This is a rare French surname. Recorded as Lemoir, Lemoire, Moir, Moire, Moiret, and Moirier, it is ethnic and describes a Moor, a person from Morocco. However it is possible that it was merely a nickname for a dark haired or dark skinned person, somebody who was considered by his peer group to be 'Moorish'. The International Genealogical Index only gives one example in the surviving registers of the city of London. This is of Paul and Mary Anne Lemoire, whose daughter Mary was christened at St Pancras Old Church, on March 24th 1754. According to the 'Dictionnaire etymologique des noms de France' the name originates in the departmennt of Savoyarde, the ancient kingdom of Savoy. This was also an area originally of Huguenot Protestant strength, and therefore the name in England is probably from that source.

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