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

Belyea, 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 Belyea surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belyea in America

Belyea is the 25989th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belyea surname appeared 944 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 Belyea.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belyea 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 Belyea

The surname BELYEA has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "bel", meaning "beautiful" or "fair", and "eau", meaning "water". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a beautiful body of water or a scenic waterway.

In its earliest recorded forms, the name appeared as "Beleau" or "Beleaul" in various medieval records and documents from the region of Normandy, France. Some historians believe that the name may have been borne by a Norman family who accompanied William the Conqueror to England during the Norman Conquest in 1066, as it is found in the Domesday Book of 1086.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Jean Beleau, who was born in the village of Saint-Germain-sur-Ille in Brittany, France, around 1310. Another early bearer of the name was Jehan Beleaul, who was a landowner in the town of Rouen, Normandy, in the late 14th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as "Bellyewe", "Bellyouwe", and "Belyouwe", reflecting the fluidity of spelling conventions at the time. It is also believed that the name may have been influenced by the Old English word "bel", meaning "fair" or "beautiful", further reinforcing its association with scenic landscapes or waterways.

A notable bearer of the BELYEA name was Sir John Belyea, a French knight who fought alongside Joan of Arc during the Hundred Years' War in the 15th century. Another prominent figure was Pierre Belyea, a French merchant and explorer who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his second voyage to Canada in 1535.

In the 17th century, the name began to appear in English records, likely due to the immigration of French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution. One such immigrant was Jean Belyea, who settled in England around 1685 and established a successful textile business.

As the name spread throughout Europe and beyond, it continued to evolve in spelling and pronunciation, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions. Today, the surname BELYEA is found predominantly in Canada, the United States, and parts of Europe, with notable concentrations in areas with a strong French heritage or history of French immigration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belyea

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

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

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

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