L'Haÿ-les-Roses () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. L'Haÿ-les-Roses is a sous-préfecture of the Val-de-Marne département, being the seat of the Arrondissement of L'Haÿ-les-Roses. L'Haÿ-les-Roses owes the second part of its name to a famous rose garden located there. Name The commune of L'Haÿ-les-Roses was originally called simply L'Haÿ. The name was recorded for the first time in a charter of Charlemagne in 798 as Laiacum, sometimes also spelt Lagiacum, meaning "estate of Lagius", a Gallo-Roman landowner. The name was later corrupted into Lay, Lahy, and eventually L'Haÿ. In May 1914 the name of the commune became officially L'Haÿ-les-Roses (meaning "L'Haÿ the roses") in honour of Roseraie du Val-de-Marne, the renowned rose garden created in 1899 by Jules Gravereaux, one of the founders of the Bon Marché department store in Paris. It is one of the very few French communes with a ÿ in its name. Population Education Primary schools in the commune: Seven preschools: Blondeaux, La Roseraie, Garennes, Jardin Parisien, Lallier I, Lallier II, Vallée-aux-Renards Seven elementary schools: Blondeaux, Centre, Jardin Parisien A, Jardin Parisien B, Lallier A, Lallier B, Vallée-aux-Renards Junior high schools: Collège Pierre de Ronsard and Collège Chevreul. Senior high schools/sixth-form colleges are in surrounding municipalities: Lycée Frédéric Mistral - Fresnes Lycée d’enseignement général et technologique Gustave Eiffel - Cachan Lycée polyvalent Maximilien Sorre - Cachan Lycée polyvalent Pauline Roland Chevilly-Larue - Chevilly-Larue Notable people Arthur Bernède (1871–1937), playwright and novelist Michel Eugène Chevreul (1786–1889), chemist Marcelle Géniat (1881–1959), actress Pierre Gandon (1889–1990), illustrator and engraver of postage stamps. (1958), essayist Franck Lagorce (1968), automobile race driver Cécile Cinélu (1970), athlete Clémence Poésy (1982), actress Alaixys Romao (1984), footballer International relations L'Haÿ-les-Roses is twinned with: Omagh, United Kingdom Bad Hersfeld, Germany See also Communes of the Val-de-Marne department References External links town council website Roseraie du Val-de-Marne Communes of Val-de-Marne Subprefectures in France