2000
#6,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,443
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.65
Rare Last name
Charbonneau
A French occupational surname referring to a coal merchant or charcoal burner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,064 Americans carry the last name Charbonneau. That puts it at #7,277 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Charbonneau 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
5.1K
1 in 67,685
Census rank
#7,277
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,416 bearers of the surname Charbonneau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7277th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Charbonneau, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Charbonneau
The surname CHARBONNEAU originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French words "charbonnier" and "charbonnier," which refer to a charcoal burner or charcoal maker. This occupation-based surname was likely adopted by individuals or families involved in the production of charcoal, a valuable fuel source at the time.
The earliest recorded instances of the CHARBONNEAU surname can be found in historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Loire Valley. These regions were known for their extensive forests, which provided ample resources for charcoal production.
One of the earliest known bearers of the CHARBONNEAU surname was Jean Charbonneau, a charcoal maker from the village of Sainte-Marie-Outre-l'Eau in Normandy, who was mentioned in a parish record dated 1327. Another notable figure was Pierre Charbonneau, a merchant and landowner from the town of Angers in the Loire Valley, whose name appeared in a land registry from 1468.
In the 16th century, the CHARBONNEAU surname gained prominence with the rise of François Charbonneau (1520-1589), a renowned architect and master builder from Paris. He was responsible for the construction of several notable buildings, including the Château de Chambord, and is considered one of the pioneers of the French Renaissance architectural style.
The CHARBONNEAU surname also has a connection to the exploration and settlement of New France (present-day Canada) in the 17th and 18th centuries. One of the earliest settlers bearing this name was Jacques Charbonneau (1648-1721), who arrived in Quebec in 1669 and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region of Beaupré.
Another notable figure was Marie-Anne Charbonneau (1701-1768), a renowned midwife and herbalist from Montreal, who played a significant role in the development of early healthcare practices in New France. Her expertise and dedication earned her the nickname "La Sage-Femme du Roi" (The King's Midwife).
Throughout history, the CHARBONNEAU surname has been associated with various professions beyond charcoal making, including artisans, traders, farmers, and professionals. It has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including Louis-Joseph Charbonneau (1811-1877), a Quebec politician and lawyer, and Georges Charbonneau (1925-2008), a French-Canadian painter and sculptor renowned for his abstract works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Charbonneau
Among Census respondents with the surname Charbonneau, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Charbonneau 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 Charbonneau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.5% · 3,953
- Two or more races4.1% · 180
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 124
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 35
- Black or African American0.4% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Charbonneau
Charbonneau 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
#7,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,617
+174 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 270 places
2020
#7,277
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,416
-201 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.48
Rank movement Down 47 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,960 | 4,443 | 1.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,230 | 4,617 | 1.57 | +174 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 270 places |
| 2020 | #7,277 | 4,416 | 1.48 | -201 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 47 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 Charbonneau 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 | #7,230 | #7,277 | -0.7% |
| Count | 4,617 | 4,416 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.57 | 1.48 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Charbonneau bearers went from 4,617 to 4,416 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 47 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,230 to #7,277.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Charbonneau
FAQ
Charbonneau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Charbonneau?
Name Census estimates that about 5,064 living Americans carry the surname Charbonneau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,685 residents.
How common is Charbonneau?
Charbonneau ranks #7,277 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.48 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 4,416 people with the surname Charbonneau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,064), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.48 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 Charbonneau.
Has Charbonneau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Charbonneau went from 4,617 recorded bearers to 4,416. That is a decrease of 201 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,230 to #7,277.
What does the Census say about the background of Charbonneau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Charbonneau, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Charbonneau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.5% (3,953 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Charbonneau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.5%), Two or More Races (4.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Charbonneau (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 Charbonneau mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a coal merchant or charcoal burner. 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 Charbonneau (1.48 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 Americans have the surname Charbonneau?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.