2000
#10,941
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,669
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.99
Rare Last name
Babineaux
A French toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a small valley or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,136 Americans carry the last name Babineaux. That puts it at #11,077 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 109,297 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Babineaux 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
3.1K
1 in 109,297
Census rank
#11,077
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,735 bearers of the surname Babineaux in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11077th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Babineaux, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Babineaux
The surname Babineaux is of French origin, specifically from the Acadian region of what is now eastern Canada and northern Maine in the United States. It is believed to have emerged in the 17th century among the French settlers and colonists in those areas.
The name Babineaux is thought to be derived from the French word "babine," which means "lip" or "babbler." It may have been originally used as a nickname for someone who talked excessively or had a distinctive way of speaking. Over time, this nickname would have evolved into a hereditary surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Babineaux can be found in the records of the Acadian deportation of 1755, when many French settlers were forcibly removed from their homes by British colonial authorities. Several individuals with the surname Babineaux are listed among the deported Acadians.
In the late 18th century, many Acadians, including those with the surname Babineaux, resettled in Louisiana after being expelled from their homeland. This is why the name is particularly prevalent in that region today, with many Babineaux families tracing their roots back to those early Acadian immigrants.
Notable individuals with the surname Babineaux throughout history include:
1. Joseph Babineaux (1820-1895), a prominent Acadian community leader and farmer in Louisiana.
2. Émilie Babineaux (1839-1912), an Acadian folk artist and weaver, known for her intricate textiles and tapestries.
3. Armand Babineaux (1876-1958), a Louisiana politician who served as a state representative and senator.
4. Jeanne Babineaux (1901-1981), an educator and author who wrote extensively about Acadian history and culture.
5. Raymond Babineaux (1920-2002), a World War II veteran and recipient of the Purple Heart for his service in the European theater.
While the name Babineaux is primarily associated with Acadian and Cajun communities in Louisiana and eastern Canada, it has also spread to other parts of North America and beyond through migration and intermarriage over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Babineaux
Among Census respondents with the surname Babineaux, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Babineaux 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 Babineaux surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White55.1% · 1,508
- Black or African American36.9% · 1,009
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 115
- Two or more races3.3% · 89
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Babineaux
Babineaux 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
#11,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,814
+145 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Down 288 places
2020
#11,077
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,735
-79 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,941 | 2,669 | 0.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,229 | 2,814 | 0.95 | +145 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 288 places |
| 2020 | #11,077 | 2,735 | 0.92 | -79 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 152 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 Babineaux 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 | #11,229 | #11,077 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,814 | 2,735 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.95 | 0.92 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Babineaux bearers went from 2,814 to 2,735 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,229 to #11,077.
FAQ
Babineaux surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Babineaux?
Name Census estimates that about 3,136 living Americans carry the surname Babineaux. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 109,297 residents.
How common is Babineaux?
Babineaux ranks #11,077 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,735 people with the surname Babineaux. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Babineaux.
Has Babineaux become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Babineaux went from 2,814 recorded bearers to 2,735. That is a decrease of 79 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,229 to #11,077.
What does the Census say about the background of Babineaux?
Among Census respondents with the surname Babineaux, the largest self-reported group is White at 55.1%. The next largest groups are Black (36.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Babineaux in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.1% (1,508 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Babineaux appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (55.1%), Black (36.9%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Babineaux (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 Babineaux mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from a place name, likely referring to a small valley or stream. 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 Babineaux (0.92 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 have the last name Babineaux?
See how many people have the last name Babineaux on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.