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

Descartes, 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 Descartes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Descartes in America

Descartes is the 145220th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Descartes surname appeared 114 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 Descartes.

The history of the last name Descartes

The surname Descartes originates from France and dates back to the 17th century. It is derived from the French words "des cartes," which literally translates to "of the maps" or "from the maps." This name is believed to have been initially given to individuals who were involved in cartography or map-making.

One of the earliest known records of the Descartes name can be found in the archives of the French town of La Haye-Descartes, located in the Indre-et-Loire department of central France. This town was formerly known as La Haye-en-Touraine, and it is speculated that the name Descartes may have been adopted by families residing in or around this area.

The most famous bearer of the Descartes surname is undoubtedly René Descartes (1596-1650), the renowned French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist. He is widely regarded as the father of modern philosophy and is celebrated for his groundbreaking work in establishing the foundations of analytical geometry and his famous philosophical statement, "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am).

Another notable figure with the Descartes surname was Gérard Descartes (1591-1666), a French diplomat and scholar who served as the ambassador of France to the Netherlands and Sweden. He was also the elder brother of René Descartes.

In the 18th century, Pierre Descartes (1719-1799) was a French lawyer and writer who gained recognition for his legal treatises and works on civil law. He served as a magistrate in the Parlement of Paris.

During the 19th century, Victor Descartes (1810-1873) was a French politician and lawyer who served as a deputy in the National Assembly of France and played a prominent role in the political affairs of his time.

Another notable bearer of the Descartes name was Albert Descartes (1878-1945), a French artist and painter renowned for his Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works. His paintings often depicted landscapes and scenes from rural France.

While the Descartes surname has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Canada, the United States, and other countries with French cultural influences or settlements. However, it remains most prevalent in its country of origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Descartes

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

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 Descartes 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.

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

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

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