Croteau last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Croteau

A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a garden or small enclosed field.

Croteau, 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 Croteau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Croteau in America

Croteau is the 7361st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Croteau surname appeared 4,525 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Croteau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Croteau 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 7361 6834 7.43%
Count 4,525 4,534 -0.20%
Proportion per 100k 1.53 1.68 -9.35%

The history of the last name Croteau

The surname Croteau is of French origin, originating from the provinces of Normandy and Brittany in northwestern France. It can be traced back to the 11th century, deriving from the Old French word "crote," meaning a small hill or mound.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Croteau name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name was likely brought to England by Norman settlers after the conquest of 1066.

In the 13th century, the name was occasionally spelled as "Croteaux" or "Crotteau," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. Some historical documents also mention the surname in association with certain place names, such as "Croteau-sur-Mer" and "Croteau-en-Brie."

Notable individuals with the Croteau surname include:

  1. Jean-Baptiste Croteau (1605-1677), a French merchant and explorer who established trading posts along the St. Lawrence River in what is now Quebec, Canada.

  2. Marie-Thérèse Croteau (1718-1798), a French nun and educator who founded one of the first schools for girls in Normandy.

  3. Pierre-Édouard Croteau (1809-1885), a French-Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.

  4. Émilie Croteau (1892-1976), a French-Canadian writer and poet, known for her works depicting rural life in Quebec.

  5. Henri Croteau (1928-2002), a renowned French architect and urban planner who designed several iconic buildings in Paris and other European cities.

The Croteau surname has been present in various parts of Europe and North America throughout history, and while its spelling has evolved, its French roots and association with rural landscapes have remained a consistent theme.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Croteau

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

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 Croteau was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.82% 4,336
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.27% 12
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.62% 28
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.40% 18
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.10% 50
Hispanic Origin 1.79% 81

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 Croteau has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.82% 97.75% -1.99%
Black 0.27% 0.15% 57.14%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.62% 0.29% 72.53%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.40% 0.46% -13.95%
Two or More Races 1.10% 0.62% 55.81%
Hispanic 1.79% 0.73% 84.13%

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

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

Reference this page

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"Croteau last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/croteau-surname-popularity/.

"Croteau last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/croteau-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

Croteau last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/croteau-surname-popularity/.

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