2000
#7,073
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,362
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Bilodeau
A French topographic surname for someone living near a small wood, derived from "bille" meaning "tree trunk" and "eau" meaning "water".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,806 Americans carry the last name Bilodeau. That puts it at #7,613 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 71,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bilodeau 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
4.8K
1 in 71,318
Census rank
#7,613
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,191 bearers of the surname Bilodeau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7613th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilodeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bilodeau
The surname BILODEAU originates from France and has its roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the French words "belle" meaning beautiful and "eau" meaning water, suggesting a connection to a picturesque body of water or a location with scenic waterways.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname BILODEAU can be found in the parish records of Saint-Pierre-de-Brouage, a commune in the Charente-Maritime department of southwestern France. These records from the late 1500s document several families bearing this surname in the region.
During the 17th century, many French settlers, including those with the surname BILODEAU, migrated to the Canadian province of Quebec. The name appears in various historical documents and censuses from this period, indicating their presence in the early French colonial settlements along the St. Lawrence River.
One notable individual with the surname BILODEAU was Jacques Bilodeau, born in 1654 in Quebec City. He was a farmer and a prominent figure in the local community, serving as a church warden and a member of the militia. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of Quebec and played important roles in the development of the region.
Another significant figure was Marie-Anne Bilodeau, born in 1732 in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec. She is recognized for her role in preserving the traditional songs and folklore of the region, contributing to the preservation of French-Canadian cultural heritage.
In the 19th century, Louis-François-Remi Bilodeau, born in 1828 in Saint-Gervais, Quebec, gained recognition as a skilled carpenter and builder. He was responsible for the construction of several notable structures, including churches and public buildings, in the area.
The surname BILODEAU has also been associated with various place names throughout Quebec, such as Bilodeau Lake and Bilodeau River, reflecting the historical presence of families bearing this name in those localities.
While the BILODEAU surname has its origins in France and a strong historical presence in Quebec, it has since spread to other parts of the world through emigration and diaspora, contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural diversity in various communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bilodeau
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilodeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Bilodeau 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 Bilodeau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 3,913
- Two or more races2.7% · 112
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
- Black or African American0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bilodeau
Bilodeau 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
#7,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,454
+92 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 407 places
2020
#7,613
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,191
-263 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.40
Rank movement Down 133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,073 | 4,362 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,480 | 4,454 | 1.51 | +92 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 407 places |
| 2020 | #7,613 | 4,191 | 1.40 | -263 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 133 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 Bilodeau 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 | #7,480 | #7,613 | -1.8% |
| Count | 4,454 | 4,191 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.40 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bilodeau bearers went from 4,454 to 4,191 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,480 to #7,613.
FAQ
Bilodeau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bilodeau?
Name Census estimates that about 4,806 living Americans carry the surname Bilodeau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 71,318 residents.
How common is Bilodeau?
Bilodeau ranks #7,613 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.40 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,191 people with the surname Bilodeau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,806), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.40 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bilodeau.
Has Bilodeau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bilodeau went from 4,454 recorded bearers to 4,191. That is a decrease of 263 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,480 to #7,613.
What does the Census say about the background of Bilodeau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bilodeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bilodeau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (3,913 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bilodeau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.2%). 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 Bilodeau (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 Bilodeau mean?
A French topographic surname for someone living near a small wood, derived from "bille" meaning "tree trunk" and "eau" meaning "water". 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 Bilodeau (1.40 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 Bilodeau?
Want to know how many people have the last name Bilodeau? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.