2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bertaut
A surname derived from the Old French name "Bertaud", meaning "bright or shining."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Bertaut. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bertaut 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Bertaut in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertaut, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bertaut
The surname Bertaut originated in France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "bertaut," which means "bright" or "shining." This name likely referred to someone with bright or shining hair or a bright complexion.
The earliest known record of the Bertaut surname dates back to the 12th century in Normandy, France. It is believed that the name may have originated in this region, where it was associated with several noble families.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Bertaut surname was Guillaume Bertaut, a French poet and dramatist who lived from 1552 to 1611. He served as a courtier to King Henry IV and was known for his sonnets and religious poetry.
Another notable Bertaut was Jean Bertaut, a French prelate and poet who lived from 1552 to 1611. He served as the Bishop of Séez and was a member of the French Academy.
In the 17th century, the Bertaut surname was found in several regions of France, including Normandy, Picardy, and Île-de-France. During this time, the name was also associated with several prominent families, such as the Bertaut de Frénouville and the Bertaut de Saumery.
One of the most famous individuals with the Bertaut surname was François Bertaut, a French playwright and poet who lived from 1589 to 1655. He was a member of the Académie Française and is best known for his tragedies and religious poetry.
Another notable Bertaut was Jean-Baptiste Bertaut, a French sculptor who lived from 1670 to 1722. He was a member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture and is known for his sculptures of religious and mythological figures.
The Bertaut surname continued to be found throughout France in the 18th and 19th centuries, with families residing in various regions, including Normandy, Île-de-France, and Burgundy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bertaut
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertaut, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bertaut 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 Bertaut surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 10
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bertaut
Bertaut 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,674 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,834 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 6,674 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,834 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 Bertaut 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 | #153,769 | #150,935 | 1.8% |
| Count | 106 | 108 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bertaut bearers went from 106 to 108 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,834 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #150,935.
FAQ
Bertaut surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bertaut?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Bertaut. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Bertaut?
Bertaut ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Bertaut. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Bertaut.
Has Bertaut become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bertaut went from 106 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Bertaut?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bertaut, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bertaut in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bertaut appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Hispanic (9.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Bertaut (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 Bertaut mean?
A surname derived from the Old French name "Bertaud", meaning "bright or shining." 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 Bertaut (0.04 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 have the last name Bertaut?
You can see how many people are called Bertaut on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.