The Genealogy of Céline Dion
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The Ancestors of Céline Dion
Céline Dion performing in Montreal in 2008 (photo by Anirudh Koul, Wikipedia Commons)
International superstar and Québec darling Céline Dion was born Céline Marie Claudette Dion on March 30, 1968 in Charlemagne, Québec, Canada, the daughter of Adhémar Dion and Thérèse Tanguay. Tracing her father’s line back to its first European ancestor reveals a surprising fact: the Dion name was originally Guyon or Guion, and it was changed about 7 generations ago for the name Dion (for an explanation on “dit” names, and why names were changed, click here).
Location of Mortagne-au-Perche, Orne, France (Google Maps)
Céline’s 9th great-grandparents were Jean Guyon (1592-1663) and Mathurine Robin (c.1593-1662). They were married in 1615 in Mortagne-au-Perche, Orne, France. Together with their 6 children, Jean and Mathurine sailed to Québec in 1634. Of the Guyon children, Jean Guyon is Céline’s director ancestor, whereas Barbe Guyon is my direct ancestor — which makes us 10th cousins once removed (click here to see a family relationship chart).
When he arrived in New France, Jean Guyon worked as a master mason. His father Jacques had been a royal surveyor in France. Jean’s male Guyon/Dion descendants had various occupations throughout the centuries, ranging from cultivator to blacksmith to butcher.
The Guyon line in France can be traced back at least 2 more generations, up into the 16th century.
Céline Dion, Denys Bergeron, Anne René and René Angélil in 1983 (La Presse photo (unknown photographer), Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.
Are you related to Céline? Here is her ascending Dion/Guyon line. See if you can spot any relatives you may have in common.
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