Etymology
There are two prevailing hypotheses on the origin of the city's name:
- That the city was named after Bruno of Cologne and the Montarville seigneury. The name "Montarville" is homonym to that of a village of Eure-et-Loir in France: Montharville, whose etymology is uncertain. The name is written in its Latin form, Mons Harvilla in 12th century. In other words "Haric's farm's mount", a name of Germanic origins also found in Harville (Hairici villa, 9th century). However, this uncommon composition of a roman appellation ("mont") associated to the Norman Toponymy -ville place name casts doubts on this explication. It could the name of an unidentified Germanic individual.
- Quebec's toponymy commission suggests another hypothesis to explain the origin of the city's namesake. "Montarville" could be a portmanteau of "montagne" (French for mountain) and "Boucherville" after Pierre Boucher de Boucherville, the region's first seigneur. The hypothesis rests on the fact that the descendants of de Boucherville were named Montarville, Niverville, etc. The patron saint of the city could be explained by the sale of the seigneury to François-Pierre Bruneau, whose name was slightly transformed.
Read more about this topic: Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
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