Kerouac's father Leo had been born into a family of potato farmers in the village of Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec. Jack also had various stories on the etymology of his surname, usually tracing it to Irish, Breton, Cornish, or other Celtic roots. In one interview he claimed it was from the name of the Cornish language (Kernewek), and that the Kerouacs had fled from Cornwall to Brittany.Alan M Kent, Celtic Cornwall: Nation, Tradition, Invention. Halsgrove, 2012 Another version was that the Kerouacs had come to Cornwall from Ireland before the time of Christ and the name meant "language of the house".Michael J. Dittman, Jack Kerouac: A Biography, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004 In still another interview he said it was an Irish word for "language of the water" and related to Kerwick. Kerouac, derived from Kervoach, is the name of a town in Brittany in Lanmeur, near Morlaix. thumb|left|His third of several homes growing up in the West Centralville section of Lowell Jack Kerouac later referred to 34 Beaulieu Street as "sad Beaulieu". The Kerouac family was living there in 1926 when Jack's older brother Gerard died of rheumatic fever, aged nine. This deeply affected four-year-old Jack, who later said Gerard followed him in life as a guardian angel. This is the Gerard of Kerouac's novel Visions of Gerard. He had one other sibling, an older sister named Caroline. Kerouac was referred to as Ti Jean or little John around the house during his childhood.
Kerouac's father Leo had been born into a family of potato farmers in the village of Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup Quebec Jack also had various stories on the etymology of his surname usually tracing it to Irish Breton Cornish or other Celtic roots In one interview he claimed it was from the name of the Cornish language (Kernewek) and that the Kerouacs had fled from Cornwall to BrittanyAlan M Kent Celtic Cornwall Nation Tradition Invention Halsgrove 2012 Another version was that the Kerouacs had come to Cornwall from Ireland before the time of Christ and the name meant "language of the house"Michael J Dittman Jack Kerouac A Biography Greenwood Publishing Group 2004 In still another interview he said it was an Irish word for "language of the water" and related to Kerwick Kerouac derived from Kervoach is the name of a town in Brittany in Lanmeur near Morlaix thumb|left|His third of several homes growing up in the West Centralville section of Lowell Jack Kerouac later referred to 34 Beaulieu Street as "sad Beaulieu" The Kerouac family was living there in 1926 when Jack's older brother Gerard died of rheumatic fever aged nine This deeply affected four-year-old Jack who later said Gerard followed him in life as a guardian angel This is the Gerard of Kerouac's novel Visions of Gerard He had one other sibling an older sister named Caroline Kerouac was referred to as Ti Jean or little John around the house during his childhood