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

Cheneau, 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 Cheneau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Cheneau in America

Cheneau is the 116829th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Cheneau surname appeared 149 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 Cheneau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Cheneau 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 Cheneau

The surname Cheneau originates from France and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old French word "chesneau", which means "oak tree". The name likely originated from a specific location or area known for its oak trees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cheneau can be found in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Gisors" (Book of Burgesses of Gisors), a manuscript from the 14th century that listed the names of citizens in the town of Gisors, Normandy. The name appears as "Cheneau" in this document, suggesting it was already in use by that time.

In the 17th century, the surname Cheneau appears in various records from the region of Poitou, in western France. One notable individual was Jean Cheneau (1595-1672), a French Catholic priest and writer who authored several religious works.

The name Cheneau also has connections to the city of Nantes, located in the Loire-Atlantique region of western France. In the 18th century, there was a family of architects and builders with the surname Cheneau who were involved in the construction of several notable buildings in Nantes, including the Église Saint-Nicolas and the Château des Ducs de Bretagne.

Another individual of note was Marie-Anne Cheneau (1723-1796), a French midwife and author who wrote one of the earliest modern works on childbirth and midwifery. Her book, "Traité complet sur l'art des accouchements" (Complete Treatise on the Art of Childbirth), was published in 1761 and became a widely used reference for midwives and medical professionals.

In the 19th century, there was a French painter named Louis Cheneau (1820-1896) who was known for his landscapes and portraits. He studied under the renowned artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and had several of his works exhibited at the Paris Salon.

While the surname Cheneau has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration. However, its origins remain firmly rooted in the historical regions of France where it first emerged.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Cheneau

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

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

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

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