2000
#14,422
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,899
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Decoteau
A French toponymic surname derived from a place of origin, likely meaning "beside the slope" or "beside the hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,436 Americans carry the last name Decoteau. That puts it at #13,660 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.71 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 140,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Decoteau 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
2.4K
1 in 140,704
Census rank
#13,660
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,124 bearers of the surname Decoteau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.71 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13660th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Decoteau, the largest self-reported group is White at 37.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (37.5%) and Black (12.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Decoteau
The surname DECOTEAU has its origins in France, specifically in the northern regions near the border with Belgium. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old French word "coteur," which referred to a maker or seller of coats or cloaks.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a document from the year 1292, which mentions a Pierre Decoteau, a merchant from the town of Arras. This suggests that the name was already well-established in that region by the late 13th century.
The name DECOTEAU is often associated with certain place names in northern France, such as Coteau and Coteaux, which share the same root word. This further reinforces the connection between the surname and the occupation of making or selling outerwear.
In the 14th century, records show a Jean Decoteau who was a tailor in the city of Lille. This provides additional evidence of the name's ties to the clothing trade during that time period.
One notable figure in history bearing the name DECOTEAU was François Decoteau, a French soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. He was born in 1780 and died in 1854. Another individual of note was Marie Decoteau, a prominent lawyer and activist who lived in the late 19th century and fought for women's rights.
In the realm of literature, the name appears in the works of Victor Hugo, who included a character named Decoteau in his novel "Les Misérables." This further solidifies the name's French heritage and its presence in French culture.
Other individuals with the surname DECOTEAU who left their mark on history include Pierre Decoteau, a renowned painter from the 18th century, and Antoine Decoteau, a French explorer who was among the first Europeans to venture into the American West in the early 19th century.
While the name DECOTEAU has its roots in northern France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration. However, its origins and historical significance remain firmly tied to the French culture and the clothing trade of centuries past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Decoteau
Among Census respondents with the surname Decoteau, the largest self-reported group is White at 37.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (37.5%) and Black (12.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Decoteau 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 Decoteau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White37.8% · 803
- American Indian and Alaska Native37.5% · 797
- Black or African American12.6% · 267
- Two or more races7.8% · 165
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Decoteau
Decoteau 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
#13,786
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,194
+295 bearers (+15.5%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 636 places
2020
#13,660
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,124
-70 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Up 126 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,422 | 1,899 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,786 | 2,194 | 0.74 | +295 bearers (+15.5%) | Up 636 places |
| 2020 | #13,660 | 2,124 | 0.71 | -70 bearers (-3.2%) | Up 126 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 Decoteau 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 | #13,786 | #13,660 | 0.9% |
| Count | 2,194 | 2,124 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.71 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Decoteau bearers went from 2,194 to 2,124 (-3.2% change). The surname moved up 126 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,786 to #13,660.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Decoteau
FAQ
Decoteau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Decoteau?
Name Census estimates that about 2,436 living Americans carry the surname Decoteau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 140,704 residents.
How common is Decoteau?
Decoteau ranks #13,660 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.71 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 2,124 people with the surname Decoteau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,436), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.71 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.71 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 Decoteau.
Has Decoteau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Decoteau went from 2,194 recorded bearers to 2,124. That is a decrease of 70 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,786 to #13,660.
What does the Census say about the background of Decoteau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Decoteau, the largest self-reported group is White at 37.8%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (37.5%) and Black (12.6%). 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 Decoteau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 37.8% (803 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Decoteau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (37.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (37.5%), Black (12.6%). 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 Decoteau (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 Decoteau mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from a place of origin, likely meaning "beside the slope" or "beside the hill." 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 Decoteau (0.71 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 people have the surname Decoteau?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.