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

Deveau, 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 Deveau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Deveau in America

Deveau is the 15947th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Deveau surname appeared 1,822 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 Deveau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Deveau 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 Deveau

The surname DEVEAU is of French origin, tracing its roots back to the Acadian region of eastern Canada in the 17th century. It is derived from the Old French word "deveau," meaning "a valley" or "a small dell." This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive one, referring to someone who lived in a valley or a small depression in the landscape.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name DEVEAU can be found in the 1671 census of Acadia, where a family by that name is listed as residing in Port-Royal, now known as Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. This region was home to many French settlers who were later expelled during the Great Upheaval, also known as the Acadian Expulsion, in the mid-18th century.

During this period of displacement, many Acadian families, including those with the surname DEVEAU, sought refuge in various parts of North America, such as Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. This diaspora contributed to the spread of the name across different regions.

One notable figure in Acadian history was Joseph-Charles DEVEAU, born in 1693 and described as a leading Acadian figure in his community. He was among those who signed a petition in 1730, challenging the British authority's attempt to impose an oath of allegiance on the Acadians.

Another early bearer of the name was Pierre DEVEAU, born around 1680 in Port-Royal. He married Marie-Madeleine Landry, and their descendants can be traced to various parts of North America, including Louisiana, where the name was sometimes anglicized to "Devo."

In the 19th century, Olivier DEVEAU, born in 1807 in St. Martinville, Louisiana, was a prominent figure in the Acadian community and served as a justice of the peace and a member of the state legislature.

The DEVEAU name also has a presence in literature, with French-Canadian author Gérard DEVEAU, born in 1936 in Robertville, Quebec, who is known for his novels and plays exploring Acadian culture and identity.

While the name DEVEAU is most commonly associated with its Acadian roots, it has also been found in other parts of the Francophone world, such as France and Belgium, where variations like "Devau" and "Devaux" have been recorded.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Deveau

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

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

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

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