2000
#6,245
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,039
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.87
Rare Last name
Desrosiers
A French occupational surname referring to someone who cleared or cultivated land, derived from the Old French "desrosier."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,245 Americans carry the last name Desrosiers. That puts it at #6,058 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 54,885 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desrosiers 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
6.2K
1 in 54,885
Census rank
#6,058
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,446 bearers of the surname Desrosiers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6058th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desrosiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desrosiers
The surname DESROSIERS is of French origin, originating in the northern regions of France during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old French words "des" meaning "of the" and "rosiers" meaning "rose bushes" or "rosebushes." This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived near or cultivated rose bushes.
The earliest known records of the name date back to the 13th century, with some of the earliest documented examples appearing in parish records and tax rolls from the regions of Normandy and Picardy. Variations in spelling were common during this time, with forms such as Desrosiers, Des Rosiers, and De Rosiers appearing in historical documents.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Jean Desrosiers, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Rouen, Normandy, in the late 14th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the local wine trade and owned several vineyards in the surrounding area.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name began to spread throughout other regions of France, with several DESROSIERS families settling in the provinces of Brittany and Anjou. One prominent figure from this time was Pierre Desrosiers (1587-1648), a Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on theological matters.
In the 18th century, the DESROSIERS name appeared in several notable works of literature, including the writings of the French philosopher and novelist, Voltaire. He mentioned a character named "Desrosiers" in his novel "Zadig" (1747), which was set in the ancient Middle East.
As the name spread throughout France, it also made its way to the French colonies of North America, particularly in the regions of Quebec and Acadia (present-day Maritime provinces of Canada). One of the earliest recorded DESROSIERS settlers in Canada was Michel Desrosiers, who arrived in Quebec City in the late 17th century.
Another notable individual with the surname was Jacques-Pierre Desrosiers (1742-1817), a French-Canadian merchant and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada (now Quebec) in the early 19th century.
In more recent times, the DESROSIERS surname has been associated with several individuals in various fields, such as the French author and playwright, Henri-René Desrosiers (1887-1975), and the Canadian actor and comedian, Réal Desrosiers (1939-2013).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desrosiers
Among Census respondents with the surname Desrosiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Desrosiers 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 Desrosiers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.4% · 3,888
- Black or African American20.7% · 1,125
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 204
- Two or more races3.1% · 171
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desrosiers
Desrosiers 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
#6,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,423
+384 bearers (+7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.84
Rank movement Down 55 places
2020
#6,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,446
+23 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 1.82
Rank movement Up 242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,245 | 5,039 | 1.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,300 | 5,423 | 1.84 | +384 bearers (+7.6%) | Down 55 places |
| 2020 | #6,058 | 5,446 | 1.82 | +23 bearers (+0.4%) | Up 242 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 Desrosiers 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 | #6,300 | #6,058 | 3.8% |
| Count | 5,423 | 5,446 | 0.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.84 | 1.82 | -1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desrosiers bearers went from 5,423 to 5,446 (+0.4% change). The surname moved up 242 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,300 to #6,058.
FAQ
Desrosiers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desrosiers?
Name Census estimates that about 6,245 living Americans carry the surname Desrosiers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 54,885 residents.
How common is Desrosiers?
Desrosiers ranks #6,058 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,446 people with the surname Desrosiers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,245), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Desrosiers.
Has Desrosiers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desrosiers went from 5,423 recorded bearers to 5,446. That is an increase of 23 (+0.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,300 to #6,058.
What does the Census say about the background of Desrosiers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desrosiers, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.4%. The next largest groups are Black (20.7%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Desrosiers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.4% (3,888 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desrosiers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.4%), Black (20.7%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Desrosiers (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 Desrosiers mean?
A French occupational surname referring to someone who cleared or cultivated land, derived from the Old French "desrosier." 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 Desrosiers (1.82 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 common is the surname Desrosiers?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Desrosiers at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.