Waldensian Surnames
Stringat / Stringatto / Stringer
Origin: Waldensian (French‑Occitan), concentrated in Angrogna and Torre Pellice.
Meaning: Likely occupational, related to twisting or binding fibers — similar to “stringer,” but with a French‑Occitan root.
Notes: Extremely rare outside the Waldensian valleys; appears in parish books as early as the 1700s.
Rouet
Origin: French (Occitan).
Meaning: “Small wheel” or “spinning wheel,” likely occupational.
Notes: Found in the same villages as Stringat; the 1880 Missouri census lists Charley Rouet as cousin to Bartram Stringer.
Avaro / Avarò
Origin: Italian (Piedmontese).
Meaning: Possibly locational or descriptive; appears frequently in the same parish books as Stringat and Rouet.
Notes: Connected directly to your line through Pineotea Avaro.
Maraux
Origin: French‑Occitan.
Meaning: Possibly derived from a diminutive of “hammer” or “mallet.”
Notes: Appears in Waldensian registers; often linked through godparent relationships.
Coisson
Origin: French‑Occitan.
Meaning: Possibly descriptive, from a root meaning “lame” or “limping.”
Notes: Common in the same villages as Stringat and Rouet.
Scottish Surnames
Leakey / Lakey / Lackey / Leckie
Origin: Scottish, from the parish of Leckie in Stirlingshire.
Meaning: Locational — “one who lived at or near Leckie.”
Notes: Your paternal line is fully traceable through these spelling shifts.