The Origin of the Surname

The surname Metral (Métral in french) or Mestral is a typical name in Savoy (France).

This surname was the name of a civil servant, chosen by a nobleman to represent him in a town or a village.

From the 12th century in Savoy, the lords had indeed given parts of their lands, called metrallies to a metral, who administered it for the lord. During the following centuries, the metrallies were included in larger subdivisions (called chatellenies), or bought back by the lord, so that, at the end of the 15th century, the metral is often a subordinate of the castle owner.

Etymologically, the surname comes from the latin word magister (master).