More Information on "dit" names:

"Dit" names were second surnames used in the French colonies. The word "dit" means "called" in French. Corresponding to "nicknames," dit names were sometimes derived from military ranks or service, occupations, places of origin, or even humorous traits about a person. For example, one lazy man's dit name was "La Fatigue." Sometimes dit names even replaced original surnames. For instance, a man named Giles Michel settled in Canada in the mid 1600s, and his descendants moved to St. Louis. The Michel family acquired the dit name Taillon, which was later spelled Tayon. Joseph Michel dit Tayon, who built the town's first water powered mill on Chouteau's Pond was eventually known as Joseph Tayon, and his descendants have kept the name Tayon as their surname. Since inhabitants were often called by their true surnames and their dit names interchangeably, visitors to St. Louis sometimes had a difficult time understanding who was who!