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

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...

forest. Due to the fame of American Revolutionary War commander

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revoluti ...

, Lafayette is also a given name in the United States. Notable people with the name include:

Surname

Andrée Lafayette Andrée Rose Godard (19 May 1903 – 3 October 1989), known by her stage-name as Andrée Lafayette, also known by her self-invented title as Countess Andrée de la Bigne, was a French stage and film actress, and granddaughter of the infamous dem ...

(1903-1989), French actress * Bernard Lafayette (born 1940), American civil rights activist and organizer * Ivan Lafayette (born 1930), longtime member of the New York State Assembly (1977–2008) *

James Lafayette James Lafayette was the pseudonym of James Stack Lauder (1853–1923).Anon. (1990). He was a late Victorian and Edwardian portrait photographer, and managing director from 1898 to 1923 of a company in Dublin specializing in society photographs ...

(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 Oliver Lafayette (born May 6, 1984) is an American-born Croatian former professional basketball player. Standing at , he plays at the point guard and shooting guard positions. High school and college career Lafayette attended Capitol High School i ...

(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 Lafayette Houghton Bunnell (March 13, 1824 – July 21, 1903) was an American physician, author, and explorer. He is most well known for his involvement with the Mariposa Battalion, the first non-Indians to enter Yosemite Valley, and his book Di ...

(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 LaFayette Emmett (May 8, 1822 – August 10, 1905) was an American lawyer and an early leader in Minnesota law. He was the second attorney general of the Minnesota Territory from 1853 to 1858 and the first chief justice of the state supreme co ...

(1822–1905), American lawyer, second attorney general of the Minnesota Territory and first chief justice of the state supreme court * 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), Democratic politician and lawyer from the U.S. state of Oregon *

Lafayette Guild LaFayette Guild (November 25, 1825 – July 4, 1870) was a surgeon in the antebellum United States Army, a noted pioneer in the study of yellow fever, and then a leading medical administrator in the Confederate States Army during the American Civi ...

(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 Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianetic ...

(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 Lafayette McLaws ( ; January 15, 1821 – July 24, 1897) was a United States Army officer and a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He served at Antietam and Fredericksburg, where Robert E. Lee praised his defense of Marye's Heights, ...

(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 Lafayette "Fat" Lever (; born August 18, 1960) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association. He later served as the director of player development for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA as ...

(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