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

Beauvais, 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 Beauvais surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Beauvais in America

Beauvais is the 11907th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Beauvais surname appeared 2,629 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Beauvais.

We can also compare 2010 data for Beauvais 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 Beauvais

The surname Beauvais originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from the city of Beauvais, located in the Oise department of northern France. The name Beauvais itself comes from the Old French words "beau" meaning beautiful and "vais" meaning valley.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Beauvais can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as a place name. This suggests that the surname was likely adopted by individuals who came from or lived in the area around the city of Beauvais.

In the 12th century, a prominent figure named Raoul de Beauvais served as the Bishop of Beauvais from 1133 to 1148. He played a significant role in the construction of the famous Beauvais Cathedral, which is known for its impressive Gothic architecture.

Another notable individual with the surname Beauvais was Pierre de Beauvais, a French architect and engineer who lived in the 13th century. He is credited with designing several important buildings, including parts of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

In the 14th century, Jean de Beauvais was a French poet and historian who wrote a chronicle of the reign of King Charles VI of France. His work provides valuable insights into the events and culture of that time period.

During the 16th century, Nicolas de Beauvais was a French theologian and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of canon law. He served as a professor at the University of Paris and wrote several influential works on religious and legal matters.

One of the earliest recorded spellings of the surname Beauvais was "Belvaco," which appeared in a Latin text from the 10th century. This variation likely reflects the evolving pronunciation and spelling of the name over time.

While the surname Beauvais has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its origins can be traced back to the picturesque valley region of northern France, where the name first emerged as a locational identifier.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Beauvais

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

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

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

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