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

Deschênes, 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 Deschênes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deschênes in America

Deschênes is the 16079th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deschênes surname appeared 1,801 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Deschênes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deschênes 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 Deschênes

The surname Deschenes has its origins in France, dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French phrase "des chênes," which translates to "of the oaks." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived near an oak grove or a notable oak tree.

The earliest recorded instances of the Deschenes name can be found in various French historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries. One notable mention is in the Cartulaire de l'abbaye de Saint-Aubin d'Angers, a medieval manuscript that contains records of land transactions and property ownership in the region of Anjou.

During the Middle Ages, the Deschenes family likely held lands or had a notable presence in the northern regions of France, particularly in the provinces of Normandy and Brittany. The name may have also been associated with certain place names that incorporated the word "chêne" or derivatives thereof.

In the 14th century, a prominent figure bearing the Deschenes surname was Jean Deschenes, a French nobleman who served as a Knight of the Order of the Garter under King Edward III of England. He participated in several military campaigns during the Hundred Years' War.

Another notable Deschenes was Renée Deschenes, a French noblewoman from the 16th century who was known for her patronage of the arts and literature. She hosted salons in her chateau, where prominent writers and intellectuals of the time would gather and discuss their works.

In the 17th century, Étienne Deschenes was a French explorer and fur trader who traveled extensively throughout the Great Lakes region of North America. His journals and accounts provided valuable insights into the indigenous cultures and landscapes of the era.

During the 18th century, a distinguished figure was Jacques Deschenes, a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte. He participated in several significant battles, including the Battle of Austerlitz, and was awarded the Légion d'honneur for his bravery and leadership.

The 19th century saw the rise of Émilie Deschenes, a French author and activist who wrote extensively on women's rights and education. Her influential works helped shape the feminist movement in France during that period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deschênes

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

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

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

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