2000
#4,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,888
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.55
Rare Last name
Bettencourt
A French locational surname referring to someone from Béthencourt, derived from Old French "court" meaning "courtyard" or "enclosure."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,762 Americans carry the last name Bettencourt. That puts it at #5,023 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 44,158 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bettencourt 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
7.8K
1 in 44,158
Census rank
#5,023
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,769 bearers of the surname Bettencourt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5023rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bettencourt, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bettencourt
Among Census respondents with the surname Bettencourt, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Bettencourt 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 Bettencourt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 5,733
- Hispanic or Latino9.3% · 631
- Two or more races3.7% · 253
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 95
- Black or African American0.6% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bettencourt
Bettencourt 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
#4,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,365
+477 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 2.50
Rank movement Down 91 places
2020
#5,023
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,769
-596 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 2.26
Rank movement Down 226 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,706 | 6,888 | 2.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,797 | 7,365 | 2.50 | +477 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 91 places |
| 2020 | #5,023 | 6,769 | 2.26 | -596 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 226 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 Bettencourt 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 | #4,797 | #5,023 | -4.7% |
| Count | 7,365 | 6,769 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 2.50 | 2.26 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bettencourt bearers went from 7,365 to 6,769 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 226 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,797 to #5,023.
FAQ
Bettencourt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bettencourt?
Name Census estimates that about 7,762 living Americans carry the surname Bettencourt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 44,158 residents.
How common is Bettencourt?
Bettencourt ranks #5,023 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.26 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,769 people with the surname Bettencourt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,762), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.26 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bettencourt.
Has Bettencourt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bettencourt went from 7,365 recorded bearers to 6,769. That is a decrease of 596 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,797 to #5,023.
What does the Census say about the background of Bettencourt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bettencourt, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Bettencourt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (5,733 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bettencourt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Hispanic (9.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Bettencourt (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 Bettencourt mean?
A French locational surname referring to someone from Béthencourt, derived from Old French "court" meaning "courtyard" or "enclosure." 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 Bettencourt (2.26 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 common is the surname Bettencourt?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Bettencourt at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.