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

Certain, 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 Certain surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Certain in America

Certain is the 26086th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Certain surname appeared 939 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 Certain.

We can also compare 2010 data for Certain 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 Certain

The surname Certain has its origins in France, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "certain," which meant "assured" or "certain." This name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was considered reliable or trustworthy.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Certain can be found in the Cartulaire de Notre-Dame de Paris, a collection of medieval documents from the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, a person named Robertus Certains is mentioned.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Certain was predominantly found in the regions of Normandy and Île-de-France in northern France. It is believed that the name may have been associated with the town of Certan, located in the department of Gironde in southwestern France.

One notable individual with the surname Certain was Jean Certain, a French composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (c. 1588-1652). He was born in Paris and served as the organist at the Church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois.

Another historical figure bearing the name Certain was Claude Certain, a French architect who lived during the 17th century (c. 1620-1687). He was renowned for his work on the Palace of Versailles and was one of the leading architects of the French Baroque style.

In the 18th century, a member of the Certain family, François Certain de la Pucelle (1709-1788), was a French nobleman and military officer who served in the Seven Years' War.

Moving into the 19th century, there was a French painter named Eugène Certain (1820-1891) who was known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life in France.

Another historical figure with the surname Certain was Léonce Certain (1857-1932), a French philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Paris and wrote extensively on epistemology and metaphysics.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Certain who left their mark in various fields throughout history, demonstrating the long-standing presence of this name in France and its cultural significance.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Certain

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

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

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

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