The rare French surname Deschanel is probably for D'Eschanel, regional variant form of eschamel "stepladder", nickname of a trader. It is supposed to be from the region of Lyon, maybe in the Ain département. Notable people with the surname include: A family of French politicians: Émile Deschanel (1819–1904), French author and politician, and his son: Paul Deschanel (1855–1922), 11th President of the French Republic A family of French American artists: Caleb Deschanel (born 1944), American cinematographer, and his daughters: Emily Deschanel (born 1976), actress Zooey Deschanel (born 1980), singer and actress Mary Jo Deschanel (née Weir, born 1945), American actress References Surnames from nicknames French-language surnames