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

Bijou, 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 Bijou surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bijou in America

Bijou is the 60196th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bijou surname appeared 335 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 Bijou.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bijou 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 Bijou

The surname Bijou originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "bijou," meaning a small, precious object or jewel. The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who worked with jewels or precious stones.

The earliest recorded examples of the Bijou surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of France, such as Normandy, Brittany, and Île-de-France. The name can be found in historical records and documents from this period, although specific references are scarce.

In the 15th century, a notable individual named Jean Bijou was mentioned in the court records of the city of Rouen, where he was a merchant involved in the trade of precious stones and jewels. He lived from approximately 1420 to 1485.

During the 16th century, the Bijou surname began to spread beyond France as French settlers and immigrants carried the name to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One prominent figure was Pierre Bijou, a French explorer and navigator who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his voyages to the New World in the 1530s.

In the 17th century, the Bijou surname gained recognition in the French artistic community. Marie Bijou, born in 1625 in Paris, was a renowned painter and portraitist who worked for the French royal court during the reign of Louis XIV.

Another notable individual was François Bijou, a French military officer and engineer who participated in the construction of fortifications in the French colonies of the Caribbean during the late 17th century. He was born in 1650 and died in 1718.

As the Bijou surname continued to spread across France and into other parts of the world, it became associated with various professions and trades related to jewelry, gemstones, and fine craftsmanship. However, the name also found its way into other fields and occupations over time.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bijou

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

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

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

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