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

Arnault, 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 Arnault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arnault in America

Arnault is the 142108th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arnault surname appeared 117 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 Arnault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arnault 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.

The history of the last name Arnault

The surname Arnault has its origins in France, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French words "arn" meaning eagle and "hault" meaning high or elevated, suggesting that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived at a high or lofty place frequented by eagles.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Arnault appears in the Cartulaire de Chartres, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century that contains records of the cathedral chapter of Chartres. One of the entries mentions a certain Renaud Arnault, a landowner in the region.

Over the centuries, the name has appeared in various forms such as Arnault, Arnaud, and Arnauld. It was particularly prevalent in the southern regions of France, including Languedoc and Provence.

One notable figure bearing this name was the French writer and philosopher Antoine Arnauld (1612-1694), a leading figure in the Jansenist movement and one of the most influential thinkers of the 17th century. Another was the French painter and sculptor Émile Arnault (1822-1885), who is best known for his equestrian statues and public monuments.

In the realm of business, the name Arnault is closely associated with Bernard Arnault (born 1949), the French billionaire businessman and CEO of LVMH, the world's largest luxury goods company. He is considered one of the wealthiest individuals in Europe and a prominent figure in the fashion industry.

Other historical figures with the surname Arnault include Jacques Arnault (1795-1853), a French general who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, and Michel Arnault (1728-1796), a French playwright and poet who was a member of the Académie Française.

While the surname Arnault is not among the most common in France today, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and is associated with notable individuals from various fields, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arnault

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

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 Arnault was:

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 Arnault has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Arnault was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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