Family name origins & meanings
- North American variant of French Lefevre, the most common name in French-speaking Canada. As the vocabulary word fèvre ‘smith’ was replaced by forgeron, the meaning of the old word became opaque, and the name was reinterpreted by French Canadian immigrants as Lafève, from fève ‘(fava) bean’ (see Bean). Lafève would be heard as Lafave by English ears.