2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Berteaux
A French surname derived from the Old French word "berteau" meaning a shepherd's dwelling or hut.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Berteaux. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Berteaux 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Berteaux in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Berteaux, the largest self-reported group is White at 27.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.7%) and Black (24.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Berteaux
The surname Berteaux originated in France during the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French words "bert" meaning bright and "eau" meaning water, possibly referring to a bright or clear stream.
The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where a Norman landowner named Bertaldus de Bertealds is listed as holding estates in Oxfordshire, England. This suggests the name may have Norman roots and was likely brought to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
In the 13th century, the name was spelled Berteaus, Berteaulx, and Bertelot in various French records and charters. The Berteaux family was prominent in the region of Normandy, with several members holding important positions in the local nobility and clergy.
One notable early bearer of the name was Jean Berteaux, a French soldier who fought in the Hundred Years' War against the English in the 14th century. He was knighted for his bravery in the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
During the 16th century, the Berteaux name spread to other parts of Europe. Peter Berteaux was a Dutch merchant and explorer who established trading posts in Indonesia and the East Indies in the 1580s.
In the 17th century, the name was found in the English county of Kent, where the Berteaux family owned lands near the village of Detling. William Berteaux, born in 1625, was a wealthy landowner and member of the local gentry.
The 18th century saw the rise of several notable Berteaux figures in France. Michel-Toussaint Berteaux, born in 1745, was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Théâtre de l'Odéon.
In the 19th century, Henri Berteaux, born in 1857, was a French politician and statesman who served as Minister of War from 1905 to 1909. He played a significant role in modernizing the French military before World War I.
Throughout its history, the Berteaux surname has been associated with various locations, including the village of Berteaucourt in Picardy, France, and the town of Berteaucourt-lès-Thennes in the Somme region of northern France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Berteaux
Among Census respondents with the surname Berteaux, the largest self-reported group is White at 27.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.7%) and Black (24.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Berteaux 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 Berteaux surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White27.5% · 30
- Hispanic or Latino25.7% · 28
- Black or African American24.8% · 27
- Two or more races13.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native6.4% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Berteaux
Berteaux appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+7 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,227 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.9%) | Up 8,227 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 Berteaux 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 | #158,432 | #150,205 | 5.2% |
| Count | 102 | 109 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Berteaux bearers went from 102 to 109 (+6.9% change). The surname moved up 8,227 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #150,205.
FAQ
Berteaux surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Berteaux?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Berteaux. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Berteaux?
Berteaux ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Berteaux. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Berteaux.
Has Berteaux become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Berteaux went from 102 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 7 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Berteaux?
Among Census respondents with the surname Berteaux, the largest self-reported group is White at 27.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (25.7%) and Black (24.8%). 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 Berteaux in the 2020 Census, accounting for 27.5% (30 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Berteaux appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (27.5%), Hispanic (25.7%), Black (24.8%). 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 Berteaux (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 Berteaux mean?
A French surname derived from the Old French word "berteau" meaning a shepherd's dwelling or hut. 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 Berteaux (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 surname Berteaux?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.