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

Bettencourt, 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 Bettencourt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bettencourt in America

Bettencourt is the 4797th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bettencourt surname appeared 7,365 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bettencourt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bettencourt 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 Bettencourt

The surname Bettencourt is of French origin, deriving from the Old French words "bete" meaning "beast" or "cattle" and "court" meaning "small holding" or "enclosure." It likely originated in the northern regions of France during the medieval period.

Bettencourt is believed to have originated as a locational surname, referring to a specific place name in France. It may have been given to someone who lived near or was associated with a small holding or enclosure used for keeping livestock.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Bettencourt can be found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Normandy, which date back to the 13th century. This document lists individuals who were taxed, and several people with the surname Bettencourt are mentioned.

In the 14th century, a man named Jean Bettencourt is recorded as having lived in the village of Bettencourt-Rivière, located in the Somme department of northern France. This village likely took its name from the same source as the surname, suggesting a connection between the place and the family name.

During the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname Bettencourt was Jacques Bettencourt (1515-1582), a French theologian and professor at the University of Paris. He was known for his writings on theology and philosophy.

Another notable individual was Marie-Catherine Bettencourt (1680-1764), a French aristocrat and philanthropist. She was born in Normandy and is remembered for her charitable works and support of religious institutions.

In the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Bettencourt (1720-1795) was a French naval officer and explorer. He led several expeditions to the South Pacific and was involved in mapping and charting various islands and coastal regions.

More recently, Liliane Bettencourt (1922-2017) was a French heiress and one of the wealthiest women in the world. She inherited the L'Oréal cosmetics company from her father and was known for her philanthropy and support of various causes.

Overall, the surname Bettencourt has a rich history dating back to medieval France, with connections to both rural areas and notable figures in various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bettencourt

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

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

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

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