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

Desmarteau, 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 Desmarteau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Desmarteau in America

Desmarteau is the 86005th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Desmarteau surname appeared 217 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 Desmarteau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Desmarteau 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 Desmarteau

The surname Desmarteau originated in France during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French words "des marteaux," which translates to "of the hammers." This suggests that the name was initially used to identify someone who worked as a blacksmith or metalworker.

The earliest known bearers of the Desmarteau name were found in the region of Normandy, where it was commonly spelled as "Desmarteaux." Records from the 13th century mention a family of this name living in the village of Bretteville-sur-Odon.

In the 14th century, the Desmarteau name appeared in various legal documents and property records in the nearby town of Caen. One notable individual from this time was Pierre Desmarteau, a prosperous merchant who was mentioned in the town's tax rolls in 1387.

As the Desmarteau family spread throughout France, different spelling variations emerged, such as "Desmarteaux," "Desmartaux," and "Desmartault." In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the Champagne region, where they became prominent landowners and vintners.

One of the earliest known references to the Desmarteau name outside of France can be found in the records of the French settlement of Quebec, Canada. In 1652, a man named Jean Desmarteau arrived in the colony as part of a group of skilled craftsmen recruited by the French authorities.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Desmarteau surname. These include:

1. Jacques Desmarteau (1612-1678), a French architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Paris.
2. Marie-Anne Desmarteau (1720-1792), a French painter known for her portraits of aristocratic families.
3. Joseph Desmarteau (1786-1855), a French military officer who served under Napoleon Bonaparte and participated in the Napoleonic Wars.
4. Émile Desmarteau (1854-1918), a Belgian artist known for his landscapes and genre scenes.
5. Henri Desmarteau (1898-1979), a French writer and poet who was part of the surrealist movement.

While the Desmarteau name has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through French colonization and immigration. However, the historical origins and significance of this surname remain rooted in the medieval era and the skilled trade of metalworking.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Desmarteau

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

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

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

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