Barbeau
A French occupational surname referring to a fisherman or boatman, derived from "barbe," meaning "barbel" (a type of fish).
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,296 Americans carry the last name Barbeau. That puts it at #14,991 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 149,283 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Barbeau surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
2.3K
1 in 149,283
Census rank
#14,991
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,971 bearers of the surname Barbeau in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14991st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Barbeau
The surname Barbeau originated in France, specifically from the northern regions of the country. It first appeared during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "barbeau," which means "barbel," a type of freshwater fish found in European rivers. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who caught or traded in barbel fish.
One of the earliest known records of the Barbeau name can be found in the Ecclesiastical Rolls of Normandy, dated around 1300. The name is also mentioned in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Redon, a medieval cartulary from the Redon Abbey in Brittany, dating back to the 13th century.
In the 16th century, Jacques Barbeau (1540-1624) was a renowned French jurist and legal scholar. He served as a counselor in the Parliament of Paris and authored several influential works on French law.
Another notable figure with this surname was Jean Barbeau (1675-1742), a French explorer and fur trader who played a significant role in the early exploration and settlement of New France (present-day Canada). He established trading posts along the Great Lakes region and was instrumental in fostering relationships with Native American tribes.
In the realm of art, Jacques Barbeau (1738-1826) was a French painter known for his landscapes and pastoral scenes. His works were exhibited at the Paris Salon and are currently held in various museum collections across France.
Moving to the 19th century, Auguste Barbeau (1805-1882) was a prominent French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin and the Église Saint-Ambroise.
In the early 20th century, Charles-Marius Barbeau (1889-1969) was a Canadian ethnographer and folklorist. He dedicated his life to studying and preserving the cultural traditions of First Nations and French-Canadian communities, publishing numerous works and contributing to the establishment of the National Museum of Man (now the Canadian Museum of History) in Ottawa.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Barbeau
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Barbeau bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Barbeau surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6%
- Hispanic or Latino3.1%
- Black or African American2.6%
- Two or more races2.1%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Barbeau surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,991 | #14,991 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,971 | 1,971 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.67 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Barbeau bearers went from 1,971 to 1,971 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #14,991 to #14,991.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Barbeau
FAQ
Barbeau surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Barbeau?
The surname Barbeau holds position #14,991 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,296 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Barbeau surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Barbeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Black (2.6%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.