2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Commeau
Commeau is a French surname derived from the word "commun", meaning common or commonplace.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Commeau. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Commeau 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Commeau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Commeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Commeau
The surname Commeau is believed to have originated in France, specifically in the region of Poitou-Charentes. It is thought to derive from the Old French word "comeau," which means "small valley" or "little valley." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived in or near a small valley or a low-lying area.
The earliest known record of the name Commeau can be traced back to the 13th century in the town of Saint-Maixent-l'École in the Poitou-Charentes region. In a document dated 1287, a person named Pierre Commeau is mentioned as a landowner in the area. This indicates that the name was already established in that region during the medieval period.
Another notable historical reference to the name Commeau can be found in the Armorial Général de France, a collection of French armorial bearings compiled in the late 17th century. The Commeau family coat of arms is described in this work, suggesting that the family had achieved a certain level of prominence by that time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Commeau was Jacques Commeau, born in 1612 in the village of Surgères, located in the Poitou-Charentes region. He was a farmer and landowner, and his descendants continued to live in the area for several generations.
Another notable figure bearing the surname Commeau was Jean-Baptiste Commeau, born in 1745 in the town of La Rochelle, also in Poitou-Charentes. He was a successful merchant and ship owner, and played a significant role in the local economy during the 18th century.
In the 19th century, a prominent Commeau was François Commeau, born in 1823 in the village of Saint-Gervais in Poitou-Charentes. He was a renowned architect and was responsible for designing several important buildings in the region, including the town hall of La Rochelle.
Laurent Commeau, born in 1879 in the town of Niort, Poitou-Charentes, was a celebrated writer and poet. His works, which often explored themes of rural life and the natural world, were widely acclaimed and earned him recognition throughout France.
Finally, Marie Commeau, born in 1901 in the village of Vouillé, Poitou-Charentes, was a pioneering educator who dedicated her life to improving education opportunities for children in rural areas. She founded several schools and was instrumental in promoting literacy and access to education in the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Commeau
Among Census respondents with the surname Commeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Commeau 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 Commeau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Commeau
Commeau 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
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,949 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+10 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,549 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 8,949 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 9,549 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 Commeau 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 | #156,044 | #146,495 | 6.1% |
| Count | 104 | 114 | 9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Commeau bearers went from 104 to 114 (+9.6% change). The surname moved up 9,549 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #146,495.
FAQ
Commeau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Commeau?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Commeau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Commeau?
Commeau ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 114 people with the surname Commeau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Commeau.
Has Commeau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Commeau went from 104 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 10 (+9.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Commeau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Commeau, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (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 Commeau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Commeau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (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 Commeau (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 Commeau mean?
Commeau is a French surname derived from the word "commun", meaning common or commonplace. 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 Commeau (0.04 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 Commeau?
If you just want to know how many people are called Commeau, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.