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

Arseneault, 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 Arseneault surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Arseneault in America

Arseneault is the 40610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Arseneault surname appeared 538 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 Arseneault.

We can also compare 2010 data for Arseneault 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 Arseneault

The surname Arseneault has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy. It is thought to have emerged during the Middle Ages, sometime around the 12th or 13th century.

The name Arseneault is believed to be derived from the Old French words "arsen" meaning "to burn" and "ault" meaning "grove" or "forest". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked in an area where burning or clearing of forests took place.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arseneault can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Arsenault" and is associated with a landowner in the county of Normandy.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Pierre Arseneault (1320-1387) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Rouen, Normandy. His descendants continued to use the name Arseneault in the region for several generations.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, many French settlers bearing the surname Arseneault made their way to the Canadian province of Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick). One of the earliest recorded Acadian Arseneaults was Michel Arseneault, who arrived in Port-Royal (Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia) in 1636.

Another notable bearer of the name was Jacques Arseneault (1658-1732), a farmer and militia captain in the Acadian community of Grand Pré, Nova Scotia. He played a significant role in defending the region against British attacks during the early years of the French and Indian War.

In the late 18th century, many Acadian Arseneaults were forcibly deported from their homeland during the Great Upheaval, also known as the Expulsion of the Acadians. Some found refuge in other French colonies, while others eventually settled in various parts of Canada and the United States.

One prominent figure in this period was Joseph Arseneault (1742-1815), an Acadian resistance leader who fought against the British during the Acadian Expulsion. He later settled in Louisiana, where he and his descendants helped establish the Acadian community known as the Cajuns.

Throughout the centuries, the Arseneault surname has also been spelled in various ways, including Arsenault, Arseneau, and Arsenau, reflecting regional variations and adaptations over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Arseneault

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

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

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

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