beaubassin church record of his marriage January 26, 1734; and as Jean SYR in a list dated August 12, 1763, of prisoners on the St. John River. An appeal that he and his sons addressed to the Governor of Canada in 1784, reveals that they were unable to sign. The illiteracy of their fugitive existence (since the burning of Beaubassin in 1750), was becoming apparent. In 1792, a St. Basil (New Brunswick) record referred to him as "feu Jean SIR".

• PAUL'S (fourth generation) baptismal record at Beaubassin, referred to him as Paul CYRE in 1741. The Studholme Report of 1783, listed him as Paul CIRE. The United States did not take a census of Madawaska in 1790, 1800 or 1810, thereby sparing the name considerable mutilation. He was buried as Paul CYR in 1812.

• PAUL'S (fifth generation) baptismal record at St. Basil, referred to him as the son of Paul SYR. The U.S. census of 1820 was not a nominal census in Madawaska. His marriage record at St. Basil referred to him as Paul CYR in 1822. U.S. censuses called him Paul CERE in 1830; Paul CYR in 1840; Paul CROCK in 1850; Paul CYR in 1860. His burial record in 1865, called him Paul CYR.

• ALEXIS (sixth generation) was described in the 1860 U.S. census as Alexander, the son of Paul CROCK, but subsequently during his lifetime, the name settled-down to CYR. The French pronunciation (cire) remained constant in Madawaska, but with the increasing use of English in the area, it has been anglicized (like the English word "seer"0, including all too frequent aberrations such as "cur" and "cry".

My theory is not intended to suggest that we had any connection with the St. Cyr family. There was none. The Cyrs of Madawaska are all descendants of JEAN-BAPTISTE SIRE, one of the grandsons of first-generation PIERRE SIRE of Acadia. They are _not_ descendants of first-generation Louis Sire of Acadia, to whom goes the honor of being the progenitor of Louis (Cyprien-Noé) Cyr (1863 -1912) of Napierville, Quebec, the "strongest man in the world".

My Grand-Father Fred O. Cyr [April 18, 1880 - June 18, 1945]

and

Grand-Mother Alice Poitras [June 04, 1882 - December 09, 1969]

My Great-Grand-Father Onezime (aka Lezime) Cyr [September 22, 1856 - January 29, 1911]

and

Great-Grand-Mother Christine (aka Christie) Bourgoin [May 09, 1855 - October 17, 1894]

Click here to view details of the largest Cyr Family in the world!

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