Lafayette (name)

Lafayette or La Fayette, is originally a surname or a toponym coming from the Occitan words la faieta and that designates a beech forest.

Due to the fame of American Revolutionary War commander Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, Lafayette is also a given name in the United States.

Notable people with the name include:

Surname

Andrée Lafayette (1903-1989), French actress
Bernard Lafayette (born 1940), American civil rights activist and organizer
Ivan Lafayette (1930–2016), longtime member of the New York State Assembly (1977–2008)
James Lafayette (1853–1923), pseudonym of James Stack Lauder, portrait photographer,
James Armistead Lafayette (c. 1760–1830), aka James Armistead, African-American Revolutionary War spy
Nathan LaFayette (born 1973), former National Hockey League player
Oliver Lafayette (born 1984), American professional basketball player
Ross Lafayette (born 1985), English professional footballer
Ruby Lafayette (1844–1935), American film actress

Given name

Lafayette C. Baker (1826–1868), American investigator and Union spy during the American Civil War; promoted for his part in apprehending Lincoln's assassins
Lafayette Bunnell (1824–1903), American physician, explorer and author
Lafayette Caskey (1823–1881), a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
La Fayette Eastman (1819-1898), a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
LaFayette Emmett (1822–1905), American lawyer, second attorney general of the Minnesota Territory and first chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court
Lafayette L. Foster (1851-1901), American academic administrator, politician, and journalist
Lafayette S. Foster (1806–1880), American senator from Connecticut and Connecticut Supreme Court judge
Lafayette Gilchrist (born 1967), American jazz pianist and composer
La Fayette Grover (1823–1911), American Democratic politician and lawyer from the U.S. state of Oregon
Lafayette Guild (1826–1870), United States Army and Confederate States Army surgeon; pioneer in the study of yellow fever
Lafayette Head (1825–1897), Colorado legislator and first Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
Lafayette Holbrook (1850–1941), mayor of Provo, Utah
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (1911–1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction author and founder of Scientology
Lafayette Lane (1842–1896), Representative from Oregon
Lafayette Leake (1919–1990), blues and jazz pianist, organist, vocalist and composer
Lafayette S. Lafe McKee (1872–1959), American actor who appeared in more than 400 films from 1912 to 1948.
LaFayette Fayette McMullen (1805–1880), American politician and banker; Virginia state senator, member of the U.S. and Confederate House of Representatives, and Territorial Governor of Washington
Lafayette McLaws (1821–1897), Confederate general during the American Civil War
Lafayette Mendel (1872–1935), American biochemist
Lafayette F. Mosher (1824–1894), American politician and judge in Oregon
Lafayette Lever (born 1960), also known as "Fat Lever", former professional basketball player
LaFayette L. Patterson (1888–1987), Representative from Alabama
Lafayette Russell (1905–1978), college and National Football League running back
Lafayette Young (1848–1926), newspaper reporter and editor, and briefly Republican Senator from Iowa

Surname

Given name

See also