DeVaul last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of DeVaul

A surname originating from the French words "de val" meaning "of the valley".

DeVaul, 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 DeVaul surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of DeVaul in America

DeVaul is the 32438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The DeVaul surname appeared 709 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 DeVaul.

We can also compare 2010 data for DeVaul 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 32438 27009 18.27%
Count 709 844 -17.39%
Proportion per 100k 0.24 0.31 -25.45%

The history of the last name DeVaul

The surname DEVAUL has its origins in France, stemming from the Old French words "de val" or "de la val", which translate to "of the valley". This suggests that the name was likely initially adopted as a descriptive surname, identifying an individual or family that resided in or near a valley.

In the early Middle Ages, the use of hereditary surnames was not yet widespread, and people were often identified by their place of origin, occupation, or a physical characteristic. The adoption of the surname DEVAUL can be traced back to the 11th or 12th century in the regions of Normandy and Brittany in northern France.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DEVAUL can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landholder named Radulfus de Vall, which is believed to be an early variant spelling of the surname.

Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including DeVal, DeVall, DeValle, and DeVault, reflecting regional dialects and the evolution of language over time.

Notable individuals bearing the surname DEVAUL include:

  1. Pierre DeVaul (1628-1697), a French-born explorer and fur trader who was among the first Europeans to establish settlements in what is now Arkansas.
  2. Jean-Baptiste DeVault (1751-1823), a French military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Louisiana.
  3. Sarah DeVaul (1777-1857), an American pioneer and settler who established one of the first homesteads in the Missouri Territory.
  4. Théodore DeVaul (1814-1895), a French painter and artist known for his landscape paintings depicting the countryside of Normandy.
  5. William DeVaul (1873-1945), an American politician who served as the Mayor of San Antonio, Texas, from 1925 to 1933.

While the surname DEVAUL has its roots in France, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly in North America, where it was brought by early French settlers and immigrants. The name continues to be carried on by descendants of these historical figures and families, serving as a testament to its enduring legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name DeVaul

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

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 DeVaul was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 87.59% 621
Non-Hispanic Black Only 5.36% 38
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 2.68% 19
Hispanic Origin 3.95% 28

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 DeVaul has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 87.59% 87.80% -0.24%
Black 5.36% 6.75% -22.96%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 2.68% 1.78% 40.36%
Hispanic 3.95% 3.08% 24.75%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"DeVaul last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 9, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/devaul-surname-popularity/.

"DeVaul last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/devaul-surname-popularity/. Accessed 9 July, 2025

DeVaul last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/devaul-surname-popularity/.

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