2000
#12,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,352
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.87
Rare Last name
Beauvais
A French habitational surname referring to someone from the city of Beauvais in northern France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,067 Americans carry the last name Beauvais. That puts it at #11,285 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,756 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beauvais 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 111,756
Census rank
#11,285
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,675 bearers of the surname Beauvais in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11285th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beauvais, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beauvais
Among Census respondents with the surname Beauvais, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Hispanic (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Beauvais 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 Beauvais surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.5% · 1,778
- Black or African American21.4% · 573
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 140
- Two or more races3.4% · 92
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.8% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beauvais
Beauvais 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
#11,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,629
+277 bearers (+11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 246 places
2020
#11,285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,675
+46 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 622 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,153 | 2,352 | 0.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,907 | 2,629 | 0.89 | +277 bearers (+11.8%) | Up 246 places |
| 2020 | #11,285 | 2,675 | 0.89 | +46 bearers (+1.7%) | Up 622 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 Beauvais 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 | #11,907 | #11,285 | 5.2% |
| Count | 2,629 | 2,675 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.89 | 0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beauvais bearers went from 2,629 to 2,675 (+1.7% change). The surname moved up 622 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,907 to #11,285.
FAQ
Beauvais surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beauvais?
Name Census estimates that about 3,067 living Americans carry the surname Beauvais. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,756 residents.
How common is Beauvais?
Beauvais ranks #11,285 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,675 people with the surname Beauvais. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,067), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Beauvais.
Has Beauvais become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beauvais went from 2,629 recorded bearers to 2,675. That is an increase of 46 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,907 to #11,285.
What does the Census say about the background of Beauvais?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beauvais, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Beauvais in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.5% (1,778 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beauvais appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.5%), Black (21.4%), Hispanic (5.2%). 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 Beauvais (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 Beauvais mean?
A French habitational surname referring to someone from the city of Beauvais in northern France. 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 Beauvais (0.89 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 Beauvais?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.