2000
#59,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 318
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Audain
A French surname derived from the Germanic name "Audouin" meaning prosperous friend.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 484 Americans carry the last name Audain. That puts it at #52,998 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 708,170 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Audain surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
484
1 in 708,170
Census rank
#52,998
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
422
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 422 bearers of the surname Audain in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 52998th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Audain, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Audain
The surname Audain has its origins in the northern regions of France, likely emerging during the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "audain," which means "bold" or "daring." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who exhibited these qualities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the historic records of the Duchy of Normandy, where a certain Raoul Audain was mentioned as a landowner in the village of Évreux in 1278. This suggests that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of France, with records indicating the presence of an Étienne Audain in the city of Orléans in 1342. This individual was a merchant and guild member, indicating that the name was not solely associated with the nobility or landed gentry.
As the centuries passed, the Audain name continued to be associated with various notable figures. One such individual was Jacques Audain, a French explorer who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to Canada in the 16th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Pierre Audain, a renowned 17th-century architect who contributed to the design of several churches and public buildings in Paris.
The name also found its way to other parts of Europe, with records indicating the presence of an Audain family in the Netherlands as early as the 15th century. One notable member of this branch was Jan Audain, a Dutch painter and engraver who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In the 19th century, the Audain name gained some prominence in Britain, with several individuals making notable contributions to various fields. One such figure was Sir John Audain (1807-1892), a British politician and businessman who served as a Member of Parliament and was involved in various philanthropic endeavors.
Another notable bearer of the name was William Audain (1845-1912), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and philanthropist who made a significant fortune in the mining industry and donated generously to educational institutions in British Columbia.
While the Audain name has its roots in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and exploration. Throughout its history, the name has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the richness and diversity of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Audain
Among Census respondents with the surname Audain, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Audain bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Audain surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American82.9% · 350
- White5.9% · 25
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 24
- Two or more races4.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Audain
Audain appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#53,538
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 386
+68 bearers (+21.4%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 5,915 places
2020
#52,998
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 422
+36 bearers (+9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Up 540 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,453 | 318 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,538 | 386 | 0.13 | +68 bearers (+21.4%) | Up 5,915 places |
| 2020 | #52,998 | 422 | 0.14 | +36 bearers (+9.3%) | Up 540 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Audain surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #53,538 | #52,998 | 1.0% |
| Count | 386 | 422 | 9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.14 | 8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Audain bearers went from 386 to 422 (+9.3% change). The surname moved up 540 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,538 to #52,998.
FAQ
Audain surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Audain?
Name Census estimates that about 484 living Americans carry the surname Audain. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 708,170 residents.
How common is Audain?
Audain ranks #52,998 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 422 people with the surname Audain. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (484), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Audain.
Has Audain become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Audain went from 386 recorded bearers to 422. That is an increase of 36 (+9.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,538 to #52,998.
What does the Census say about the background of Audain?
Among Census respondents with the surname Audain, the largest self-reported group is Black at 82.9%. The next largest groups are White (5.9%) and Hispanic (5.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Audain in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.9% (350 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Audain appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (82.9%), White (5.9%), Hispanic (5.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Audain (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Audain mean?
A French surname derived from the Germanic name "Audouin" meaning prosperous friend. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Audain (0.14 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Audain?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.