Ambeau last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Ambeau is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Ambeau.

Meaning of Ambeau

A French surname derived from the Old French word "Ambe" meaning "shore" or "river bank".

Ambeau, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Ambeau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ambeau in America

Ambeau is the 57516th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ambeau surname appeared 354 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Ambeau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ambeau to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 57516 56826 1.21%
Count 354 336 5.22%
Proportion per 100k 0.12 0.12 0.00%

The history of the last name Ambeau

The surname AMBEAU originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "ambeu", which means "curved" or "bent". This likely referred to a physical characteristic or distinctive feature of the first person to bear the name.

The earliest recorded instances of the AMBEAU surname date back to the 12th century in the region of Normandy, France. The name appears in several historical records and manuscripts from that era, including the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Fontaine-Daniel, which mentions a nobleman named Robert Ambeau in 1186.

During the 13th century, the AMBEAU name spread to other parts of France, particularly in the northern regions. In 1278, a document from the Duchy of Burgundy refers to a landowner named Jacques Ambeau. This suggests that the family had gained some prominence and influence by that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the AMBEAU name was Gilles Ambeau, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453). He is mentioned in several chronicles from the 14th century for his bravery in battle.

In the 16th century, the AMBEAU surname was found in the village of Ambeau-sur-Seille in the province of Lorraine. It is believed that this village may have been named after an individual with the AMBEAU surname, further solidifying the family's connection to the region.

Notable individuals with the AMBEAU surname throughout history include:

  1. Jean Ambeau (c. 1520-1590), a French lawyer and magistrate who served as the president of the Parlement of Rouen.
  2. Pierre Ambeau (1603-1675), a French theologian and author who wrote several influential works on religious philosophy.
  3. Marie-Anne Ambeau (1682-1749), a French noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable contributions to the poor and orphaned children.
  4. Louis Ambeau (1773-1841), a French military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as the governor of a French colony in the Caribbean.
  5. Émile Ambeau (1857-1923), a French painter and sculptor who was part of the Impressionist movement in the late 19th century.

While the AMBEAU surname has its roots in medieval France, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, with descendants bearing this name in various countries around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ambeau

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Ambeau.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Ambeau was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 32.20% 114
Non-Hispanic Black Only 62.15% 220
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 3.95% 14
Hispanic Origin (S)% (S)

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Ambeau has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 32.20% 35.12% -8.67%
Black 62.15% 61.31% 1.36%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 3.95% 2.38% 49.61%
Hispanic (S)% (S)% (S)%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Ambeau was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ambeau, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Ambeau last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/ambeau-surname-popularity/.

"Ambeau last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/ambeau-surname-popularity/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Ambeau last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/ambeau-surname-popularity/.

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