Variations of the name Cazeau possess a common origin, the Latin countries. Languages and culture are responsible for the spelling and pronunciation of the respective patronyms. Thus, in Italy, according to researches in the telephone directories of Rome and Milan, the predominant variant of the name Cazeau is Caso. Likewise, in Spain, the telephone directories in Barcelona, Madrid, and Seville reveal many named Casaus or Casau. In Portugal, one finds only one variant, Caso.

As for French-speaking countries, France notably, there is a profusion in the number of spellings with a frequent usage of the termination -zaux or -zeaux. On Minitel, we find the appellation Cazaux with more than 1000 listings, followed by those of Cazeaux, whose number exceeds 500. Outside of Paris, it is in the regions of Aquitaine, Midi-Pyrenees and Provence-Cote-d'Azur that we find the most frequent use of the patronym Cazeau and all its variants. In Belgium and Switzerland, the name Cazaux is most predominant.

It should also be pointed out that families of French origin settled in Spain and Italy, and others from Italy underwent migration to France or to Belgium. Whatever variation of the name, it provides a clue as to the place of origin as after 1870, in general, patronyms were preserved with no further spelling variations. Thus, the Cazeauxs living in Great Britain clearly show French origins.

The New World

In the Americas, the presence of the patronyms Cazaux, Caso, Casaus and their respective variations can be easily connected between the place or origin and the place of destination. The spelling has changed sometimes. Despite this, we can develop a fairly accurate portrait of the migrations to the Americas.

The patronyms and their frequencies according to telephone directories
of Canada and the U.S., 1996-1997 are listed below:

Caso Casault, Caseault, Cazaux, Cazeau, Cazeault, Cazeaux Casaus

Italy France   Spain

592 452   255

We do not know yet the exact distribution of those bearing the Hispanic names of Casaus and Caso in Central and South America. But some data we have confirms the presence of the patronym. For example, there are some with the name Cazzo in Paraguay, but we are unable to determine if these are of Italian or Hispanic origin.

The presence of Spaniards in the New World as Conquistadors in the 16th century is a well-known fact and it is quite possible the earliest of our patronym originated in Spain. Charles Cazeau of Idaho discovered during the late 1960s that there was a geologist named Cazeau living and working in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was unable to make contact. What is interesting is that the Cazeau of Idaho is also a geologist.

In the United States, 81 % of those with the name of Casaus are concentrated in the southern states of Texas, New Mexico and California, which adjoin Mexico, and in Utah and Colorado. We do not know the exact antiquity of these families (more than half reside in New Mexico), but their number is substantial.

The original families of France that came to the New World and established themselves there may be considered in the second rank in terms of antiquity. It was during the 18th century that these pioneers, including members of the families Cazeau and Casault became settled in America. This first wave of migration was completely disrupted in 1759 with the fall of New France. However, migrations resumed in 1870 to the United States and, in particular, to Louisiana. In the century following, some of the name Casaux came from France and settled in Argentina and Chile.

With the expansion of the French Colonial Empire into the West Indies during the 18th and 19th centuries, several Cazeaus were drawn to that area, and especially to Haiti. Cazeau family members who settled there had an impact as to this day, there is a town called Cazeau as well as schools and streets of the same name. However, political turmoil under the Duvalier regime led to the flight of Cazeaus from that country and resettlement in the larger cities of Montreal, New York, Miami and the Washington, D.C., area. The Haitian diaspora seemed to prefer the big cities and they can be identified by first names with a small touch of the exotic, such as Immacula, Thoniel and AlbÇrique.

Those of Italian origin with the name of Caso came to the United States, particularly to the states of New York and Massachusetts, in large numbers in the early years of the 20th century. Although there was a later surge of immigration from France, those of Italian extraction exceeded in numbers those of the French. This was due in large part to the easing of immigration laws that permitted a massive migration of Italians to the United States, including of course, many of the Caso name.

We can see that a study of Cazeau genealogy shows multiple migrations of significant groups from Europe. It further shows further migrations within the Americas, both in North and South America. The tracing of this history is facilitated by the study of orthographic variations in the Cazeau and Casault patronyms.