Where does “dArc” in Joans name come from?
Joan’s father, Jacques d’Arc, was born in 1375, in the small town of Ceffonds, Champaign, France. He migrated to Domremy where he married Isabelle Romée. Isabelle came from the village of Vouthona which is seven kilometers northwest of Domremy. Many historians believe that Jacques’ ancestors came from the village of “Arc-en-Barrois” and this the origin of his surname ‘d’Arc.’ Joan NEVER used her father’s surname, it was only many years after her death that writers/historians started to use ‘d’Arc’ as part of her name. When Joan left Domremy she simply called herself, “Jehanne, la Pucelle” or Joan, the Maid. It was the custom for girls from her village to take their mother’s name – which in Joan’s case would have been Romée. So if Joan had lived out her life within the confines of Domremy she would have been known as Jehannette Romée.
