2000
#4,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,616
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.45
Rare Last name
Bordelon
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a small fortified town or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,449 Americans carry the last name Bordelon. That puts it at #5,193 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,013 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bordelon 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
7.4K
1 in 46,013
Census rank
#5,193
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,496 bearers of the surname Bordelon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5193rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bordelon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bordelon
The surname Bordelon originated in France, specifically in the southwestern region of Aquitaine. It can be traced back to the 12th century, derived from the Old French word "bordel," which referred to a small house or cottage. This term likely evolved from the Late Latin word "burdelum," meaning a small rural dwelling.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Bordelon appear in medieval documents and records from the Aquitaine region, particularly in areas around the city of Bordeaux. Some variations in spelling, such as Bourdelon and Bourdelot, were also common during this time period.
One notable historical reference to the name Bordelon can be found in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Bordeaux," a registry of citizens from the city of Bordeaux dating back to the 14th century. This document lists several individuals with the surname Bordelon, indicating their presence in the region during that era.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Jean Bordelon (1520-1589) was a renowned scholar and theologian from the Bordeaux area. He authored several works on religious philosophy and was influential in the intellectual circles of his time.
Another individual of note was Pierre Bordelon (1635-1711), a French writer and historian who wrote extensively on the history and culture of his native Aquitaine region. His works provide valuable insights into the customs and traditions of the area during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, François Bordelon (1753-1823) was a French military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of general and played a significant role in several campaigns, earning recognition for his bravery and leadership.
During the 19th century, the name Bordelon was associated with the wine-making industry in the Bordeaux region. One notable figure was Émile Bordelon (1845-1912), a renowned winemaker whose family's vineyards produced some of the finest wines of the era.
In more recent times, the surname Bordelon has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, artists, and academics. One example is the American author and poet John Bordelon (1920-1995), whose works explored themes of Southern culture and identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bordelon
Among Census respondents with the surname Bordelon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bordelon 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 Bordelon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 5,876
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 238
- Two or more races3.0% · 195
- Black or African American2.1% · 138
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bordelon
Bordelon 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
#5,251
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,644
+28 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 2.25
Rank movement Down 378 places
2020
#5,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,496
-148 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 2.17
Rank movement Up 58 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,873 | 6,616 | 2.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,251 | 6,644 | 2.25 | +28 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 378 places |
| 2020 | #5,193 | 6,496 | 2.17 | -148 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 58 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 Bordelon 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 | #5,251 | #5,193 | 1.1% |
| Count | 6,644 | 6,496 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 2.25 | 2.17 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bordelon bearers went from 6,644 to 6,496 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 58 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,251 to #5,193.
FAQ
Bordelon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bordelon?
Name Census estimates that about 7,449 living Americans carry the surname Bordelon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,013 residents.
How common is Bordelon?
Bordelon ranks #5,193 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.17 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 6,496 people with the surname Bordelon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,449), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.17 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 Bordelon.
Has Bordelon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bordelon went from 6,644 recorded bearers to 6,496. That is a decrease of 148 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,251 to #5,193.
What does the Census say about the background of Bordelon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bordelon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Bordelon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (5,876 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bordelon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Bordelon (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 Bordelon mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a small fortified town or village. 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 Bordelon (2.17 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 Bordelon?
Want to know how common the surname Bordelon is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.