Désy is a French name almost as common in Quebec today as Smith or Jones might be in a large US city. Currently there are over three hundred Desy families listed in the Quebec telephone directory. I know one of those listed is my older brother Jacques who moved to Quebec a couple of years ago and a few others might be uncles and cousins I haven't seen for many years.

Désy is a shortened version of the name Disy dit Montplaisir meaning something like... I am here to dazzle you with pleasure... Or... the dizzy guy from Pleasant Mountain. Your guess is as good as ours as to what it really means. We do know for certain that the name Desy can be traced back to a prestigious family who once lived in Rouen, France, during the early Seventeenth Century. Rouen is noted for the site where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, after being falsely accused of sorcery, among other things. Whether or not the Desys were witnesses to that famous execution and either cheered or sneered is not known. I suspect they were down at the local tavern at the time just enjoying a good dark ale.

Joe Desy is a native of Bayside, Queens, New York. He is a retired life science teacher (Horace Mann Middle School in Burlington, Iowa). Connect with Joe Desy on Facebook.

Phyl Desy grew up in Galesburg, Illinois. Her maiden name is Wallerich. She moved to Burlington, Iowa with her parents and three sisters in 1970. She married Joe in 1987. Connect with Phyl Wallerich Desy on Facebook.