2000
#9,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,146
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Ayotte
A French habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or spring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,574 Americans carry the last name Ayotte. That puts it at #9,888 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 95,902 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ayotte 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
3.6K
1 in 95,902
Census rank
#9,888
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,117 bearers of the surname Ayotte in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9888th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ayotte
The surname Ayotte is of French origin, believed to have its roots in the Normandy region of northern France. The name is thought to derive from the Old French word "aie," meaning a heron, and the diminutive suffix "-otte." This suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who had characteristics reminiscent of a heron.
In the early Middle Ages, the use of surnames was not widespread, and people were often identified by descriptive nicknames or the place they were from. As the practice of using hereditary surnames became more common, these nicknames were eventually adopted as family names.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Ayotte surname can be traced back to the 12th century in the Normandy region. The name appears in various historical records from that time period, though the spellings may have varied slightly due to the inconsistencies in written records during that era.
Ayotte is considered a relatively uncommon surname, but it has been found in historical records across several regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and parts of northern and central France. This indicates that individuals bearing this surname may have migrated or settled in different areas over time.
Noteworthy individuals with the surname Ayotte throughout history include:
1. Guillaume Ayotte (c. 1570-1640), a French merchant and landowner from Rouen, Normandy, who was involved in trade with the English colonies in North America.
2. Marie-Claire Ayotte (1768-1832), a French-Canadian pioneer and one of the first settlers in the Saguenay region of Quebec, Canada.
3. Edmond Ayotte (1843-1912), a French-Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons.
4. Émile Ayotte (1881-1956), a French-Canadian artist known for his landscape paintings of rural Quebec.
5. Jacques Ayotte (1920-1998), a prominent Quebec businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the arts and education.
The Ayotte surname has been present in various regions of France and French-speaking areas for centuries, with its origins tracing back to the early medieval period in Normandy. While not a widely prevalent name, it has a rich history and has been borne by notable individuals in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ayotte
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Ayotte 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 Ayotte surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 2,853
- Two or more races3.3% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 30
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ayotte
Ayotte 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
#9,881
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,272
+126 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 402 places
2020
#9,888
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,117
-155 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,479 | 3,146 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,881 | 3,272 | 1.11 | +126 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 402 places |
| 2020 | #9,888 | 3,117 | 1.04 | -155 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 7 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 Ayotte 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 | #9,881 | #9,888 | -0.1% |
| Count | 3,272 | 3,117 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.11 | 1.04 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ayotte bearers went from 3,272 to 3,117 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,881 to #9,888.
FAQ
Ayotte surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ayotte?
Name Census estimates that about 3,574 living Americans carry the surname Ayotte. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 95,902 residents.
How common is Ayotte?
Ayotte ranks #9,888 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,117 people with the surname Ayotte. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,574), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ayotte.
Has Ayotte become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ayotte went from 3,272 recorded bearers to 3,117. That is a decrease of 155 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,881 to #9,888.
What does the Census say about the background of Ayotte?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ayotte, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ayotte in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (2,853 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ayotte appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Ayotte (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 Ayotte mean?
A French habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a small stream or spring. 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 Ayotte (1.04 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 Ayotte?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.