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

Bellegarde, 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 Bellegarde surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bellegarde in America

Bellegarde is the 58876th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bellegarde surname appeared 344 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Bellegarde.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bellegarde 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 Bellegarde

The surname Bellegarde originates from France, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French words "bel" (beautiful) and "garde" (guard or watchman), suggesting a connection to someone who guarded or protected a beautiful place.

This name first appeared in the region of Normandy, where many families took on surnames derived from their occupations or the locations they lived in. The earliest recorded mention of the name Bellegarde can be found in the Chartres Cathedral Cartulary, a medieval manuscript from the 12th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Bellegarde family likely held a position of importance or authority, perhaps as guardians of a castle or estate. The name may also have been associated with a specific place called "Bellegarde," possibly a village or manor.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Bellegarde was Jean de Bellegarde (1515-1589), a French military officer and courtier who served as the Grand Squire of France under King Henry II.

Another prominent individual was Roger de Bellegarde (1609-1663), a French courtier and diplomat who served as the Governor of Burgundy and the Grand Equerry of France under King Louis XIII.

In the 18th century, Marie Angélique de Bellegarde (1708-1752) was a French aristocrat and writer who published several works on morality and religion.

During the 19th century, Gabriel Auguste François Bellegarde (1801-1873) was a French military officer and historian who wrote extensively on the history of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname Bellegarde in North America dates back to the 17th century, when several French settlers with this name arrived in New France (modern-day Quebec, Canada).

Over time, the spelling of the name may have evolved slightly, with variations such as Bellgard, Bellegarde, and Bellegard appearing in historical records. However, the core meaning and origin of this surname remain rooted in the French language and its rich historical context.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bellegarde

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

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

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

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