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

Auclair, 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 Auclair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Auclair in America

Auclair is the 19933rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Auclair surname appeared 1,346 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 Auclair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Auclair 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 Auclair

The surname Auclair has its origins in France, with records dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French words "au" meaning "to the" and "clair" meaning "bright" or "clear." The name was likely given to someone who lived near a bright or clear body of water, such as a stream or a pond.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Auclair can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086 to record the landholdings and assets of England. The name appears as "Alcler," which is believed to be an early variant spelling.

In the 13th century, the name Auclair was found in the region of Normandy, France. Records from this time show the name being associated with the town of Auclair, which is located near the city of Caen. This town's name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname.

During the 16th century, the name Auclair began to spread across France, with notable individuals bearing the name. One such person was Jacques Auclair (1520-1587), a French philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on the subject of natural law.

In the 17th century, the name Auclair appeared in Canada, as French settlers brought the surname to the New World. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in Canada was Jean Auclair (1632-1705), a farmer from the region of Québec.

Throughout history, there have been several notable figures with the surname Auclair. These include:

1. Renée Auclair (1881-1964), a French author and journalist who wrote extensively on art and literature.
2. Jean-Claude Auclair (1942-2019), a French actor and director known for his work in both film and theater.
3. Marc Auclair (born 1964), a Canadian ice hockey player who played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1980s and 1990s.
4. Suzanne Auclair (born 1955), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the National Assembly of Quebec.
5. Michèle Auclair (born 1960), a French singer and songwriter who has released several successful albums in her native country.

While the surname Auclair has its roots in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other countries with French-speaking populations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Auclair

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

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

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

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