2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Desrouleaux
A French surname meaning "little wheel" or "small rolls."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Desrouleaux. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Desrouleaux 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Desrouleaux in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Desrouleaux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and White (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Desrouleaux
The surname DESROULEAUX has its origins in France, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the French words "des rouleux," which translates to "of the rollers" or "of the rolling hills." This suggests that the name may have originated from a region characterized by rolling hills or countryside.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the DESROULEAUX name can be found in historical records from the Normandy region of France. In the late 16th century, there are references to a family bearing this surname residing in the town of Rouen, which was a prominent center for textile manufacturing at the time. It is possible that the name was initially associated with individuals involved in the rolling or processing of cloth.
In the 17th century, the DESROULEAUX name appeared in various official records and documents across different parts of France. For instance, there are records of a Jean DESROULEAUX, born in 1635, who served as a merchant in the city of Lyon. Additionally, a Pierre DESROULEAUX, born in 1671, was a notable lawyer and legal scholar who practiced in Paris.
During the 18th century, the DESROULEAUX surname started to spread beyond the borders of France. There are records of a Jacques DESROULEAUX, born in 1712, who emigrated to the French colonies in the West Indies and became a prominent plantation owner in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). Another notable figure from this period was Marie DESROULEAUX, born in 1745, who was a renowned artist and painter in the court of King Louis XVI.
As the French Revolution unfolded in the late 18th century, some members of the DESROULEAUX family were forced to flee France due to their aristocratic connections. One such individual was Charles DESROULEAUX, born in 1778, who sought refuge in England and later settled in the United States, where he became a successful merchant and businessman.
In the 19th century, the DESROULEAUX name continued to be present in various parts of Europe and the Americas. For example, there was a renowned French botanist named Émile DESROULEAUX, born in 1820, who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and wrote several influential works on the subject.
Throughout its history, the DESROULEAUX surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including merchants, lawyers, artists, scientists, and landowners. While the name may have originated from a specific region in France, it has since spread across the globe, reflecting the mobility and migration patterns of various family branches over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Desrouleaux
Among Census respondents with the surname Desrouleaux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and White (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Desrouleaux 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 Desrouleaux surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American84.2% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 8
- White5.0% · 5
- Two or more races3.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Desrouleaux
Desrouleaux appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-15 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 12,121 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 Desrouleaux 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 | #143,149 | #155,270 | -8.5% |
| Count | 116 | 101 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Desrouleaux bearers went from 116 to 101 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 12,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #155,270.
FAQ
Desrouleaux surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Desrouleaux?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Desrouleaux. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Desrouleaux?
Desrouleaux ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101 people with the surname Desrouleaux. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Desrouleaux.
Has Desrouleaux become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Desrouleaux went from 116 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Desrouleaux?
Among Census respondents with the surname Desrouleaux, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.9%) and White (5.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Desrouleaux in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Desrouleaux appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (84.2%), Hispanic (7.9%), White (5.0%). 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 Desrouleaux (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 Desrouleaux mean?
A French surname meaning "little wheel" or "small rolls." 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 Desrouleaux (0.03 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 last name Desrouleaux?
Find out how many people are called Desrouleaux on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.