2000
#5,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,364
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.36
Rare Last name
Beaudoin
French occupational surname derived from Old French "bedwin," meaning a maker or seller of bedding or linen goods.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,394 Americans carry the last name Beaudoin. That puts it at #5,229 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,356 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beaudoin 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
7.4K
1 in 46,356
Census rank
#5,229
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,448 bearers of the surname Beaudoin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5229th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beaudoin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beaudoin
The surname Beaudoin has its origins in France, tracing back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French words "beau" (meaning beautiful or handsome) and "doin" (a diminutive suffix), essentially translating to "little handsome one." This name was likely bestowed upon an attractive individual or a child with fair features during the early stages of hereditary surnames in France.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Beaudoin can be found in various historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries, such as tax rolls, parish records, and court proceedings. One notable mention is in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Père de Chartres, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century, where a certain Robertus Beaudoin is listed as a witness to a land transaction.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in the Calendars of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, which documented financial records and transactions within the Scottish royal court. An entry from 1369 mentions a payment made to a certain Johannes Beaudoin for services rendered.
During the 15th century, the name Beaudoin began to spread across various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central regions. In the village of Montargis, located in the former province of Orléanais, a family by the name of Beaudoin is recorded in the local church registers from the late 15th century.
One notable figure bearing the surname Beaudoin was Jean Beaudoin (c. 1550-1615), a French Catholic priest and theologian who served as the rector of the University of Paris in the early 17th century. His writings on moral theology and ethics were widely influential during his time.
Another individual of note was Nicolas Beaudoin (1617-1699), a French painter and engraver who gained recognition for his portrait work and religious paintings. He was commissioned by several notable figures, including members of the French nobility and clergy, to decorate churches and private residences.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Beaudoin family emigrated from France to the French colonies in North America, eventually settling in the region of present-day Quebec, Canada. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname in Quebec was Jacques Beaudoin (1704-1782), who married Marie-Anne Gagnon in 1730 and established a family in the parish of Cap-Saint-Ignace.
Another notable figure from the 18th century was Michel Beaudoin (1748-1819), a French Revolutionary soldier and politician who served as a deputy in the National Convention during the French Revolution. He was a vocal supporter of the Jacobin faction and played a role in the abolition of slavery in the French colonies.
In the 19th century, the Beaudoin surname continued to be prominent in both France and Canada. One individual of note was Isidore Beaudoin (1846-1916), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Montreal from 1892 to 1898. He was instrumental in the development of the city's infrastructure and public transportation systems.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beaudoin
Among Census respondents with the surname Beaudoin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Beaudoin 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 Beaudoin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 5,746
- Two or more races3.8% · 246
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 220
- Black or African American2.7% · 173
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 38
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beaudoin
Beaudoin 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
#5,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,562
+198 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 2.22
Rank movement Down 251 places
2020
#5,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,448
-114 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 2.16
Rank movement Up 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,058 | 6,364 | 2.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,309 | 6,562 | 2.22 | +198 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 251 places |
| 2020 | #5,229 | 6,448 | 2.16 | -114 bearers (-1.7%) | Up 80 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 Beaudoin 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 | #5,309 | #5,229 | 1.5% |
| Count | 6,562 | 6,448 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.22 | 2.16 | -2.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beaudoin bearers went from 6,562 to 6,448 (-1.7% change). The surname moved up 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,309 to #5,229.
FAQ
Beaudoin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beaudoin?
Name Census estimates that about 7,394 living Americans carry the surname Beaudoin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,356 residents.
How common is Beaudoin?
Beaudoin ranks #5,229 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,448 people with the surname Beaudoin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,394), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Beaudoin.
Has Beaudoin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beaudoin went from 6,562 recorded bearers to 6,448. That is a decrease of 114 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,309 to #5,229.
What does the Census say about the background of Beaudoin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beaudoin, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Beaudoin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (5,746 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beaudoin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Beaudoin (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 Beaudoin mean?
French occupational surname derived from Old French "bedwin," meaning a maker or seller of bedding or linen goods. 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 Beaudoin (2.16 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 Beaudoin?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Beaudoin, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.