Daily Ancestorfeu
Feu means "the late" or "deceased" in French records; fils de feu Pierre means the son of the late Pierre, who had died.
Feu has nothing to do with fire: it comes from an old word meaning one who has met his destiny. It stands before the name and is normally invariable before an article or possessive (feu ma tante) but agrees after one (mes feues tantes). Agreement in both cases has been allowed since 1901, so you will see both feu and feue for women.
In a marriage entry, feu in front of a parent's name means that parent died before the wedding. Use it to narrow the search for a death.
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How to cite this page
Daily Ancestor. "feu." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/french/feu-french. Last checked 2026-10-28.