Boisclair last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Boisclair

A French surname meaning "bright/clear woods" or "clear forest".

Boisclair, 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 Boisclair surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boisclair in America

Boisclair is the 33941st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boisclair surname appeared 670 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 Boisclair.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boisclair 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank33941333331.81%
Count6706463.65%
Proportion per 100k0.230.24-4.26%

The history of the last name Boisclair

The surname Boisclair has its origins in France, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old French words "bois" meaning "wood" and "clair" meaning "clear," suggesting a connection to a woodland clearing or a place name referencing such a location.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Boisclair surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This document contains records of landholdings and property ownership in England, including references to individuals with the surname Boisclair or similar spellings.

Throughout the centuries, the Boisclair surname has been associated with various regions of France, particularly in the northern and central parts of the country. The name has also been linked to several place names, such as Bois-Clair, a commune in the Eure department of Normandy.

Among the notable figures bearing the Boisclair surname is Jacques Boisclair (1584-1647), a French magistrate and jurist who served as a member of the Parlement de Paris, one of the most prestigious judicial bodies in France during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Marie-Anne Boisclair (1692-1768), a French-Canadian businesswoman and landowner who played a significant role in the early development of the community of Verchères, located in present-day Quebec.

In the 19th century, Louis-Édouard Boisclair (1826-1899) was a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec and played a crucial role in the economic growth of the region.

The Boisclair surname has also been carried by several notable artists and writers, including André Boisclair (1942-2012), a Canadian playwright and screenwriter known for his works exploring themes of identity and social issues.

Additionally, Pauline Boisclair (1928-2022) was a renowned French-Canadian painter and sculptor, whose works have been exhibited in various galleries and museums throughout Canada and internationally.

These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the Boisclair surname throughout history, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and accomplishments associated with this name of French origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boisclair

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

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 Boisclair was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only97.91%656
Non-Hispanic Black Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%(S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races(S)%(S)
Hispanic Origin0.90%6

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 Boisclair has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

20102000Change (%)
White97.91%97.52%0.40%
Black(S)%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander(S)%0.00%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native(S)%0.93%(S)%
Two or More Races(S)%0.77%(S)%
Hispanic0.90%(S)%(S)%

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

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

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