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

Avant, 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 Avant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Avant in America

Avant is the 6277th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Avant surname appeared 5,443 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Avant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Avant 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 Avant

The surname Avant originated in France in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word 'avanti', meaning 'in front' or 'before'. The name likely referred to someone who lived at the front of a village or town, or perhaps an early settler in a new area.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Conques, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century, which mentions a person named Petrus Avant. The name also appears in various other medieval records and documents from France.

In the 13th century, the name Avant was particularly prevalent in the regions of Languedoc and Provence in southern France. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, as many place names in these regions incorporate the word 'avant', such as Avantpuech and Avantgarde.

Notable individuals with the surname Avant include Guillaume Avant (c. 1300-1370), a French knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. Another early bearer of the name was Jean Avant (c. 1450-1520), a renowned poet and scholar from the city of Avignon.

During the 16th century, the Avant family established itself in the region of Normandy in northern France. One prominent member of this branch was Nicolas Avant (1550-1628), a successful merchant and landowner who served as a magistrate in the city of Rouen.

In the 18th century, the name Avant gained recognition through the works of the French playwright and novelist, François Avant (1712-1770). His comedies and satirical works were widely popular during the Enlightenment period.

Another noteworthy figure with the surname Avant was Émilie Avant (1825-1892), a French educator and activist who campaigned for women's rights and access to education. She founded several schools for girls in Paris and was a prominent figure in the early feminist movement in France.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Avant

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

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

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

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