2000
#10,647
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,758
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.02
Rare Last name
Charpentier
An occupational surname referring to a carpenter or woodworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,243 Americans carry the last name Charpentier. That puts it at #10,779 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,691 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Charpentier 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
3.2K
1 in 105,691
Census rank
#10,779
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,828 bearers of the surname Charpentier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10779th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Charpentier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Charpentier
The surname Charpentier originated in France during the Middle Ages. It derives from the Old French word "charpentier," meaning a carpenter or woodworker. The name likely emerged as a descriptive occupational surname for those who practiced the skilled trade of woodworking and construction.
The earliest recorded instances of the Charpentier name can be found in various medieval documents, such as tax records, land registries, and parish records. One notable example is the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror, which mentions individuals with the name Charpentier or similar spellings.
During the Middle Ages, carpentry was a highly respected and essential profession, responsible for constructing buildings, furniture, and other wooden structures. As such, the Charpentier name carried a certain prestige and was often associated with skilled craftsmen and artisans.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Charpentier was Jean Charpentier, a French architect and engineer who lived in the 13th century. He is credited with designing and overseeing the construction of several notable Gothic cathedrals, including parts of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris.
Another prominent figure was François Charpentier (1619-1702), a French playwright and poet who was a member of the Académie Française. His works, which included comedies and tragedies, were celebrated during the reign of King Louis XIV.
In the realm of music, Jacques Charpentier (1933-2017) was a renowned French composer and conductor. He is particularly known for his sacred works, including masses and oratorios, as well as his film scores and operas.
The Charpentier name also has a connection to the French Revolution. Pierre Charpentier (1763-1816) was a revolutionary leader and politician who served as a member of the National Convention and later as a deputy in the Council of Five Hundred.
Finally, Gustave Charpentier (1860-1956) was a French composer and conductor who is best known for his opera "Louise," which premiered in 1900 and became a staunch representation of the French Realist movement in music.
Throughout history, the Charpentier surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, reflecting the diverse roles and contributions of those who bore this name rooted in the ancient craft of carpentry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Charpentier
Among Census respondents with the surname Charpentier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Charpentier 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 Charpentier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 2,454
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 129
- Black or African American3.5% · 100
- Two or more races3.4% · 95
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Charpentier
Charpentier 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
#11,003
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,891
+133 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Down 356 places
2020
#10,779
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,828
-63 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.95
Rank movement Up 224 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,647 | 2,758 | 1.02 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,003 | 2,891 | 0.98 | +133 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 356 places |
| 2020 | #10,779 | 2,828 | 0.95 | -63 bearers (-2.2%) | Up 224 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 Charpentier 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 | #11,003 | #10,779 | 2.0% |
| Count | 2,891 | 2,828 | -2.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.98 | 0.95 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Charpentier bearers went from 2,891 to 2,828 (-2.2% change). The surname moved up 224 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,003 to #10,779.
FAQ
Charpentier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Charpentier?
Name Census estimates that about 3,243 living Americans carry the surname Charpentier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,691 residents.
How common is Charpentier?
Charpentier ranks #10,779 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.95 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 2,828 people with the surname Charpentier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,243), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.95 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 Charpentier.
Has Charpentier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Charpentier went from 2,891 recorded bearers to 2,828. That is a decrease of 63 (-2.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,003 to #10,779.
What does the Census say about the background of Charpentier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Charpentier, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Charpentier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (2,454 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Charpentier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (4.6%), Black (3.5%). 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 Charpentier (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 Charpentier mean?
An occupational surname referring to a carpenter or woodworker. 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 Charpentier (0.95 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 common is the surname Charpentier?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Charpentier at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.