French: from a medieval personal name (Latin Delphinus, from
delphis ‘dolphin’). This name was borne by a 4th-century saint
who was bishop of Bordeaux, and from the early 12th century it was in
use as a hereditary personal name in the family of the counts of
Albon, so that it soon came to be used as a title and led to their
territory (capital Grenoble) being known as the
Dauphiné. When it became part of the Kingdom of France in
1349, the title of dauphin thereafter denoted the heir-apparent
to the throne, and it is possible that in some cases this is the
origin of the surname, either denoting a member of the Dauphin’s
household or applied as a nickname in the sense of ‘prince’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
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