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

Belliveau, 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 Belliveau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belliveau in America

Belliveau is the 15217th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belliveau surname appeared 1,936 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 Belliveau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belliveau 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 Belliveau

The surname Belliveau originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the French words "belle" meaning "beautiful" and "vue" meaning "view" or "sight." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in a location with a picturesque or scenic view.

The earliest recorded instances of the Belliveau surname can be traced back to the 16th century in the regions of Poitou and Normandy in France. Some variations of the spelling included Bellevue, Belleveau, and Belleveau. These spelling variations were common during this time due to inconsistencies in record-keeping and regional dialects.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Belliveau was Jean Belliveau, who was born in 1592 in the village of Saint-Martin-de-Ré, located in the Poitou region of France. Records indicate that he was a farmer and landowner in the area.

In the 17th century, several members of the Belliveau family immigrated to Acadia, which is now part of eastern Canada and the Maritime provinces. One notable figure was Claude Belliveau, born in 1646 in Port-Royal, Acadia (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia). He was a farmer and one of the early Acadian settlers in the region.

During the 18th century, the Belliveau surname appears in historical records related to the Expulsion of the Acadians, also known as the Great Upheaval. Many Acadians, including those with the Belliveau surname, were forcibly deported from their homes by the British colonial authorities between 1755 and 1764. Some Belliveaus resettled in other parts of Canada, while others found refuge in Louisiana, where their descendants became known as Cajuns.

One notable figure from this period was Joseph Belliveau, born in 1718 in Grand-Pré, Acadia (now Nova Scotia). He was among the Acadians deported to Massachusetts during the Expulsion. Later, he and his family resettled in Louisiana, where they helped establish the Acadian community in the region.

Another significant individual with the Belliveau surname was Pierre Belliveau, born in 1760 in Louisiana. He was a farmer and landowner in the Acadian settlements of Louisiana and played a role in the development of the Cajun culture and traditions.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Belliveau surname continued to be present in various parts of North America, particularly in the Acadian and Cajun communities of Canada and Louisiana. However, it is important to note that historical records from this time period may not be as comprehensive or accurate as older records.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belliveau

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

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

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

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